Is smoking a sin?

[BarneyFife]

Those who make up their own rules of carnal ordinance to live by in the flesh, which are not written in Scripture for doctrine and law of Christ.

I.e. Smoking, drinking, caffeine, theatres, women cutting hair, eating fish on Fridays, etc... is sin.

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Proverbs 20:1 Parallel: Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

 

[amadeus]

Good if ppl can quit. But I struggle with the whole legalism thing.

I do believe that God has rules which need to be followed, but the source of the rules needs to be Him. A flawed and/or fallible man or church group deciding for God is not...the source.

Some churches and some individuals may say or believe that their rules are always equal to God's, but I have never encountered such a place or such a person where I was able to agree with that.

 

[amadeus]

But what's legalistic about denying church membership to a person professing to love Christ who is living in open sin?

1 Corinthians 5:5 Parallel: To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

If they can and actually are able to do it without being hypocrites!

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" Acts 10:34

 

[Ziggy]

Hi! Newbie here. I don't understand what is wrong with JW's saying you can't join the church if you smoke. They are not the only church One can always go somewhere else. Anyway, I think if it bothers you to smoke, then maybe God is trying to tell you something. I am not going to say one way or the other. I am the chief of sinners, and I have no business telling anyone they are sinning when I look back on my life and see all of the evil I have done.
What I wanted to do here is to tell how I was able to stop smoking. I smoked for 40 years plus, and a few years ago, the Holy spirit started bothering me a bit about it. I smoked a lot, and it was next to impossible for me to quit. I know people that said the Lord took their desire away, but mine wasn't going anywhere. I had a friend who had started vaping, and I didn't know what that was. After I found out how it works, I bought an ecigarette (which was tons cheaper than reg cigs) and bought tobacco flavored e juice. I think it was 27% or something. I got used to doing that instead of smoking,(this takes a bit) and within a few days, I got my second wind back. My voice, which was raspy, became so much better that someone who I hadn't seen in awhile, when they heard me, thought I'd had throat surgery. (I stayed at 27% for about 6 months) Then I went down to 18% ejuice, and the Spirit was still bothering me, so I got down all the way to zero % ejuice. It tasted just like a cigarette, but 0 nicotine. After 2 weeks of that , I was able to quit, because the nicotine was out of my system. Even though the Lord hadn't taken the craving away, I believe He helped with the whole implementation of the stop smoking plan. It's been 5 years since I've had a smoke, my lungs are clear, and I'm thankful it's gone. So once again, thank you Lord. ♥

Hello Cassandra!
Nice to meet you
Welcome to the family

HUGS

 

[BarneyFife]

@Cassandra
.
.

 

[Ziggy]

I agree with your biblical analysis. That said, I'm not sure an occasional smoke is wrong, either. The issue is if it's habitual it causes poor health. But then again, those who would condemn smoking may very well be overly fat (gluttony) while not touching a drop of alcohol (that's permitted). So anything overdone is a form of gluttony. Native Americans would live long and yet smoke tobacco because it was sacred. But they had restraint. They were not out on break every 5 minutes smoking a proverbial peacepipe the way you see some people at work. In short, one has to discern if they are smoking because they feel they need it or are they just enjoying life? If they need it then they are in bondage to it. If one wants to smoke, I'd recommend giving up over-the-counter cigarettes which is processed tobacco and much like food, get natural and make your own pipe or whatever. But that's costly some may protest. Well, if one is smoking that much that they feel that way, then they are in the "Need" category. It's not too costly if it's once in awhile.

Hello liafailrock!
Don't know that we've met.
Nice to meet you

HUGS

 

[amigo de christo]

Are you speaking ecumenically? I'm not talking about special holiness. That doesn't mean they can't create a list of rules to abide by. I'm sure all churches have rules. Not all churches are part of the body either, I don't think.

Yes indeed not all churches are part of the body . The RCC aint , nor are mormons , jehovahs , nor a lot of protestant churches either .
WE must be on gaurd big time . Many denominations are not a part of the body of Christ any longer , IF even they ever were .
You are loved my dear sister . Let us learn our bibles and learn JESUS well .

 

[BarneyFife]

If they can and actually are able to do it without being hypocrites!

There will always be hypocrites, John.

In fact, we're all hypocrites.

 

[robert derrick]

Proverbs 20:1 Parallel: Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Case in point.

A certain identifier of outsider rules and traditions is that they are not plainly written in Scripture, or not plainly written that way.

Them that are deceived by anything they partake of by way of lust are not wise, whether wine, money, sex, food, ministry, etc...

Quote any Scripture declaring drinking wine or strong drink to be a sin. There is plenty of scripture about foolishly being drunken thereby, beginning with Noah, including (Prov 20:1), and concluding with be not drunk with wine, but rather be filled with the Spirit.

The only Scriptures speaking plainly of drinking wine and alcohol, without drunkenness, is the Lord's exhortation to partake of such freely at the time of festival, and not to forget the Levite (Deut 14).

God does not tempt to sin. (James 1)

Likewise, the Lord commands strong wine to be poured our for a drink offering to Himself (Num 28). If wine were sin, then He would be commandment the neck of a dog for offering.

This simple teaching escapes those who have no clue what they are talking about, when it comes to law vs. personal conviction, which also is why they haply intermix the two for the sake of their own righteousness.

Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

 

[amadeus]

There will always be hypocrites, John.

In fact, we're all hypocrites.

Until and if we have overcome the world as Jesus did!

 

[Truman]

Amen.

And if more Christians gave testimony about God's help in a personal habit as you do, without going on to make a separate religion by law about it, then there would be much more edifying unity in the body of Christ.

Your testimony on smoking is the same as mine on drinking.

I was a drunkard and Jesus delivered me from drunkenness, by power to abstain completely for many years, so that I had no desire for alcohol at all. I was not an 'alcoholic' forced into 'confessing' alcoholism every day to remain sober. In process of time, I began to drink again by desire, with it no longer having the rule over me, but I the rule over it. (1 Cor 6:12)

It's called richly enjoying all things of the earth, partaking thereof freely by the Spirit with faith. (1 Tom 6:17)

Smoking was sin to you, and alcohol was sin to me, because of lust corrupting them to become so.

And this is why Jesus came into the world to die on the cross, that we might be delivered from the lust of the world, that corrupts all things clean of themselves, whether smoking, drinking, eating, sex, dress, etc...

God freed me from the slavery of the 12-step program! Lol

 

[Ziggy]

Well, I remember my first cup of coffee sitting at the kitchen table when I was 3 years old.
I only drink coffee now.
I had my cigarette when I was 10 years old and been smoking ever since.
I buy loose tobacco and empty tubes and fill them by hand.
I used to smoke 3 packs a day, now I smoke 1.
I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't party.
I respect not smoking around people who don't smoke, or going into places that don't allow it.

I have tried to quit on occasion but I just restart worse then when I quit.

So I guess JW's and Mormon's are not for me.
I live on coffee and cigarettes.

I'm 56 and I don't get around much.
Maybe the Lord is being lenient with me because I don't "focus" on my "bad" habits.
And you know what's cool..
the more I type the less I smoke.
Maybe that's why most my posts are so looooooong..
LOL

One of these days, it would be interesting to look inside everyone's closet and see what's really in there.
Because there is none perfect, no not one.
Amen
But I love you all anyways..

HUGS

 

[robert derrick]

I agree with your biblical analysis. That said, I'm not sure an occasional smoke is wrong, either. The issue is if it's habitual it causes poor health. But then again, those who would condemn smoking may very well be overly fat (gluttony) while not touching a drop of alcohol (that's permitted). So anything overdone is a form of gluttony. Native Americans would live long and yet smoke tobacco because it was sacred. But they had restraint. They were not out on break every 5 minutes smoking a proverbial peacepipe the way you see some people at work. In short, one has to discern if they are smoking because they feel they need it or are they just enjoying life? If they need it then they are in bondage to it. If one wants to smoke, I'd recommend giving up over-the-counter cigarettes which is processed tobacco and much like food, get natural and make your own pipe or whatever. But that's costly some may protest. Well, if one is smoking that much that they feel that way, then they are in the "Need" category. It's not too costly if it's once in awhile.

In short, one has to discern if they are smoking because they feel they need it or are they just enjoying life?

Now that is well said. It is called richly enjoying all things in Christ Jesus. (1 Tim 6:17)

Jesus delivers us from the lust of the world that corrupts all things good and clean of themselves.

He does not force us into an ever-narrowing zero-tolerance existence from those things.

That is not the sanctification of God, but the isolationism of false holiness of man.

The law of Christ is plainly written for us to obey. And the liberty of His perfect law is left to the conscience of the individual believer (James 1), whether to partake or not, and none is the worse nor the better. (1 Cor 8)

Them that judge other believers' liberty by their own conscience are lawgiving false accusers of the brethren. (James 4)

 

[amadeus]

Are you speaking ecumenically? I'm not talking about special holiness. That doesn't mean they can't create a list of rules to abide by. I'm sure all churches have rules. Not all churches are part of the body either, I don't think.

Probably they all do have rules, and most of the churches in my experience do train people to quench the Spirit of God by their rules.

Most or the people in such churches, if they had the Holy Spirit in them, have made quenching the Spirit into a habit. God is allowed to manifest through people in such places only to the extent that those people follow all of the rules.

Does the Holy Spirit lead us when we are gathered together for a church service? What does it take for two or three to be gathered together in His name?

Apologies to OP for this off topic post.

 

[farouk]

Hi! Newbie here. I don't understand what is wrong with JW's saying you can't join the church if you smoke. They are not the only church One can always go somewhere else. Anyway, I think if it bothers you to smoke, then maybe God is trying to tell you something. I am not going to say one way or the other. I am the chief of sinners, and I have no business telling anyone they are sinning when I look back on my life and see all of the evil I have done.
What I wanted to do here is to tell how I was able to stop smoking. I smoked for 40 years plus, and a few years ago, the Holy spirit started bothering me a bit about it. I smoked a lot, and it was next to impossible for me to quit. I know people that said the Lord took their desire away, but mine wasn't going anywhere. I had a friend who had started vaping, and I didn't know what that was. After I found out how it works, I bought an ecigarette (which was tons cheaper than reg cigs) and bought tobacco flavored e juice. I think it was 27% or something. I got used to doing that instead of smoking,(this takes a bit) and within a few days, I got my second wind back. My voice, which was raspy, became so much better that someone who I hadn't seen in awhile, when they heard me, thought I'd had throat surgery. (I stayed at 27% for about 6 months) Then I went down to 18% ejuice, and the Spirit was still bothering me, so I got down all the way to zero % ejuice. It tasted just like a cigarette, but 0 nicotine. After 2 weeks of that , I was able to quit, because the nicotine was out of my system. Even though the Lord hadn't taken the craving away, I believe He helped with the whole implementation of the stop smoking plan. It's been 5 years since I've had a smoke, my lungs are clear, and I'm thankful it's gone. So once again, thank you Lord. ♥

@Cassanda Good that you could quit!

I don't get all the guilt-manipulative legalism stuff, however.

I'm reminded of Romans 14.17: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

 

[BarneyFife]

This simple teaching escapes those who have no clue what they are talking about,

Or, and I'm going way out on a limb here, perhaps we just don't agree on an interpretation of Scripture. Maybe, just maybe, there's no need for insults.

 

[amigo de christo]

God freed me from the slavery of the 12-step program! Lol

Thats right my friend . We are in the five step program . J E S U S .
That name alone is who we cling too for everything . Let the glorious LORD be praised .

 

[BarneyFife]

I used to smoke 3 packs a day, now I smoke 1.

That's wonderful!

 

[farouk]

Well, I remember my first cup of coffee sitting at the kitchen table when I was 3 years old.
I only drink coffee now.
I had my cigarette when I was 10 years old and been smoking ever since.
I buy loose tobacco and empty tubes and fill them by hand.
I used to smoke 3 packs a day, now I smoke 1.
I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't party.
I respect not smoking around people who don't smoke, or going into places that don't allow it.

I have tried to quit on occasion but I just restart worse then when I quit.

So I guess JW's and Mormon's are not for me.
I live on coffee and cigarettes.

I'm 56 and I don't get around much.
Maybe the Lord is being lenient with me because I don't "focus" on my "bad" habits.
And you know what's cool..
the more I type the less I smoke.
Maybe that's why most my posts are so looooooong..
LOL

One of these days, it would be interesting to look inside everyone's closet and see what's really in there.
Because there is none perfect, no not one.
Amen
But I love you all anyways..

HUGS

@Ziggy Some ppl who are hooked on coffee seem to be pleased to "moralize" against smokers...

It's very revealing that JWs and Mormons - whose doctrine about the Lord Jesus is so unBiblical - can concentrate and try to cause others to concentrate - on outward "rules"...but the heart of the matter about the Person and Work of God's beloved Son isn't even there.

This seems to be part of the bigger ball park of the talk about smoking; it can be so easy to focus on it....but truth and doctrine can get set aside...

 

[Jane_Doe22]

For the record “Mormons” don’t consider smoking or caffeine to be inherently sinful. We do promise Christ to abstain from smoking and coffee, and when a person strays from that promise its wrong because they are breaking a promise. Such a person is not excommunicated, but rather urged to repent and in the future to keep their promises to God