TOBACCO
I was raised in Middle Tennessee in the Tobacco Belt. I know a little bit about tobacco. As a boy just about everyone around me smoked tobacco in some form. In the South many people smoke and many have made their living raising and producing tobacco. If you mention it in preaching some people will take offense.
Yet, smoking is on a lot of people's minds and people have strong opinions about it. Smoking is not as popular today as it once was. There have been many government warnings about the use of tobacco, we no longer see commercials on TV about tobacco and Cigarettes are becoming so expensive now days that many cannot afford to buy them any more. But tobacco is still grown, processed, sold and used by people who ignore the warnings of the harmful effects of tobacco on the human body.
Almost every time I have ever mentioned smoking I have got some negative comments from the smokers. Generally, the comments are:
1. The Bible has nothing to say about smoking.
2. It only hurts me and no one else.
3. I need to smoke because it calms my nerves.
4. It gives me pleasure and hurts no one else.
5. I know someone who smoked all their lives and did not get cancer.
6. No one is going to tell me what I can do with my body
Of course all these statements are false except that smoking does give a degree of pleasure.
Biblically the matter is very simple even though many would not like to think so. The subject however is complicated in practice as you are dealing with an addiction that is enjoyed by many people.
It is a matter close to my heart and I am not a stranger to
the effects of smoking. My father died a horrible death over a several year
period. He died from lung cancer the doctors said was caused by cigarettes. My
father also died from emphysema caused by smoking after years smoking two to
three packs of Camel cigarettes every day. He died in his 70's and clearly
smoking shorten his life. He smoked constantly lighting one cigarette with
another.
Over the years as a pastor I have been by the bed side of many people who were dying as a result of smoking and I have conducted many of their funerals. I have watched people whose lungs were so badly damaged they could not live without oxygen, remove the oxygen tube, coughing and gasping for breath light a cigarette and smoke it between their rasping coughs. I have seen the horrible pain caused by tobacco which caused cancer in its final stages. I have dear friends who quit smoking years ago but they still cough and wheeze and who have to have oxygen. They are living with the damage tobacco did to their lungs and other organs.
I have also watched professing Christians living spiritually defeated lives because of smoking. They knew it was wrong and because they could not overcome it they were affected spiritually. I have seen them as they tried to justify their sin gradually develop a rebellious spirit. I have seen smoking destroy people's faith in God because they were controlled by their addiction and could not seem to overcome it.
CANCER of the MOUTH
Smoking Not Only Destroys Ones Health It Also Destroys a Christian's Testimony.
I have never known a Christian who was a smoker who was a soul winner for Christ, nor one who showed forth a true commitment to Christ. Many profess they love the Lord, but their defeated lives controlled by their addiction to cigarettes places a serious question mark over their professed love for Christ. The truth is a smoker is an addict in much the same way as an alcoholic and is spiritually defeated.
Over the years I have had so many people
tell me, "Well, smoking is not in the Bible. God
does not say it is wrong." Well, dear friend, that
just ain't so. Smoking is certainly a sin and God does condemn smoking in His
word.
Let us see what God says: GOD SAYS THAT OUR BODIES ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD (1 Cor. 6:19-20) "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
The word used for "temple" is naosvv "naos" nah-os' which means a shrine. The word is the one used of the temple at Jerusalem that contained the Holy place and the Holy of Holies which was the dwelling place of God. In the Old Testament the word applies to the inward parts of the temple were the two areas of the temple where only the priests entered.
Outside the entrance there was a large laver and before the priest could enter he would wash and cleanse himself. To violate the holiness of that place was a serious sin punishable by instant death. This is the symbol that God uses to explain this relationship a believer has to the Lord. By saying that our bodies were the temple of God, Paul was teaching that our bodies should be places free of any sin and separated to the Lord's service. Our bodies are to be clean and free of any sinful habit wholly dedicated unto Him.
The verse says that our bodies are the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit. This teaches the clear doctrine that all believers receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and are indwelled by the Him. Romans 8:9 says "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
If a person is saved they have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and if they have not the Holy Spirit that are not saved. The context of 1 Corinthians 6 is that God is addressing sin within a believer's person's life.
I have a question for the person who says it is not a sin to smoke. Do you think that Jesus Christ would smoke or that He is pleased with you when you do? Do you think it proper to pollute your body which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? Well, I think if we are honest and believe God we know that 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 clearly teaches it is sinful to harm our bodies.
How would you apply God's instruction when He tells us, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2).
The only sacrifice that was acceptable to God was one without spot or blemish. How can we presently ourselves as a sacrifice that is holy, meaning separated from sin, if we are addicted to tobacco and destroying our health. How can we attempt to be transformed by the renewing of your minds when we have no regard for our testimony, our personal health or the health and spiritual welfare of others? How can we prove what is God's good, acceptable and perfect will of God with pack of cigarettes in our pocket? Is smoking a sin? You bet it is!
I think one of the most sad things is to have a member of the church walk through the doors of the church on Sunday morning, Sunday night or Wednesday night smelling like tobacco. Christian people bringing the stench of the world into the house of God. What a shame.. What a sin..
ALL THINGS ARE NOT EXPEDIENT
In verse 12 of this passage Paul says, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." Here Paul makes a transition to another related subject. Earlier Paul had admonished them for specific sinful acts. Now he addresses even the matter of over indulgences. Even if smoking was not a sin, and clearly it is, it certainly falls under the heading of not being expedient.
Paul explains that there are things that within themselves are not sinful, but they can lead to sin. That is what is meant by saying some things were not "expedient." Here God is placing a limitation on our indulgences. For example: It is not sinful to fish, hunt, play sports, collect things, etc. Yet, if these things become an obsession and begin to control us then they become sinful.
If I let my desire to fish keep me from my service to the Lord it would be sinful. If I took my tithes and offering which I should give to the Lord and spend them on my hobby it would be a sin. If my hobby hurt my testimony it would be a sin.
These things within themselves would not be sinful, but when allowed to cause us to be unfaithful to the Lord it becomes sin. Clearly even if smoking were not harmful it would certainly come under the heading of being an over indulgence in us seeking pleasure and therefore a sin. Smoking is clearly harmful to our health and that in itself makes it a sin, however there is another reason that smoking is a sin. It not only harms our health, it hurts our testimony and controls us.
Let me give you a example. A young mother was saved and started attending church. She had never been to church in her life or never read the Bible. Thank the Lord she had neighbors who were a godly retired couple and for many years they witnessed to her.
Finally, she accepted Christ as her Saviour and was saved. It was life changing experience for her and she grew as a young Christian! She loved the Bible and everyone could see how the Lord was working in her life. She had heart trouble and the doctors told her she must stop smoking. She had a 2-3 year old daughter and she talked about her concern for her example to her daughter and her Sunday school class of primaries she had begun to work with. She was having a hard time quitting.
In a prayer meeting the pastor was taking requests.. Tearfully, she suddenly stood up and asked for prayer that she would overcome smoking and began expressing how hard it was for her. There was a change in her voice toward desperation and she blurted out, "Every time I get close to quitting, three members of our church who smoke come to my mind. They are Christians and yet they smoke! I use them as an excuse and keep on smoking." You could see it was something that was seriously affecting her and she was really struggling with the bad testimony of several people in our church.
These church members were a bad example to her and a stumbling block to this young Christian. Instead of having a testimony to uplift and support the spiritual growth of a young Christian their smoking was a hindrance that young Christians have to overcome.
Another example is a young mother who because of her background was really struggling with living for Christ. Smoking was one part of her problems. She was honestly trying and everyone could see that. Everyone was praying for her. God had brought conviction to her life and she wanted to obey the Lord. She had been saved only about a year and all of a sudden she just stopped coming to church and started going down hill.
Being concerned for her, her pastor visited with her and she shared how she had been trying to quit smoking. She said she had failed miserably. She related that she visited one of the church trustees, who smoked and tried to hide it. She said she mentioned to him about how she was trying to quit and how hard it was.
She was seeking his help, yet he then told her smoking was OK and there wasn't anything in the Bible against it, and offered her a cigarette! That was the straw that broke the camels back. Feeling totally defeated and not able to overcome this thing in her life she just gave up.
This trustee prided himself in his knowledge of the Bible. He closed his wonderfully worded prayers thanking God for how wonderful the Lord was yet he over looked 1 Cor. 6:19-20.which states: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
He had a heart attack a couple of years later and almost died. The doctor warned him that smoking was harmful, yet he refused to admit it. The Devil used this Christian man who was sinning against God and his own body to defeat this young lady who was struggling also with sin. She never returned to church. I cannot say that he was the only cause for her failure, but he certainly had a hand in it. Later she divorced her husband, was living in sin, and her boys had gone wild and one was in jail.
One might wonder what might have happened if this trustee had offered her biblical comfort, support as a Christian brother and prayed with her instead of giving her a cigarette! This Christian man helped destroy a young babe in Christ seeking to justify his own sin.
The first young Christian woman had a godly neighbor who prayed for her and was used of the Lord to help her overcome this sin. She was able to quit smoking and this victory in her life was only one of many more to come. That was over ten years ago and she remains today faithful to the Lord. Another good part of this story was that about a year after she was saved her husband was also saved and now her daughter who is about twelve years old.
The second young Christian woman was crushed by the harden heart of a rebellious brother in Christ who not only would not admit his sin, but let the Devil use him to defeat this young woman. Is smoking a sin? You bet it is!
Is Smoking Harmful to One's Health?
Yes smoking is sin, because smoking is addictive. The Bible say in Ephesians 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." In other words let the Holy Spirit control your actions and life. Smoking is an addition that takes control of our lives away from us.
Yes smoking is sin, because smoking greatly increases one's chance of lung cancer and other cancers which is destroys our bodies. About 419,000 people die each year from cigarette and cigar smoking and that is only in the United States. Smoking causes 20 percent of all deaths in the United States each year. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is proven to cause cancer, heart disease and hormonal problems. Smoking is also linked to pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular disease.
A woman died several years ago due to lung cancer, the doctors said came from smoking. Yet, she had never smoked a cigarette in her life. Her husband had smoked in her presence for many years. The husband is in poor health today, but he is still living. The reality is that his smoking killed his wife that he dearly loved and now misses terribly.
I often hear people trying to defend themselves saying there is no proof that second hand smoke causes cancer. That is the response of one who will never overcome smoking because they are denying the truth about its destructive affects. How can one account for the fact that this man's wife who never smoked a cigarette in her life died of lung cancer the doctors said absolutely came from cigarette smoke? The fact is her husband killed her.
Second hand smoke from cigarettes harms not just the smoker, but family, friends and co-workers. Romans 13:10 teaches us that "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." It is certainly not an act of love to smoke around other people exposing them to the deadly effects of cigarette smoke.
The Bible Says to Abstain from the Appearance of Evil
Some people refuse to admit that smoking is harmful to one's health. Even if smoking did not harm people's health, it certainly harms a Christian's testimony! 1 Thessalonians 5:22 tell us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." God is saying that we are to abstain not from only evil itself but even from that which would appear to be evil.
Barnes says, "There are many things which, in themselves, may not appear to us to be positively wrong, but winch are so considered by large and respectable portions of the community; and for us to do them would be regarded as inconsistent and improper." (Barnes New Testament Notes, 1 Thess. 5:22). It is sinful to let our pleasures stand in the way of our testimony and let our indulgences be a stumbling block to others. Is smoking a sin? You bit it is.
How Then Does One Quit?
The first step is to confess our sin to God as 1 John 1:9 tells us: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". God cannot help you quit until you recognize that it is sin. He cannot help you quit until you want to quit. And He cannot help you quit untiol you become committed to quitting.
God promises to help us to overcome any sin and cleanse us from it if we will confess it to God. Confessing it to God must come from the heart and we must truly admit that using tobacco is sin and must be rid of it.
The next step is to realize that overcoming sin is a matter of faith in God. The believer cannot overcome sin without God's help and God's help and power is ever present with us.
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
The believer must understand that he can do nothing of himself, but that in faith, trusting in Christ Jesus we become "more than conquerors" and that nothing can separate us from the love of God and His presence and power (Romans 8:37f).
One must also realize that the Lord is always with you and with Him you can quit. Note what the Lord says: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
With every temptation the Lord is present providing the way to escape the temptation and not sin. If we give in to the temptation we must realize that we are willingly doing so in spite of God's trying to help us. This goes back to faith and God's promises to us. Do we really believe Him? He says we do not have to sin and that He is present and actively working the instant the temptation comes. If God is true then our course is to know the means to escape is there, find it and overcome the temptation.
I have known of many Christians who went forward in a public service and others who privately begged God for forgiveness and help. I have seen people throw their pack of cigarettes away and never smoke another one. For others it is more difficult and some use various medical means to help them to stop.
The main thing is that you must really want to quit and be committed to it. God will honor you faith and commitment to do right and will be your strength in overcoming this addiction. Many a Christian has matured in Christian and gotten out of a defeated life by trusting in the Lord and with God's help overcoming the smoking addiction. I have never know anyone who quit who ever regretted it for a moment or wanted to start back.
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:4-5).