Question: .

Your answer to my first question was helpful. Here's another one. I have this problem with smoking. I know, it seems, we are more concerned about the physical aspect of our bodies and not the spiritual. What I'm trying to ask - is it a sin, physical or spiritual, to smoke?

Again, thanks for the chat.

-Dennis

Answer:

There are two questions here - one is whether it is a sin to smoke. The other is whether it is advisable, prudent, smart, etc.

A sin is defined in several ways. A violation of God's law. It's an active trespass. It is a sin of commission in that it is a specific violation of a "thou shalt not".

Second, sin can be a failure to conform to God's law. This would be more of a passive act. A sin of omission.

Third, a sin can be defined as doing what one knows to be wrong - or not doing what one knows to be right. "Whatever is not of faith is of sin" (Rom. 14). Thus, the conscience is involved, the knowledge of right and wrong is involved.

On the first two counts, I could not say that smoking is a sin - as the Bible does not speak to this issue clearly. We could assume the Bible to speak to the issue in principle - but in order to be consistent we would have to extend the same principle to other areas - to eat too much chocolate, not to exercise, etc.

It could be that some would believe smoking to be sinful, on the basis of first hand experience of its effects - on the basis of research, etc. - and in that case an individual might violate their own knowledge and conscience, and thus for that person smoking would be a sin. An individual might be convinced, for example, that smoking does damage and abuse their body - and that it is a sin to do that.

In short, no concrete determination can be made to determine that smoking is a sin. However, we do know that smoking, like other practices that you allude to, can lead to premature death.

Most Christians avoid smoking - try to seek help in overcoming it - or try to hide it if they feel it is wrong, or they feel that others will judge them if they smoke. Some churches tend to attract smokers, and some churches tend to repel them (their approach, not their "no smoking" signs).

I personally advise that everyone should avoid smoking on the basis of all the research that is available. However, I am convinced that some of the smokers I know are Christians. To their own Master they stand or fall (Romans 14 again).

Hope this helps.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht