Smoking is NOT a sin.

Jerushabelle

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2010
3,244
584
✟6,072.00
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Married
I used to be a heavy smoker. But once I invited Jesus into my heart and was born again, I was deeply encouraged, convicted and empowered to stop smoking, and haven't had a smoke since. Nobody told me or lectured me to stop smoking, it came from a conviction deep within, and that is a usual story to other born again Christians I have spoken to, and they too stopped smoking. The people who continue to smoke are just claiming to be Christian, but have never been Born Again of the Holy Spirit! A sign that someone has truly been Born Again is their desire to stop smoking and their cessation from smoking.

By that reasoning, I was born again before I was born again. Interesting. Wrong...but interesting. I quit cold turkey because God gifted me with a child and I thought it wrong to puff smoke into the face of God's creation. Why I didn't think that I was God's creation and it was okay to puff smoke into myself, I won't reveal right now but my salvation did not occur until four years after my son's birth. We're all different and God meets us where He needs to and Brother, you cannot possibly know what that point is as you are not God.
 
Upvote 0
C

Christownsme

Guest
Your problem is that you do not KNOW GOD!

Was God kind when he commanded all women and children to be slaughtered and killed?

Was Jesus kind and loving when he turned all the tables upside down upsetting many people and destroying their ability to make money for food?

Was Stephen kind and loving when he yelled at the Pharisee's and called them stiff necked hypocrites! NOTE, Stephen was FILLED with the Holy Spirit at the time!

If you were there...you would have condemned Stephen too!

There is a time to get TOUGH on the sinners!!!

Your problem is you have NO IDEA who God really is and why God and I do the things and say the things we do!

Wrong. I'll tell you where you err in two instances.

1. Do you ever get angry, or murmer? Or do you ever had a unbridled tongue (evident in these posts, actually)? If you have not put these things away, then don't lower the boom on the smoker. Sin is sin, and your pride that you were able to quit cold turkey is barf material. If you quit cold turkey, you were never addicted in the first place, which leads to....

2. Did you realize nicotine can be addicting? It triggers addictive chemical changes in the brain. Although repentance (agreeing with God something is wrong with your life) is quick and immediate, it takes years of struggle and persistence to successfully change if you're truly addicted. God doesn't lift the burden of sin immediately for everbody. He often chooses to let it be a temporary thorn in the flesh so they can say, "God's grace has been sufficient for me to get thru this mess."

You will find that God, since you didn't give Him the praise, but yourself, may put you thru some struggles you CANNOT deal with. Then you will know what it's like to be broken and contrite. That's precisely where God wants us if we're boastful and bullyish and proud of our own accomplishments.
 
Upvote 0

RevRo

Newbie
Sep 16, 2010
348
10
Florida
✟8,073.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Wrong. I'll tell you where you err in two instances.

1. Do you ever get angry, or murmer? Or do you ever had a unbridled tongue (evident in these posts, actually)? If you have not put these things away, then don't lower the boom on the smoker. Sin is sin, and your pride that you were able to quit cold turkey is barf material. If you quit cold turkey, you were never addicted in the first place, which leads to....

2. Did you realize nicotine can be addicting? It triggers addictive chemical changes in the brain. Although repentance (agreeing with God something is wrong with your life) is quick and immediate, it takes years of struggle and persistence to successfully change if you're truly addicted. God doesn't lift the burden of sin immediately for everbody. He often chooses to let it be a temporary thorn in the flesh so they can say, "God's grace has been sufficient for me to get thru this mess."

You will find that God, since you didn't give Him the praise, but yourself, may put you thru some struggles you CANNOT deal with. Then you will know what it's like to be broken and contrite. That's precisely where God wants us if we're boastful and bullyish and proud of our own accomplishments.

Man, you hit the nail right on the self righteousness head, and God bless you for it! :clap::clap::clap:
 
Upvote 0

lhermann3

My 'truth' may differ from your 'truth'
Oct 13, 2010
107
8
✟7,797.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Libertarian
Wrong. I'll tell you where you err in two instances.

1. Do you ever get angry, or murmer? Or do you ever had a unbridled tongue (evident in these posts, actually)? If you have not put these things away, then don't lower the boom on the smoker. Sin is sin, and your pride that you were able to quit cold turkey is barf material. If you quit cold turkey, you were never addicted in the first place, which leads to....

2. Did you realize nicotine can be addicting? It triggers addictive chemical changes in the brain. Although repentance (agreeing with God something is wrong with your life) is quick and immediate, it takes years of struggle and persistence to successfully change if you're truly addicted. God doesn't lift the burden of sin immediately for everbody. He often chooses to let it be a temporary thorn in the flesh so they can say, "God's grace has been sufficient for me to get thru this mess."

You will find that God, since you didn't give Him the praise, but yourself, may put you thru some struggles you CANNOT deal with. Then you will know what it's like to be broken and contrite. That's precisely where God wants us if we're boastful and bullyish and proud of our own accomplishments.

Wow man. I couldn't agree more. I know firsthand how God can take your pride and boastfulness and rebeliousness and shove them back in your face putting you on your knees begging for mercy, yet despite that He is still faithful to love you even after challenging His power (which is quite unwise).

Those who believe in a legalistic God who is all about "the Rules" is forgetting "the Relationship" that God wants with us. He is faithful to do what it takes to break our proud spirit in order to be near to us, but believe me, it hurts like hell.

Sin is here, in us, it will always be so, no matter what this guy keep yammering about. We all have, and will, fall short of God's glory and to me that is a beautiful thing because it means God gets to show us time and time again that He loves us to no end.

Pride is a VERY DANGEROUS thing because pride is one sin that is its own defense. Pride sins and pride prevents you from seeing that you are sinning, or hearing that you are sinning. Self-righteousness, boastfulness, and deceptiveness add layers to that already dangerous sin.

Perhaps through our prayers some people who experience pride but are too proud to believe or admit it will be broken by the strong hand of the Lord so that He may ultimately show His wonderful compassion.
 
Upvote 0
C

Christownsme

Guest
Wow man. I couldn't agree more. I know firsthand how God can take your pride and boastfulness and rebeliousness and shove them back in your face putting you on your knees begging for mercy, yet despite that He is still faithful to love you even after challenging His power (which is quite unwise).

Those who believe in a legalistic God who is all about "the Rules" is forgetting "the Relationship" that God wants with us. He is faithful to do what it takes to break our proud spirit in order to be near to us, but believe me, it hurts like hell.

Sin is here, in us, it will always be so, no matter what this guy keep yammering about. We all have, and will, fall short of God's glory and to me that is a beautiful thing because it means God gets to show us time and time again that He loves us to no end.

Pride is a VERY DANGEROUS thing because pride is one sin that is its own defense. Pride sins and pride prevents you from seeing that you are sinning, or hearing that you are sinning. Self-righteousness, boastfulness, and deceptiveness add layers to that already dangerous sin.

Perhaps through our prayers some people who experience pride but are too proud to believe or admit it will be broken by the strong hand of the Lord so that He may ultimately show His wonderful compassion.

Awesome points to consider, for everyone, starting right in my own heart.

Dang, you're the man!
 
Upvote 0

lhermann3

My 'truth' may differ from your 'truth'
Oct 13, 2010
107
8
✟7,797.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Libertarian
Your problem is that you do not KNOW GOD!

Was God kind when he commanded all women and children to be slaughtered and killed?

Was Jesus kind and loving when he turned all the tables upside down upsetting many people and destroying their ability to make money for food?

Was Stephen kind and loving when he yelled at the Pharisee's and called them stiff necked hypocrites! NOTE, Stephen was FILLED with the Holy Spirit at the time!

If you were there...you would have condemned Stephen too!

There is a time to get TOUGH on the sinners!!!

Your problem is you have NO IDEA who God really is and why God and I do the things and say the things we do!

Umm, Corinthians dude...his statement was scripturally sound and to claim otherwise is not only unwise it does a huge disservice to your viewpoint. I assume you do not care how others think of what you have to say since your religious babel is doing nothing but irritating people who have a relationship with Christ. These people are patiently (love is patient) trying to help you see that your attacks on Christians are nothing but tools of the enemy and you are doing his work.

It is God's job to "get tough" on sinners, not yours. You are still a sinner and you will be until the day you die. That is something irrefutable and also biblically sound. God is the judge and jury, not you. God knows our hearts, not you. AND GOD IS PATIENT, KIND, AND LOVING even to us sinners who are not worthy to untie the thongs of Jesus' sandals. You really need to stop being so judgemental because it is truly not your place.
 
Upvote 0

lhermann3

My 'truth' may differ from your 'truth'
Oct 13, 2010
107
8
✟7,797.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Libertarian
1. Have you ever committed hypocrisy? Yes or No? If yes, then stop being so self-righteous and condemning others for sins you yourself are guilty off. This comes down to that arrogance and pride that has infected your heart!:doh:

2. How do you know nobody here has committed the eternal sin? Now you place yourself in God's seat and that is blaspheme!!!!:doh:

3. You are filled with ego, arrogance and pride and there is no humility in you at all....only anger, frustration, no self-control, hatred, abuse, and this is evidence you have never been born again. You lack the FRUIT of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Matthew 7:20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

You are incredulous. I'm done, you are doing a wonderful job of paving the way for Satan but enough is enough and I'm calling for God to put up some roadblocks and I will not allow your lies to take another step into my heart.

"only anger, frustration, no self-control, hatred, abuse, and this is evidence you have never been born again. You lack the FRUIT of the HOLY SPIRIT."
-Anger, yes...filled with, no. I have controlled myself quite well in spite of the fact that there is someone trying to infect the hearts and minds of my brothers, sisters, and friends with lies and deceit. Hatred, not hardly. I hate evil and some of the things you are spewing are quite evil sounding. You do not know my salvation or anything about me, you are nothing but a silly legalistic man, wrapped up in his legalistic world ignoring the fact that there is a loving God who wants a relationship with you. Knowing the Bible verses isn't enough bud.

"How do you know nobody here has committed the eternal sin? Now you place yourself in God's seat and that is blaspheme!"
-How do you know someone did? That is between them and God, and I seriously dare you to try to claim I have commit the unforgivable sin. Please, for the sake of everyone here, further destroy your argument.

"Have you ever committed hypocrisy? Yes or No? If yes, then stop being so self-righteous and condemning others for sins you yourself are guilty off. This comes down to that arrogance and pride that has infected your heart!"
-This amuses me in fact because you quote me...and then ignore what you quoted. Shall I remind you that it said:
"You are a hypocrite, which normally is okay, but you flaunt your hypocrisy in the face of others..."
Everyone is a hypocrite and I made no claim to not being one myself, but I'm not shoving it in the face of others. You can't talk about a loving God in the same sentence you are trying to take His place and condemn someone to hell.

And finally:
"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control"
-I make no claim to be perfect and have all of these at all times, but multiple times I have demonstrated multiple virtues listed here. I have loved my christian brothers and sisters enough to stand up to your attacks and bullying. I have taken joy in the fact that they have appreciated the strength I have shown. I am at peace because I know that no matter how hard you try, your lies will not make their way into my heart. I have shown patience with trying to get you to understand that attacking others is not the way to make your point known. I fully believe the things I have said to be (for the most part) good things. I have been faithful that God would use me and my experiences as a person, despite my age, to be helpful to others. I'll admit gentleness is a bit tricky for me because I'm loud and can come off abrasive at times. And self-control has been demonstrated by me continuously explaining, over and over, tirelessly despite your onslaught of attacks, the points that you conveniently seem to ignore.

I know you'll pick this apart and blah-de-blah blah tear it to pieces, but it needed to be written. No one condemns me except God, Himself. I pray sincerely that He shakes your world so hard that you wake from this sick dream where you are perfect and everyone else is a failure. Good bye, praise be to the Lord and good riddance to you.
 
Upvote 0

RevRo

Newbie
Sep 16, 2010
348
10
Florida
✟8,073.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Awesome points to consider, for everyone, starting right in my own heart.

Dang, you're the man!

Isn't he precious?
1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
 
Upvote 0

lhermann3

My 'truth' may differ from your 'truth'
Oct 13, 2010
107
8
✟7,797.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Libertarian
Isn't he precious?
1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

I like this!

Yay, Paul to the rescue!
 
Upvote 0