Just to get this started, I think it is important to realize that smoking is prevalent in our society. Almost anywhere you go you will see someone either standing outside of the building smoking, or perhaps smoking inside of restaurants. This is because as an American our society has nearly a quarter of its males smoking cigarettes. Women are slightly down with 18%. Still, these are staggering numbers with how cigarettes have become addictive and the problems we face in our society in terms of health.

But, what does God say about smoking? Is it actually a sin? I personally avoid using the common scripture that most non-smoking Christians use when they say use 1 Corinthians 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.” I believe what Paul was getting at here was that you have a body; in general, you should be taking care of it. But where do you draw the line? Why is smoking any worse than what I do on a good Thanksgiving dinner? I mean, every time I go to a buffet I probably down enough food that could feed a small country it would seem. Obviously, this isn’t good for you. People like to point the finger. For this reason, I won’t come out and say that if you smoke you are sinning.

I will say that I do have spiritual reasons for why I do not smoke though. It is not just because I wasn’t raised in a house where there were no smokers and it is generally bad for you. There is more to the picture than that. It has everything to do with my witnessing to others. As Christians, we are infamously known for telling people to do one thing, but living our life a totally different way. This is a scary thought! How can I spread the gospel in a convincing fashion if my actions don’t back up what I say? I’m not saying I don’t sin. I’m simply saying that we should take every measure possible to impact others with the gospel. Paul didn’t just write three quarters of the New Testament and live his life anyway he wanted to. Rather, he backed up what he preached and put his life on the line for the gospel. Ephesians talks about weighing those things that are on the line and asking yourself, is this helping or hurting me? It is not talking physically it is talking spiritually. I would say that smoking certainly hurts your witness to others. People will want to see you living your life different than others who are no Christians. Otherwise, how can you tell them that God has changed your life? This is a scary thought that I wouldn’t be able to identify how God has changed me to anyone who asked. After all, being delivered from the addiction of smoking is a great testimony for anyone!

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