IS SMOKING A SIN WORTHY OF DISFELLOWSHIPMENT?

[Meggido]

How else will they hear? By going to the highways and byways. You can't expect lost people to want to come to church to hear the good news.. We dont need to make our church services into worldly garbage just to attract the lost people, if they can come to a regular service its all good, my point was not to make the church into a circus like the charismatics have done to attract the lost people. We got everything from effeminate weirdos performing with their rock bands to bingo to art shows to plays on stage. We dont need that garbage. That was my point not that lost people aren't "allowed" in church, just that we shouldn't conform to the world to attract them.

I think methods change and are fine as long as the message backing up the method is not changed or lost....this does not mean I endorse or approve being the world to attract the world...

Many will come events that will never darken a church door. As you grow and mature spiritually you will see this...

We had a tent meeting in a very rural area a few months ago...we partnered with the town..who gave us the land to put the tent...The meetings were great, as expected the women and kids/students, came into the tent and the men stayed outside of the tent, sitting on their truck beds, drinking hooch, smoking cigs and lighting up joints, but they were listening....Most of the local churches threw rocks at us and scolded us for allowing such sinners to be around the tent meetings.....one local Pastor threatened to come back at night and take the tent down......we were accused of stealing the local sheep....I asked how can you call them all sinner and then claim them as your own sheep? If you really had an interest in them, you would have attracted them to your fold already...we had a few like minded churches help us feed, set up and disciple those who were coming to the meetings...by the end of the week the men were in the tent, getting saved and delivered and we placed them them and their families with those few like minded churches that helped us out.....those families had either never been approached, accepted or even kicked out of most of those churches in that area...these people would never darken a church hall, but would come to a tent meeting and that son is a larger issue than you think it is...

We did not attract them with gimmicks, we attracted them with love, compassion and understanding....You do not need worldly gimmicks when the Spirit is flowing...

 

[Stephen63]

I think methods change and are fine as long as the message backing up the method is not changed or lost....this does not mean I endorse or approve being the world to attract the world...

Many will come events that will never darken a church door. As you grow and mature spiritually you will see this...

We had a tent meeting in a very rural area a few months ago...we partnered with the town..who gave us the land to put the tent...The meetings were great, as expected the women and kids/students, came into the tent and the men stayed outside of the tent, sitting on their truck beds, drinking hooch, smoking cigs and lighting up joints, but they were listening....Most of the local churches threw rocks at us and scolded us for allowing such sinners to be around the tent meetings.....one local Pastor threatened to come back at night and take the tent down......we were accused of stealing the local sheep....I asked how can you call them all sinner and then claim them as your own sheep? If you really had an interest in them, you would have attracted them to your fold already...we had a few like minded churches help us feed, set up and disciple those who were coming to the meetings...by the end of the week the men were in the tent, getting saved and delivered and we placed them them and their families with those few like minded churches that helped us out.....those families had either never been approached, accepted or even kicked out of most of those churches in that area...these people would never darken a church hall, but would come to a tent meeting and that son is a larger issue than you think it is...

We did not attract them with gimmicks, we attracted them with love, compassion and understanding....You do not need worldly gimmicks when the Spirit is flowing...

Gimmicks = programs?

 

[1ofthem]

I've not read all this, but I wonder why people want to add to what Jesus said...I mean surely it was plain when he spoke of what defiled a man...Just seems odd to me that folks want to judge others for things that are not mentioned as sin, when there are so many out there hiding around and doing exactly what Jesus said would defile a man.

And yeah we know smoking ain't good for anyone, and it doesn't smell good. But I wonder what smells worse to God is it burning tobacco, or is it evil thoughts, murder, false testimony, slander, adultery, you know all those sins that comes from the heart that people try to hide.

 

[Meggido]

Gimmicks = programs?

Amen Stephen....programs are the worst.....yeah gimmicks are programs....

This is a byproduct of the consumer seeker friendly christian that has turned the church into something people can make a withdraw from, instead of the church making a deposit into...

 

[sparkman]

Well, I'm encouraged to see that no one claims an unrepentant smoker should be disfellowshipped. That's the good thing about the poll so far.

 

[Blain]

Smoking whether it is an actual sin or not I do not know but if anyone would judge another brother or sister in Christ for smoking on the basis of defiling God's temple then as I said in that sense anything un natural or unclean is in the same boat. The way I see it judge not lest you be judged it's easy to point out what others need to stop doing but just make sure you first check your own heart because if you judge another for smoking then you should judge yourself for any unclean or un natural thing you put in your body.

I don't really see smoking as a sin persay but like anything it can be abused

 

[p_rehbein]

So, I guess coal mining is a sure fire damnation sin right? I mean, black lung disease and all?

I am glad you don't do any of the stuff you don't do........good for you! Now, step down offa dat self righteous soap box and concentrate on your relationship with God, and let others do the same. It is a sin to insist that others adhere to our standards of what is or is not a sin....... Think about it.......

I notice in your Avatar pic that your arms are bare, you appear to be wearing make up and your hair is styled. Did you know that many people consider that a serious sin?

There are a plethora of things that folks can jump all over other folks about.........why not just try following the 2nd of the Two Greatest Commandments?

anyway.............I'm pretty much finished on this thread.........it is kinda silly and pointless. The CORE TRUTH of this thread is the proof of what Jesus taught about the splinter in our neighbors eye vs. the log in ours.



Y'all enjoy.

Oh, BTW............IF you smoke, drink, eat fried foods, fast foods, junk foods, and most any other unhealthy stuff, AND you enjoy doing so, and do not believe it is a sin. THEN DO NOT APOLOGIZE to anydarnone for doing so. Tell 'em to mind their own beeswax...........

NOTE TO SMOKERS: Did you know that nicotine is a suppressant (downer)? Did you know that caffeine is a stimulant (upper)? Yup, 'tis true. So when you are enjoying a smoke and a cup of joe and find yourself a bit wee confused as to how you are feeling..............well........

Of all the various sins listed on this thread, which will get you to hell quicker?

Personally I don't drink alcohol, eat meat or sugar at all. Pollution is largely out of my control, but there are measures individuals can (and do) take to contribute toward making the environment a better place. If you'd like to address pollution specifically amongst your litany of complaints, smoking again is a significant contributor to the issue. There is no comparison. Deflection and excuse making won't give you a leg to stand on, it doesn't give you a solid argument in the least. Essentially it's got nothing to do with judging a person and everything to with answering the OP's question they're seeking the truth of the matter on.

If you make the rounds of hospitals and talk to people with lung cancer, if you go into households and see how people are affected by secondhand smoke, if you speak to many former smokers, they'll attest to the difference it made in their lives and what they put themselves in a much more able mind and bodied position to be able to do again - living for the Lord and doing God's will for their life. As opposed to those who don't make the necessary changes and their health is rampant with problems or they leave this life prematurely, the evidence speaks for itself.

 

[1ofthem]

Smoking whether it is an actual sin or not I do not know but if anyone would judge another brother or sister in Christ for smoking on the basis of defiling God's temple then as I said in that sense anything un natural or unclean is in the same boat. The way I see it judge not lest you be judged it's easy to point out what others need to stop doing but just make sure you first check your own heart because if you judge another for smoking then you should judge yourself for any unclean or un natural thing you put in your body.

I don't really see smoking as a sin persay but like anything it can be abused

I totally agree with you...and Jesus gave a perfect example when he said eating with unwashed hands did not defile a man...We know better than they did at that time exactly how bad germs are and that not washing your hands before eating can cause sickness.

Now, I personally wash my hands before eating and would encourage anyone to do so...but if they don't then I can't call it a sin and judge them for it because Jesus already judged it not to be a sin. I think the same goes for smoking, eating fatty/ oily foods, sugar, and whatever else...It ain't good for anyone, but we can't call it a sin and judge others for it.

 

[1ofthem]

This thread reminds me of a true story...

A guy got saved and turned from drugs and a life of sin...He hadn't been going to church but for a couple of weeks, and the preacher sees him out in public smoking. The preacher really let him have it. Telling him how he was committing sin and that he couldn't have truly gotten saved if he even thought about committing sin. Smoking was going to send him strait to hell and he had better quit.

Well, the guy tried to quit and apparently it wasn't that easy because he just couldn't quit smoking. So he thought he was damned and never had gotten saved and quit going to church and went back to his old lifestyle.

Now, it is evident that someone committed sin in that situation...and I'm pretty sure that real sin was judging and putting a stumbling block in a brothers way.

The old preacher man had cleaned up his outside, but on the inside he was full of dead men's bones.

That's why I think it would pay people to be very careful before judging others and adding to the word of God.

 

[BeyondET]

I totally agree with you...and Jesus gave a perfect example when he said eating with unwashed hands did not defile a man...We know better than they did at that time exactly how bad germs are and that not washing your hands before eating can cause sickness.

Now, I personally wash my hands before eating and would encourage anyone to do so...but if they don't then I can't call it a sin and judge them for it because Jesus already judged it not to be a sin. I think the same goes for smoking, eating fatty/ oily foods, sugar, and whatever else...It ain't good for anyone, but we can't call it a sin and judge others for it.

Nothing like cleaning a clogged sewer line without gloves then eating a fat juicy burger yummie, lol

I'm just kidding my dearest...

 

[1ofthem]

Nothing like cleaning a clogged sewer line without gloves then eating a fat juicy burger yummie, lol

I'm just kidding my dearest...

Now, I wouldn't throw you out of church for that, honey, but I would throw you out of the kitchen...lol...jk

 

[BeyondET]

Now, I wouldn't throw you out of church for that, honey, but I would throw you out of the kitchen...lol...jk

Ahhh excellent I'd rather have your cooking than mine. lol, talk soon hun bun...

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

I think methods change and are fine as long as the message backing up the method is not changed or lost....this does not mean I endorse or approve being the world to attract the world...

Many will come events that will never darken a church door. As you grow and mature spiritually you will see this...

We had a tent meeting in a very rural area a few months ago...we partnered with the town..who gave us the land to put the tent...The meetings were great, as expected the women and kids/students, came into the tent and the men stayed outside of the tent, sitting on their truck beds, drinking hooch, smoking cigs and lighting up joints, but they were listening....Most of the local churches threw rocks at us and scolded us for allowing such sinners to be around the tent meetings.....one local Pastor threatened to come back at night and take the tent down......we were accused of stealing the local sheep....I asked how can you call them all sinner and then claim them as your own sheep? If you really had an interest in them, you would have attracted them to your fold already...we had a few like minded churches help us feed, set up and disciple those who were coming to the meetings...by the end of the week the men were in the tent, getting saved and delivered and we placed them them and their families with those few like minded churches that helped us out.....those families had either never been approached, accepted or even kicked out of most of those churches in that area...these people would never darken a church hall, but would come to a tent meeting and that son is a larger issue than you think it is...

We did not attract them with gimmicks, we attracted them with love, compassion and understanding....You do not need worldly gimmicks when the Spirit is flowing...

There are those goosebumps again. Big waves just crashing over me.

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

"You're making christians that smoke look bad"

"You're legalistic"

"You're a hypocrite"

"Get on those 'other' sins instead of mine"

"I'm not going to hell for that"

"I can't help it, it's a disease"


Excuses. Deflection. Passing the buck. Blaming the exposers. ALL of these show the refusing of responsibility and guilt.

It's a shame, really, especially since the the more they try to cover it up, the more it's exposed. Their own witness psychologically shows irresponsibility.

The more one fights against it, the more guilty one looks.

Forgive me if I'm wrong and have you confused with another poster, but are you the pastor who earlier said he kicks out unrepentant gossipers who won't stop gossiping/sinning but who would never think of kicking out a smoker who keeps smoking/sinning?

If I've confused you with someone else, please forgive, but if I haven't, does something seem wrong to you with this?

 

[Stephen63]

This thread reminds me of a true story...

A guy got saved and turned from drugs and a life of sin...He hadn't been going to church but for a couple of weeks, and the preacher sees him out in public smoking. The preacher really let him have it. Telling him how he was committing sin and that he couldn't have truly gotten saved if he even thought about committing sin. Smoking was going to send him strait to hell and he had better quit.

Well, the guy tried to quit and apparently it wasn't that easy because he just couldn't quit smoking. So he thought he was damned and never had gotten saved and quit going to church and went back to his old lifestyle.

Now, it is evident that someone committed sin in that situation...and I'm pretty sure that real sin was judging and putting a stumbling block in a brothers way.

The old preacher man had cleaned up his outside, but on the inside he was full of dead men's bones.

That's why I think it would pay people to be very careful before judging others and adding to the word of God.

I think that's why the majority hasn't condemned anyone in here, even though some claim so.

If I say seoulsearch said the sky was green, that doesn't mean she did.

 

[1ofthem]

Ahhh excellent I'd rather have your cooking than mine. lol, talk soon hun bun...

Ok...LOL... and ttys, honey.

 

[seoulsearch]

I think that's why the majority hasn't condemned anyone in here, even though some claim so.

If I say seoulsearch said the sky was green, that doesn't mean she did.

Actually, I said the sky was purple.

Always being misquoted... Sigh.

Y'all will be hearing from my legal team, soon.

Do carry on.

 

[1ofthem]

I think that's why the majority hasn't condemned anyone in here, even though some claim so.

If I say seoulsearch said the sky was green, that doesn't mean she did.

Ok...like I said I didn't read all this so I don't know exactly what your talking about...Just throwing in a true story and my thoughts about it...

Anyhow, it's good to hear that the majority isn't condemning folks...

 

[Stephen63]

Actually, I said the sky was purple.

Always being misquoted... Sigh.

Y'all will be hearing from my legal team, soon.

Do carry on.

Don't I always?

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

We are not without discernment if we walk in the Spirit. We also know how many times God has shocked us by showing us our motives and hypocrisies (despite all of our protestations to the contrary).

We can spot the spirit of self righteousness because...He's brought us down a peg or two on it! We spot it because He spotted it in US!