Christian Smokers

[rocknanchor]

Christian smokers, is there such a thing?

I don’t suppose any of the readers of this thread who may smoke, think back to the day when they received Christ with gladness and said in praise and thanksgiving, “This calls for a smoke!”

I used to smoke years before and leading up to the time in my life when I came to Christ in ‘75. Then, some years back took it up again. It wasn’t heavy usage, but I eventually realized the need to release the desire for flavor and regain control as it was showing signs of it taking over.

So, the times of less and less had to be given place. It isn’t an easy one, days and weeks without, but if a believer is to be true to their Lord and Savior, the freedom of “taste” and “touch” can’t be allowed to fool the user that he isn’t in bondage to this common habit. It is after all an appetite like any other that will ensnare through excuse after excuse. All the meanwhile, and the greatest tragedy here is the defeat from securing a wholesome and fuller relationship with the Lord. You are in effect, if not engaged in perpetual resistance, quite frankly quenching yourself from the Spirit of God leaving you unknowingly – miserable.

Misconceptions concerning what God allows me to live with are only oh-so-common because a prevailing ignorance of His will found in the word of God is so common. Do you have strong reasons to choose to smoke at-will or frequent over hardly ever? I would like to encourage you to seek the Lord on this. Resistance is the place to start to see if He will fill that void you have chosen to fill with that frequent puff which is by the way, a filthy and dizzying intoxicator if you have been away from it for a number of days.

Please consider a few of these towards this effort:

“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7,8)

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15)

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

“For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19)

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)​

Begin your resistance immediately, prove to the Lord your not being brought into bondage over this. Set a time, and pray the Lord help you maintain that determination. Watch as the need within changes from more of one, to more of the other.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)​

Personal Update –

“Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1)​

I've voiced some concerns here for Christians who smoke in that they should weigh carefully the difference between the race we run, and the life we enjoy.

I, in an effort to show off less of the possibility of the “weight” of smoking suggest that smokers reduce the associated risk substantially.

Well, I never have officially considered myself to having kicked the habit, but to date, since April fool’s day 2016 consumed a total of two cigarettes which were consumed along about that time, glory to God!

Having stepped away from it now grants a better evaluation of the strength of the powers of the habitual pleasure. Is it any surprise that I can now say it was more than I thought it was? Pleasures of the flesh vs pleasures of Christian liberty have to be identified clearly for oneself. A failure to press on to know for sure results in errors of thinking.

For those who still struggle, keep in mind that the press to know whether or not something is repeatedly deceiving you is more important than Christian liberty; it should actually shield the liberty we enjoy. But, as for my smoking and considering myself to having quit is wrong. I have the liberty to lay it aside until the day I go home to be with the Lord, and technically to have quit. But I think we tend to tamper with the truth by this conclusion,

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (Colossians 2:20,21)​

For those who have fully brought their bodies under subjection from habitual “taste” are often seen voicing no concern for the loss of verse 20. Should the conflict within cause us to turn from the truth of dying with Christ and the liberty of “taste”?

For the Christian, considering oneself to have “kicked the habit” isn’t speaking for the true liberty that was given. We are in my thinking closer to exemplifying the “elementary principles” than we are in support of “taste”. Even the worst cases of struggling with this habit should not be brought up to reduce the truth.

God Bless!

 

[faroukfarouk]

Christian smokers, is there such a thing?

I don’t suppose any of the readers of this thread who may smoke, think back to the day when they received Christ with gladness and said in praise and thanksgiving, “This calls for a smoke!”

I used to smoke years before and leading up to the time in my life when I came to Christ in ‘75. Then, some years back took it up again. It wasn’t heavy usage, but I eventually realized the need to release the desire for flavor and regain control as it was showing signs of it taking over.

So, the times of less and less had to be given place. It isn’t an easy one, days and weeks without, but if a believer is to be true to their Lord and Savior, the freedom of “taste” and “touch” can’t be allowed to fool the user that he isn’t in bondage to this common habit. It is after all an appetite like any other that will ensnare through excuse after excuse. All the meanwhile, and the greatest tragedy here is the defeat from securing a wholesome and fuller relationship with the Lord. You are in effect, if not engaged in perpetual resistance, quite frankly quenching yourself from the Spirit of God leaving you unknowingly – miserable.

Misconceptions concerning what God allows me to live with are only oh-so-common because a prevailing ignorance of His will found in the word of God is so common. Do you have strong reasons to choose to smoke at-will or frequent over hardly ever? I would like to encourage you to seek the Lord on this. Resistance is the place to start to see if He will fill that void you have chosen to fill with that frequent puff which is by the way, a filthy and dizzying intoxicator if you have been away from it for a number of days.

Please consider a few of these towards this effort:

“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7,8)

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15)

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

“For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19)

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)​

Begin your resistance immediately, prove to the Lord your not being brought into bondage over this. Set a time, and pray the Lord help you maintain that determination. Watch as the need within changes from more of one, to more of the other.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)​

Personal Update –

“Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1)​

I've voiced some concerns here for Christians who smoke in that they should weigh carefully the difference between the race we run, and the life we enjoy.

I, in an effort to show off less of the possibility of the “weight” of smoking suggest that smokers reduce the associated risk substantially.

Well, I never have officially considered myself to having kicked the habit, but to date, since April fool’s day 2016 consumed a total of two cigarettes which were consumed along about that time, glory to God!

Having stepped away from it now grants a better evaluation of the strength of the powers of the habitual pleasure. Is it any surprise that I can now say it was more than I thought it was? Pleasures of the flesh vs pleasures of Christian liberty have to be identified clearly for oneself. A failure to press on to know for sure results in errors of thinking.

For those who still struggle, keep in mind that the press to know whether or not something is repeatedly deceiving you is more important than Christian liberty; it should actually shield the liberty we enjoy. But, as for my smoking and considering myself to having quit is wrong. I have the liberty to lay it aside until the day I go home to be with the Lord, and technically to have quit. But I think we tend to tamper with the truth by this conclusion,

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (Colossians 2:20,21)​

For those who have fully brought their bodies under subjection from habitual “taste” are often seen voicing no concern for the loss of verse 20. Should the conflict within cause us to turn from the truth of dying with Christ and the liberty of “taste”?

For the Christian, considering oneself to have “kicked the habit” isn’t speaking for the true liberty that was given. We are in my thinking closer to exemplifying the “elementary principles” than we are in support of “taste”. Even the worst cases of struggling with this habit should not be brought up to reduce the truth.

God Bless!

So how's the quitting going?

I started some quit smoking threads a while ago.

 

[rocknanchor]

Lol, Failed by some people's standards. This year I had 1-conventional and 1-taste of a E-cigarette. Not too bad, , I think

 

[rocknanchor]

So how's the quitting going?

Thanks again 'faroukfarouk'! Been 5-yrs since breaking free from that terrible and uncontrollable attraction. But, as I think I presented in the OP, I didn't want to compound one bondage w/another; 'touch, taste not'. So, I celebrated the event with a Christian cigarette from a brother who has no intentions of subduing the habit, telling him,

'I'll have another please, in 5-yrs.'

 

[apogee]

Lol, Failed by some people's standards. This year I had 1-conventional and 1-taste of a E-cigarette. Not too bad, , I think

Personally, I'd call that a resounding success. I gave up for years, when I first became a Christian, then picked it up again for a few years, then gave it up again about 12 years ago. C.S Lewis smoked a pipe, and he did ok, well apart from having a fatal heart attack at 65, which I guess may, or may not be, smoking related.

 

[Clintpauljohnson]

Lol, Failed by some people's standards. This year I had 1-conventional and 1-taste of a E-cigarette. Not too bad, , I think

That’s awesome

 

[rocknanchor]

I started some quit smoking threads a while ago.

Hope things are well for you and your's 'faroukfarouk'.

I see they (threads) still come into view from time to time. So far, it is well for me. Don't know if I even said at any point, before subduing this addiction, I really found it next to impossible to bring myself to a satisfactory response, what they say about the 'will of the flesh' has merit.

Let's not dismiss the entirety shall we? Some scriptural instances suggest being pulled along by carnal desire, others, by the tempter himself. I suspect a variable combination of the two. Nevertheless, to gain control we are told with promise to 'resist' him. I stood on that, but had to apply a period of patience before a virtual flood of help ensued. Thank God!

 

[stevevw]

Personally, I'd call that a resounding success. I gave up for years, when I first became a Christian, then picked it up again for a few years, then gave it up again about 12 years ago. C.S Lewis smoked a pipe, and he did ok, well apart from having a fatal heart attack at 65, which I guess may, or may not be, smoking related.

I had a heart attack at 45 due to a heavy lifestyle of drinking, smoking (pot as well). I knew it was a wakeup call not just for my health but soul. But it took a little time. The more I handed over to God the more I had a conviction to take action. I gradually gave up everything.

I think we are multidimensional beings and our physical, mental and spiritual are interlinked. If I am physically ill or are destroying my body I am also affecting my mind and soul and visa versa. They say a lot comes from the mind but I think if we put our trust in the world we can become powerless to our desires and the forces of the world. God aligns all our dimensions into balance and harmony.

 

[Waymarker]

I've never smoked or drank because it simply never crossed my mind to want to.
"Huh, you're not a man if you don't drink and smoke" my hard-drinking/hard-smoking brother-in-law once half-jokingly said.
He died of cancer a few years ago in his mid-60's but I'm still around..

 

[stevevw]

I've never smoked or drank because it simply never crossed my mind to want to.
"Huh, you're not a man if you don't drink and smoke" my hard-drinking/hard-smoking brother-in-law once half-jokingly said.
He died of cancer a few years ago in his mid-60's but I'm still around..

I remember the days when the Malborough man was the model of a man. One of my friends use to argue that there was no evidence that smoking caused any harm.

 

[Waymarker]

Smokers should also consider this-
there's no doubt that smoking has serious health complications, so by risking premature deaths don't smokers seem to mind dying early and leaving their heartbroken wives and kids to struggle on alone through life?