Smoking and being a Christian?

Question

I am a Christian and I just smoked my last cig. My smoking has caused a lot of fights in my marriage and I feel so terrible when I look at my children (they do not know).
I know that it is a sin and I know that I need to lean on God for this.
Will you PLEASE pray for me and let me know of some scripture that I can read pertaining to this. Anything will help me.
I NEED to do this... God didn't give me life for me so screw it up and hurt my body.

Answer 1

Oh, you are doing SUCH a good thing for yourself and for your family! I am SO PROUD of you!! Here is a Bible promise for you to claim when you feel weak.
" My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9
Also....drink TONS of water and juices to get rid of the toxins in your body. Try to stay away from whatever usually triggers you to smoke. Stop smoking drops from herbal store help. Having anything ELSE handy to put in your mouth helps.
I wish you the BEST and I KNOW you can do this. I will pray for you too.


† On-call Prayer Warrior †

Answer 2

If one lived long enough smoking will kill them, no one is immune to the poisons contained in tobacco, and sooner or later they will bring disease and death. "Thou shalt not kill", is it murder or suicide, one has chosen to smoke knowing the consequences, so murder or suicide? Is it below or on a par with murder, people have died from passive smoking and unborn babies are/can be affected from it, so is it a small "sin" or... The same with alcohol. Alcohol kills brain cells, let us say one has eternal life and drinks one bottle of wine a week, there would come a time, be it a million or more years when that person would become brain dead. I know that's out here but there is no getting away from the fact alcohol is a drug and addictive at that. It has most likely caused more harm to humanity than all the other drugs combined. Road deaths, family abuse, crime and so on, and the financial burden from all this must be massive. Here in N.Z, if discovered today, it would be categorized as a class 2 drug, cannabis is class 3 heroen 1. To think God is not concerned with smoking, especially now with what we understand of this drug, a Christian would have to be a blind fool to think it was not a sin. With regards to alcohol I can not eccept God would have anything to do with a drug that causes so much missery to the human race, and yet Christianity condones the usage of this drug giving assurance to all it is not sin. The face of Christianity, how ashamed and saddened I am at what it has become and the way it has assinated god's word. I read all your questions I like the angle you come from.

Answer 3

Congratulations on quitting!!! Nowhere in the Bible will you find "thou shalt not smoke..." BUT you will find "present your body a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable, for this is your reasonable service." And "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?"

Smoking one ciggarette is not a sin. Smoking 10 ciggarettes in not a sin. But, imho... the addiction becomes sinful because it harms your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit if you are a believer in Christ.

I used to smoke, and up until about a year ago, I would smoke occasionally with my smoking friends. The last time I did it, I couldn't quit for months! That is when I vowed to give it up for good- being an addiction that so easily returned. Does any of this help you? Again, congrats on your decision to quit- God bless you! Oh- as much as it bites... cold turkey IS the easiest way. At least it was for me and I tried everything...

Edit: I just have to add-- smoking does NOT affect your salvation! Either you are born again, or you're not. Once you are born, you cannot be unborn. I'm saying this in reply to an answer below that implies it can affect your salvation. 1 John 1:9-- if we confess our sins, He is faithful (eternal preisthood of Jesus) and just (the blood of Jesus, once for all) to forgive our sins and cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness."

Answer 4

No one has answered your request for scripture yet:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."

Keeping your body as a temple means keeping out harmful substances of all kinds, so glorify God by keeping smoke out of your temple! And no smart-aleck comments about it being "temple incense". :-)

As others have said, consider Nicoderm/Nicorette/Wellbutrin, but only if you can't go cold turkey. A good friend of mine went cold turkey and had quit for 6 years at last contact.

Congrats on the big decision and having he courage to live a better life!

Answer 5

I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying that smoking is a sin for all Christians. Joseph Smith Jr published the Word of Wisdom in 1833 which forbids the use of tobacco; this makes smoking a sin for Mormons. Ellen White (one of the founders of the Seventh Day Adventists) also published a health code forbidding smoking, so it's a sin for them, too.

In your case, I rejoice you recognized smoking as a destructive force in your family. I applaud your resolve. While you quit, rely both on science and faith for help. Pray that the urges will lessen to the point where you can overcome. Also take advantage of any aides like the patch

Answer 6

Oh Sweetie I too battle with this same thing. Prayer does work. Don't give up.
Even If you slip up.
Dust yourself off and try again. I hate smoking (even though I am a smoker). It stinks ! It's expensive. It's not good for your health.Jesus came to seek and save those which were lost,but He also came to set the Captives free too. To be held captive means to be In bondage to,enslaved. It can be anything from smoking to food,drinks,TV,Computer...anything done In excess. You may need true deliverance. I speak from experience.Blessings to you Sister...

Answer 7

I'm praying but dont forget stuff like drinking green tea and fruit juice will help you flush the last of the nicotine out of your system!

Read all those verses in Paul's Epistles about being temperate and haivng self control!

Then there's the concept of your body as a temple!

Remember Nicotine is not Incense!

You can do it!

Good luck Best wishes and many prayers!

P.S. Dont feel guilty if you eat chocolate!

Please make sure you eat REAL dark 70% cocoa!

Answer 8

Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit !!!

Make a study of what the priests had to do to be clean for the temple in the Old Testament !!!
Case in point when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies and he had sin in his life he would be struck dead and the other priests had to pull him out with the rope that was tied to his ankle before he went in !!! Keeping our bodies clean before God is a dire situation but will not effect our salvation !!!

Answer 9

A lady bore her testimony in our church yesterday. She had the missionaries call at her house, and they taught her the first discussion, and after it she knew she wanted to be baptised. She asked them if she could be baptised, but they said "We have some other stuff to teach you first". On their fourth visit they said "Put out your cigarette - you can't be baptised if you smoke."

She had smoked 30 a day for over 20 years and didn't know how she was ever going to stop, so she prayed. She said "God, I know this is your church and you want me to join, but I can't join if I smoke, so you have to do this for me and stop me smoking." She never smoked another cigarette, she was baptised two weeks later, and she just celebrated her 71st birthday.

I thought that was lovely - shows how effective prayer can be.

Answer 10

I will certainly pray for you. I quit months ago and yes sometimes the urge will hit me and then I dismiss it, only by the grace of God has this been possible.

The best way is to go cold turkey. Take the ash-trays out of your house, disperse of all cigs lighter's and pray for God to take the desire from you.