'k, so I'm sXe. I don't smoke, drink, etc. not because I'm a Christian, but because i took an oath many years ago when I was much heavier in the punk scene, but I stood by that oath beyond my religious convictions.
That being said, smoking is probably not a sin in and of itself. Because sin is not just about the "law". Sin IMHO, is simply ANY disobedience to God. Ignoring a conviction to witness to someone can be a sin, but refusing to talk to someone in general may not be. However, because I HAVE taken an oath, to break that oath would be a sin. More than that, because I am a witness to God, and people KNOW I'm a Christian, if I were to smoke or drink, then I could ruin my own witness and lead another away from Him.
Remember, you are a Christian 24 hours a day. It's not something you can take off. So people see you. And if they see you smoking, they see that witness as flawed. It kinda reminds me of a church we have in Florida. I heard that they have services on the front lawn once a month where they serve beer before the service. It's a shocking thing to hear, but on the same note, as long as nobody gets drunk, where is the sin? On the other side, must we resort to such tactics just to get the message out? Myself, I would never, ever go to such a place, but I find it a little harder to condemn their actions completely.
That being said, smoking is probably not a sin in and of itself. Because sin is not just about the "law". Sin IMHO, is simply ANY disobedience to God. Ignoring a conviction to witness to someone can be a sin, but refusing to talk to someone in general may not be. However, because I HAVE taken an oath, to break that oath would be a sin. More than that, because I am a witness to God, and people KNOW I'm a Christian, if I were to smoke or drink, then I could ruin my own witness and lead another away from Him.
Remember, you are a Christian 24 hours a day. It's not something you can take off. So people see you. And if they see you smoking, they see that witness as flawed. It kinda reminds me of a church we have in Florida. I heard that they have services on the front lawn once a month where they serve beer before the service. It's a shocking thing to hear, but on the same note, as long as nobody gets drunk, where is the sin? On the other side, must we resort to such tactics just to get the message out? Myself, I would never, ever go to such a place, but I find it a little harder to condemn their actions completely.