1 John 2:1
My Little
children, these things write unto you, that ye SIN not. And if any man sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the
righteous.
HAVE: ABILITY TO POSSES
OBTAIN OWNERSHIP OF A DWELLING PLACE PSA. 91:1
ADVOCATE: 8 A NEW BEGINING
WITH: THE ADVOCATE WILL
ACCOMPANY THE FATHER JESUS CHRIST:
"study material Please use it"
grapho, Greek 1125,
WRITE
grapho, graf'-o; to “grave”, especially to write;
figurative to describe :
hamartano, Greek 264, SIN
hamartano, ham-ar-tan'-o; properly to miss the mark (and so not
share in the prize), i.e. (figurative) to err, especially (moral) to
sin :- for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.
parakletos, Greek 3875, ADVOCATE
parakletos, par-ak'-lay-tos;
an intercessor, consoler :- advocate, comforter.
Yehovah, Hebrew 3068, JESUS
Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw';
from Hebrew 1961 (hayah); (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah,
- Jehovah, the Lord. Compare Hebrew
3050 (Yahh), Hebrew 3069 (Yehovih).
Christos, Greek 5547, CHRIST
Christos, khris-tos';
from Greek 5548 (chrio); anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet
of Jesus :- Christ.
dikaios, Greek 1342, RIGHTEOUS
dikaios, dik'-ah-yos;
from Greek 1349 (dike); equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent,
holy (absolute or relative) :- just, meet, right (-eous).
What The Bible
Says of Sin
1. The Definition of Sin
The Bible declares that man is a fallen creature and
is in a state of rebellion against will of God. The Hebrew and Greek words translated transgression mean moral,
religious, national rebellion, unrighteousness, wickedness, violation, and
breaking the law. Sin is twofold:
Isaiah 53:4-5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
(1) Outward sin:
Wounded for our
Transgressions
"Sin is the transgression of the law" (1
John 3:4);
"Where no law is, there is no
transgression" (Rom. 4:15);
"By the law is the knowledge of sin"
(Rom 3:20; 7:7);
"Sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Rom.
5:13);
"All unrighteousness is sin" (1 John
5:17);
"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom.
14:23);
"If ye have respect of persons, ye commit
sin" (James 2:9)
"The thought of foolishness is sin" (Prov.
24:9; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)
"Every idle word that men shall speak" is
sin (Matt. 12:36-37);
"He that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not,
to him it is sin" (James 4:17; Matt. 23:23). These passages teach that all acts, desires,
and lusts that cause men to break the laws of God are sin.
(2) Inward sin,
bruised for our iniquities
"Ye
are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do" (John
8:44); "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH
IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE . . - fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind; and WERE BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others" (Eph.
2:1-3);
"He that committeth sin
is OF THE DEVIL"
(1 John 3:8).
There are also other passages prove that sin is
something more than outward transgression of the law. The outward is strictly
the manifestation of the root of sin. There is a sinful principle, a real
nature and spirit or root of sin, which is the spirit and nature of the devil,
that is working in every sinner to get him to live contrary to the law of
God. This spirit and nature of the
devil working in men is called "the old man" (The Adamic nature) (Rom.
6:6-12; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:5-15);
"the carnal mind" the enemity against God. (Rom. 8:1-13); Inbred sin or the old man is the spirit and
nature of the devil working in men of disobedience and is the opposite of
righteousness or the new man which is the Spirit and nature of God working in
men of obedience (Eph. 2:1-3; 4:22-24).
The "old man" then is not some part of the body, soul, or
spirit of man, but is the spirit and nature of the devil working in man the
lusts of sin. The "old man"
(adamic nature). could be spelled
D-E-V-1-L or S-A-T-A-N, and this will express the truth about inbred sin as
taught in Scripture.
2. God Is Not the
Author of
Sin
God is not the author of sin. He warned sinless man against it before he
fell (Gen. 2:17). Sin entered
man and the world from an outside source by the malice of the devil (Rom.
5:12-21). Sin originated with Satan
when he decided by his own choice to rebel against God (Isa. 14:12-14). Others chose to rebel with him and thus by
free choice are transgression of the law of God. When man chose to transgress the law of God he became sinful (Gen.
2:17; Rom. 5:12-21). Since then the
devil and evil spirit rebels have taken advantage of man's weakness to resist
them and take control of the race until today.
Before the fall man had power over the devil and all evil, but when man
became sinful the stronger set of rebels, the spirit beings under Satan, became
masters of man and his realm. Man can
only get power over these spirits again through Jesus Christ and the gospel (Mark
16:17-18; John 1:12).
3. The Effect of
Sin
The adamic Nature and its reflection on Mankind
The sin of Adam was of universal effect, which
imposes a guilt upon all mankind. All
men were in Adam, and thus posses the adamic nature or the animalistic soul
man. and they find themselves only
producing a sinful offspring. He was our head and representative and what
he did was passed upon all men who were represented by him (Rom. 5:12-21). Just like his blessings would have passed
upon all men if he had not sinned, so the effects of the curse are passed upon
all men because of his sin. Men now are
not personally responsible for Adam's sin, but they are personally responsible
for remaining in sin and going the way of Adam (John 3:16). Every man can renounce sin and get out from
under its dominion and curse by accepting Jesus Christ as a personal Saviour
and by consecrating to obey God (Rom. 6). II Corinthians 5:17.
4. Mankind is Sinful and
Depraved
The state of
mankind outside of Christ:
Being
depraved, polluted and corrupt in the nature of the adamic man or the first Adam. His understanding is darkened (Eph. 2:3;
4:18); his conscience defiled (Heb. 10:22); his will obstinate and
rebellious (Rom. 8:7); his affections carnal and sensual (Eph. 2:1-3;
Gal. 5:19-21; Mark 7:19-21; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11); his thoughts
evil (Gen. 6:5; 2 Cor. 10:4-5);
his heart full of abominations (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:19-21; Rom. 1:18-32);
and his life and conduct devoted to living in divers lusts and pleasures of all
kinds (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 1:18-32). He is a "servant of sin" (John
8:34); unrighteous" (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:1-3);
"dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1-9); "alienated
from God" by wicked works (Col. 1:20-22); "separated"
from God by his sins (Isa. 59:2); "without hope, and without
God" in the world (Eph. 2:1113; 4:13-32; Rom. 3:9-25); blind to the
truth (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 4:18); lustful (Eph. 2:3); and doomed to
eternal death and Hell (Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 14:9-11; 19:20;
20:11-15; 21:8; Jude 7; Isa. 66:22-24).
5. What Is Carnality?
The effect of the
animalistic soul
The word carnal in Rom. 8:7; Heb. 9:10 is from
the Greek word sarx meaning flesh; the meat of an animal; the body of
any living creature; and mere human nature, or the earthly nature of man. We have shown in points given above that
human nature was originally created perfect and sinless, but since becoming one
with Satan and partaking of his spirit and nature it is by nature sinful and
controlled by evil spirits. Christ had
perfect, sinless flesh and human nature by virtue of not being under the
control of sin (Rom. 8:3). Thus sarx
does not necessarily mean that all flesh is sinful. It is used of the "flesh" of all creatures (1 Cor.
15:39). In Rom. 8:7, 8 it is
the "mind" of the flesh, the animalistic man that is sinful because
of being controlled by sin (Eph. 2:3).
In Heb. 9:10 it is used of "carnal ordinances," which
are not sinful, for they were part of the law which is holy, just, good, and
spiritual (Rom. 7:12, 14). They
are "carnal ordinances" because they were imposed upon and executed
by natural men.
The word "carnal" in Rom. 7:14; 15:27; 1
Cor. 3:1-4; 9:11; 2 Cor. 10:4; Heb. 7:16 comes from the Greek word sarkikos,
which is derived from the root word sarx above. Paul speaks of himself as "sold under
sin" and as being "carnal," because of being under the control
of the animal appetites, which are controlled by Satan and spirit forces. In Rom. 15:27 and 1 Cor. 9:11, the
word "carnal" means the natural things necessary to sustain life, and
the idea could not include sin at all.
It means natural or human without the idea of sin.
6. Can Christians be Carnal?
When I would do good evil
was present
Yes, Christians can be carnal. In fact, every one of them is carnal in some
things for the word simply means natural or human. There are certain natural and human acts that are necessary to
all life and conduct. If man had never
fallen he would have been perfectly carnal and natural and yet sinless. All carnality is not sin. Eating, drinking, sleeping, talking,
thinking, walking, sitting, studying, working, and many other activities of
life are perfectly carnal and yet sinless if done within the bounds of the law
of God. It is only when we use our
natural faculties and satisfy our appetites, passions, and desires contrary to
the law of God that sin is committed.
Even "Sanctified" people in Corinth were
called carnal and were accused of walking as men when they had preferences in
preachers (1 Cor. 1:2; 3:1-4).
It is perfectly natural and human to have such preferences. This is why it is carnal and not
spiritual. It is not sinful to prefer
hearing one preacher above another unless one makes sin out of it. Such preference becomes sin only when it is
carried to the point of division and strife and refusal to accept the same
gospel by a less preferred man because of personal feeling or dislike. There is no "sanctified" man,
regardless of how many works of grace he has had, but who has some preferences of
this kind. It is like eating food. It is not spiritual to eat food. Neither is it sin unless one over-indulges,
and then this is sin. The idea of
"carnal," in 2 Cor. 10:4, is that of human weakness in
contrast to divine power. The idea in
Heb. 7:16 is that of natural or human lineage and birth. No sin is involved in this idea, for it is
natural and sinless to have offspring according to the law. This Greek word sarkikos is
translated "fleshly" twice: first, of natural wisdom and knowledge
contrasted with grace (2 Cor. 1:12); second. of fleshly lusts (I Pet.
2:11).
7. The
Sinful and Sinless
Carnal
Acts Distinguished
Thus when we use the word "carnal" we must
keep in mind that sin is not always involved.
Where sin is involved, that is always clear. There can be sinless carnal traits and acts, and then the same
traits and acts can become sinful, when they transgress the laws of God. The following carnal traits, which are seen
in human lives, show the misuse of human faculties in transgressing the
law. These faculties are not sinful in
themselves, but become sinful when used to break the laws of God. The unlawful yielded ness of human faculties
to commit such things constitutes sin or "transgression of the law" (1
John 3:4). The spirit and nature of
the devil are working constantly to cause men to yield to the following traits
of carnality:
8.The Characteristic or
Nature
of Carnality
(1) To feel a secret selfish pride in his
success or position; in his appearance; in his natural gifts and abilities; to
feel an important and independent spirit; stiffness, preciseness, and
faultlessness; to feel an unpleasant sensation in view of another's success; to
feel over-anxious as to whether everything will come out all right; and to feel
bitterness over the past or over what someone has said or done.
(2) To manifest formality; deadness and
dryness in spirituality; indifference to souls and the needs of others; lack of
power and spiritual desires; no hunger for God; stirrings of anger; impatience;
a touchy, sensitive spirit (and worst of all, to call it nervousness or holy
indignation); sharp, heated flings at another; self-will; selfishness;
stubbornness; an unreachable, talkative, harsh, sarcastic, unyielding,
headstrong, driving, commanding, peevish, fretful, man-fearing, deceitful, proud,
malignant, whispering, backbiting, surmising, hateful, boastful, spiteful,
disobedient, unmerciful, devilish, and lawless spirit; to manifest a desire to
attract attention to self and to say and do things that will appeal to the
opposite sex; a desire to dress, act, and be as much like the world as
possible; to manifest a love of ease and good things, even at the expense of
others more needful; lustful stirrings; unholy actions; undue affections
towards those of the opposite sex; uncleanness in thoughts and desires;
unnatural and abusive acts to self and to others; a dishonest, deceitful and
evasive spirit; a covering up of real faults and leaving a better impression of
self than that which is strictly true; hypocrisy; false humility; exaggeration;
straining the truth; unbelief; doubts; fears; lack of confidence in God; worry;
constant complaining in pain, poverty, and trials; a desire to quit trying to
do right; a dogged determination to deal with others regardless of the outcome
to God's cause and the souls of men in eternity.
(2) To have a secret fondness of being noticed;
a swelling after freedom in public work or after some success; a desire to make
a fair show in the flesh and to do something big in order to call attention to
self; darkness in mind and blindness in heart concerning spiritual things; a
conscience deadened and hardened that permits one to commit things which were
once given up when first consecrated to God; malice and a "get even"
spirit; unforgiveness; a desire for vengeance even to the damnation of one's
own soul; unnatural affections; covetousness; maliciousness; emulations;
variance; jealousy; envy; evil thoughts; lasciviousness; lustful eyes;
blasphemy; foolishness; wrath: strife; seditions; heresies, revellings,
drunkenness; a "don't care" attitude toward God and man, toward his
responsibilities in life, or when found out in some sin: a shrinking from
reproach and duty; reasonings in unbelief about the truth; a disposition to
resent and retaliate when crossed; a compromising attitude in order to please
men instead of God; and an inferiority complex.
(3) Be unstable in the faith; Hopping from
church to church; avoiding the
responsibility of God's work
place; unsettled, irresponsible, shallow, spineless in spiritual things, the
world, and the devil. satisfied to be a servant of the devil and bite and devour those doing the work of God; unneighborly, unsacrificing, and unwilling to put self out for
anyone else, unless it be for personal gain; ashamed of God, Christ, the Bible,
thinking always of what might have been if certain things had not happened,
instead of realizing that things could be much worse; unthankful and
unappreciative, fear of failure to please God, fear you can't live right, and
or walk in the Spirit.
(4) To show an no mercy to those who have
failed; to take a self-righteous holier than thou attitude toward those who
have faltered or failed or are of a
weaker or inferior position. To love
human praise and loves to be coaxed and humored to do things in the church or
workplace even tho you feel that you are not the most capable for the job. To pick flaws and criticize when set aside
and unnoticed. To find fault with
everybody else and in every place. To speak of the faults and failures rather
than the virtues of those more appreciated than himself. To lift self up above others, as being above
their faults and failures and as having a spotless record. To throw
self-respect to the four winds and live a life of selfishness and self-gratification.
The effect of such devilish operations are seen more
or less in the adamic nature of mankind, and, if saved people don't walk and
live in the Spirit, those things will become manifested in them again
also. These traits are fixed tendencies
and habits in the adamic nature, which is controlled, by the spirit and nature
of the devil. Salvation is necessary to
break these habits and set man free from such bondage and operation of sin and
Satan (Rom. 6:1-23; 8:1-13; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 John 3:8-10; 5:1-5, 18).
9.The Characteristic of
Sinless Carnality
The same faculties used to commit the above selfish
and unchristian acts can be used in almost every case just the opposite way and
such manifestations will reveal true Christian traits and acts that should be in
every Christian life. Such acts will be
righteous and lawful ones instead of sinful.
The difference is simply between that of doing right and wrong. Study the above traits, with the idea of
practicing the opposite and one can have a true picture of Christian practices
and principles. One should conform his
life to the pattern of Christ and the early Christians and he will be
manifesting at all times the true Christian life and he will be free from
condemnation before God.
One can call the right and lawful acts of his
creative powers sinless acts of carnality, because they are natural and normal
acts. They are sinless acts because
they have not transgressed the law of God.
Any human act that is permitted by the law of God is a sinless carnal
act, as we have seen in Points 6 and 7 above.
One should not feel condemned for anything that is perfectly natural and
lawful. Sin is only committed when
created faculties are used to break the laws of God. This should be clear at
all times and the devil will not have any right to bring us under self-condemnation or demon inspired
guilt. Satan is the accuser of the
brethren and his mission is to bring the believer under condemnation and make
him think that he has sinned (Rev. 12:10). Unless some definite transgression of the law is committed one
has not sinned, so he can throw off all false demon inspired accusations when
they are suggested to the mind.
All saved mankind are perfectly free to use and to
exercise every created faculty in the bounds of the laws of God. One can get angry at sin, sickness, and
demon workings and get stirred up to the point of action against them without
committing sin. It is not sin to be
angry, to be jealous, to love, to hate, or to manifest any natural faculty if
one is angry and jealous for a righteous cause. It is not a sin if one loves God and others in a lawful way. It is not a sin if he hates sin and those
things God hates and refuses to permit himself to hate what God forbids him to
hate. Ecc 3:1-8. The scrip give us guidance
and direction in Ecc 3:1-8 and the right to exercise every faculty and satisfy
every appetite, passion, and desire in a lawful way. Let him live and walk in the Spirit and control those powers
according to the gospel and reject all temptations to use them in breaking the
laws of God.
10. Sins
that effect the Soul
When looking to find these
reference
Galatians 5: 19-21, and Ecc
3:1-8 and understanding you have to operate in the season God has and is
ordaining your life and relationship with him.
11. Bible Proof That These
Sins Will Condemn the Soul
There are many statements in the above lists of scriptures that plainly say that people who
commit such things and who die in these sins will be lost. Let the Bible itself prove this by the
following passages:
"These are the things which defile a man" (Matt.
15:20);
By thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matt.
12:37);
"They which commit such things are worthy of
death. . . But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against
them which commit such things" (Rom. 1:32; 2:1-2);
"For the end of those things is death. For the wages of sin is death" (Rom.
6:16-23); "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die" (Rom.
8:12-13);
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God?" (1 Cor. 6:9-11-);
"They
which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal.
5:19-21). "No whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Eph. 5:5);
"For which things sake the wrath of God cometh
upon the children of disobedience" (Col. 3:6);
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire" (Rev. 21:8);
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek.
18:4);
"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall
God destroy" (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20);
"If we deny him, he also will deny us" (2
Tim. 2:12).
12. Are Bad Habits and
Worldly Pleasures Sin?
Here is a good rule you can live by in knowing what
is and is not "Whatever impairs
the tenderness of your conscience, weakens your reason, obscures your sense of
God, or dulls your deep desire for spiritual things; whatever increases the
authority of your body over your mind and will, and ask yourself if I was doing
this when Christ returns, would he come get me? if your unsure than I recommend
to you STOP. It's not my place to tell you it is or is not sin, The scripture
says in Phip 2:12 for us to work out
our own salvation with fear and trembling.
(1 John 2:15-17);
(James 4:4);
" (Rom. 12:1-2);
(John 15:18-21);
(John 17:14-16).
I challenge you to study the
scriptures as in II Tim 2:15 and allow
the spirit of God to guide you and direct you
as in II Tim 3:16 the Word is for
Doctrine
Reproof
Correction
Instruction
Friend, It's not for anyone to control your life, tell
you what you can and can't do in life. If your heart is right then your desire
will be to do nothing that will crucify our Lord afresh Heb 6:6 No such questions are ever raised whether it
is wrong to pray, go to church, serve God, and do godly things? When you truly walk in repentance with God you will become saved from your sins and become a new creature and have perfect freedom from these habits?
13. Worldly Pleasures in
Churches are Schools of Crime
It is a known fact that
are churches are becoming more user friendly and worldly and have become the schools of crime for our
children. When they see things of the
world in the church they conclude that other pleasures are no more wrong than
what church members are doing and they stray into lives of sin and shame. These are strong statements but they are
statements of truth just the same. When
children see the world in the churches they turn against Christianity and go
into the world. We could spend countless hours throwing scriptures back and
forth at each other trying to make our point, but really what would that prove?
NOTHING! so I will refer you back to Phip 2:12 and Heb 6:6 and
remember the rule: ("Whatever impairs the tenderness of
your conscience, weakens your reason, obscures your sense of God, or dulls your
deep desire for spiritual things; whatever increases the authority of your body
over your mind and will, and ask yourself if I was doing this when Christ
returns, would he come get me? if your unsure than I recommend to you STOP.
14. Lessons of Crime
TV's, Movies and the
Internet
That movies are the schools of crime is a well-known
fact to those who deal with crime. Many
criminals got started in crime by what they saw on the screen. A Committee of Child Welfare not long ago
analyzed 250 American films and found 97 murders, 51 cases of adultery,
19 seductions, 22 abductions, and 45 suicides.
The leading characters of these films were: 176 thieves, 35 drunkards,
and 25 prostitutes. Movies in America
are so degrading to the morals until 150 of them have been barred from Canada
and Australia. " Turkey, a
non-Christian country, has passed a bill that no children under sixteen shall
attend movies. Reasons given were that
they distort their brains; shake their nerves; suggest venturous ideas; make
girls fond of makeup, jewels, and expensive dresses; convey, prematurely,
information about love and love making; inspire violent passions; and lead to
crime.
Is this the kind of schools we are going to send our
children to? Do we want to make
criminals out of our children?
15. Smoking
Does the bible say
about it?
Smoking
became known to the civilized world about 1518 A. D. when the tobacco plant was
brought to Spain from the Indies. From
there it went to France where it was accepted by the Queen Catherine de Medici. After her death it was forbidden by severe
laws as being dangerous to the national health. It was first taken to England by Sir Francis Drake in 1586. It was later banished from England and all
of Europe for some time. In 1624 Pope
Urban the Eighth afflicted corporal punishment and excommunication on all who
used it. In 1635 it was again forbidden
in France under penalty of imprisonment and public whipping. Periodically from then on various laws for
and against it were passed in France.
In America until a generation or so ago very few used tobacco. Even as late as our present generation most
women would not marry men who used it.
But today it is glorified as the god of American pleasure and it is
becoming difficult to find men or women who do not use it in some form or
other. In 1949 400,000,000,000
cigarettes were used in America alone besides tobacco in other forms. It is popular for preachers and church
members to go about using it, and men are classed as old-fashioned and out of
date and religious cranks that raise a voice against it.
Be that as it may, we must stick by the true
Christian principles and cry out against it because it is damning multiplied
thousands of souls in eternal Hell. It
cannot glorify God as Christians are commanded to do in their bodies and
spirits (1 Cor. 6:19-20). It defiles
them and God promises to destroy those who defile His temple, the human bodies (1
Cor. 3:16-17). It is a
money-wasting habit. Men must satisfy
their lust even at the expense of bread, proper clothes, and shelter for the
family. It is a filthy habit and thru scripture we are commanded to cleanse ourselves "of all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1).
16. The effects of Tobacco as it
and Causes Disease and
Poisons the Body
Poisons the Body
Tobacco is a poison and is listed along with all
other poisons. In fact, it contains
nicotine, prussic acid, ammonia, carbolic acid, acrolein, carbon monoxide,
formis aldehyde, methylamine, marsha gas, furfural, and parvolin. Webster lists it as a narcotic. Nicotine alone is so deadly that one-fifteenth
of a grain will kill an adult and half this much will kill a dog. There is enough in one cigar to kill a man
if he chewed and swallowed it. Of
course men have got used to much of the effect of these poisons These poisons
cause cancer, insanity, blindness, heart trouble, shattered nerves, blood
poisoning, stomach disorders, skin diseases, weakened intellect, and in general
poisons the entire system. Medical
journals report the poisoning of babies through tobacco using mothers. According to the January 1950 Reader's
Digest the tobacco habit in one generation has laid hold of the entire people
of America to such an extent which we do not realize and with effects we do not
understand. We spend four billion dollars
a year on tobacco twice as much as we pay public school teachers. Two out of every three men and two out of
every five women smoke, and 800,000 non-smokers are being added to the ranks
yearly.
When one smokes most of the nicotine escapes into the
air. About one-third gets into the
mouth, where little is absorbed. The
effect of smoking a cigar is equal to that of five cigarettes. A pipe gives a trifle more nicotine than
does a cigar. In pure form nicotine is
a violent poison. One drop on a rabbit
skin throws the rabbit into instant shock.
The nicotine content of two cigarettes, if injected into the blood
stream, would kill a smoker swiftly. If
you smoke one pack a day, you inhale 400 milligrams of nicotine a week, which
in a single injection would kill as quick as a bullet.
In factories which make nicotine insecticides, cases
of poisoning occur now and then. One
worker sat on a stool which held a little spilled nicotine. In less than two minutes he fell to the
floor blue in the face, apparently dead.
Rushed to the hospital, he was revived as one does from slight nicotine
poisoning. When he returned to the shop
and put on the nicotine soaked trousers he fell headlong on the ground, and had
to be revived a second time. Out of the
400 billion cigarettes smoked a year there are nearly 23 million gallons of
nicotine. Administered with precision,
this is enough to kill a thousand times the population of the United States.
Why doesn't smoking kill more people? Partly because the remarkable human body can
gradually build up a tolerance for larger and larger doses of poison; partly
because, in smoke, it is not accumulated in sufficient quantities.
Do cigarettes irritate the throat? No doctor claims that smoking soothes the
throat. The argument hinges upon how
much they irritate the throat, If you smoke a pack a day, you take in 840 cubic
centimeters of tobacco tar in a year.
That means you have drenched your throat and lungs with 27 fluid ounces
of tobacco tar during the year. In 100
smokers who averaged 28 cigarettes a day, Dr. Frederick B. Flinn of New York
found 73 with congestion of the throat, 66 with coughs, seven with irritation
of the tongue. Doctors familiar with
the field comment on how many times smokers change brands to find a less irritating
cigarette. It is also a known fact that
cigarettes affect the stomach and digestion.
It interferes with the appetite, causes gastritis, heartburn, stomach
ulcers, non-development of the bodies of growing people, hinders athletic
performances, lowers muscular power, causes fatigue, speeds the pulse as much
as 28 beats a minute, affects the heart and blood stream, causes irregularity
of the heart, raises the blood pressure, markedly and quickly, constricts the
blood vessels and often closes completely the smaller ones in the hands and
feet.
Smoking causes Buerger's disease, which is a loss of
circulation of the hands and feet, and sometimes causes gangrene which makes
amputation necessary. Out of 2400 cases
of this disease that were tested everyone was a smoker. A group of 100 cases were studied for 10
years and in all of them the disease was arrested when smoking stopped. Three cases out of the 100 had to have parts
of the body amputated and these were the only three that would not stop
smoking, according to Dr. Irving Wright.
Heart disease is more prevalent among smokers than non-smokers. It is also a known fact that cancer of the
lungs, throat, lips, and other parts of the body are caused by smoking.
Why do not physicians warn their patients more
helpfully about smoking? Because doctors
are human, too, and many of them smoke; because many of them hesitate to
believe the worst about the friendly cigarette; and, as one physician noted
sadly, "Because forbidding tobacco makes a doctor unpopular."
The writer of the article in the Reader's Digest from
which is taken most of the above facts says, "When I began a research of
this article, I was smoking 40 cigarettes a day. As I got into the subject, I found that number dropping. As I finished the article, I am smoking ten
a day. I'd like to smoke more, but my
investigation of the subject has convinced me that smoking is dangerous.
This comes from a smoker and not from a preacher whom
many smokers consider as unqualified to speak on the subject. To say the least, the use of tobacco in any
form is contrary to the law and will of God, and those who want to please God
and truly serve Him can be delivered from the desire to smoke by confessing his
sins to God and getting the new birth and accepting Christ as their saviour.
Dr. Michael N. Smith Sr
No comments:
Post a Comment