Harmful Habits

Drugs/Smoking

The Scriptures do not specifically mention the overindulgence of "drugs" or the habit of "smoking". However, it is a known fact that both of these are harmful to one's health.

Alcoholic Beverages

"Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it give its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again." Proverbs 23:29-35.

"Israel was a wine-producing country. In the Old Testament, wine presses bursting with new wine were considered a sign of blessing (3:10). Wisdom is even said to have set her table with wine (9:2, 5). But the Old Testament writers were alert to the dangers of wine. It dulls the senses; it limits clear judgment (31:1-9); it lowers the capacity for control (4:17); it destroys one's efficiency (21:17). To make wine an end in itself, a means of self-indulgence, or as an escape from life is to misuse it and invite the consequences of the drunkard. The soothing comfort of alcohol is only temporary. Real relief comes from dealing with the cause of the anguish and sorrow and turning to God for peace. Don't lose yourself in alcohol; find yourself in God." - Life Application Bible, p. 1114.

"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." Proverbs 31:4-7.

"Drunkenness might be understandable among dying people in great pain; but it is inexcusable for national leaders. Alcohol clouds the mind and can lead to injustice and poor decisions. Leaders have better things to do than anesthetize themselves with alcohol." - Life Application Bible, p. 1125.

Gluttony

In the Scriptures, overeating seems to be in the same classification as drunkenness: "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." Proverbs 23:21. "... put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite." Proverbs 23:2.

Fornication

"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." 1 Corinthians 6:18.

"Sexual sin (fornication) is a temptation we cannot escape. In movies and on television, sex outside marriage is treated as a normal, even desirable, part of life, while marriage is often shown as confining and joyless. We can even be looked down upon by others if suspected of being pure. But God does not forbid sexual sin just to be difficult. He knows its power to destroy us physically and spiritually. No one should underestimate the power of sexual sin. It has devastated countless lives and destroyed families, communities, and even nations. God wants to protect us from damaging ourselves and others, and so he offers to fill us - our loneliness, our desires - with himself." - Life Application Bible, p. 2004.

Be Moderate In All Things

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Philippians 4:6.

Freedom From The Grasp Of Addiction

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin....Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:6, 11.

"The power and penalty of sin died with Christ on the cross. Our 'old man,' our sinful nature, died once and for all, so we are freed from its power. The 'body of sin' is not the human body, but our rebellious sin-loving nature inherited from Adam. Though our body willingly cooperates with our sinful nature, we must not regard the body as evil. It is the power of sin at work in our body that is defeated. Paul has already stated that through faith in Christ we stand acquitted, 'not guilty' before God. Here Paul emphasizes that we need no longer live under sin's power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots - we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved, we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ (see Galatians 2:20). 'Reckon' or count yourselves dead to sin means we should regard our old sin nature as dead and unresponsive to sin. We are fully fenced off (because of our union and identification with Christ) from all the old ways of believing and behaving. We are no longer answerable to those motives, desires, and goals. Let us consider ourselves to be what God has in fact made us. We have a new start and the Holy Spirit will help us become in our daily experience what Christ has declared us to be." - Life Application Bible, p. 1972.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1, 2.

"God has good, pleasing, and perfect plans for his children. Christians are called to 'be not conformed to this world' with its behavior and customs that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Many Christians wisely decide that much worldly behavior is off-limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world's values, however, must go even deeper than the level of behavior and customs - it must be firmly founded in our minds - 'be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.' It is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, reeducates, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed (see 8:5)." - Life Application Bible, p. 1984.

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Life Application Bible Notes Used By Permission. Life Application Study Bible © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved. Life Application is a registered trademark of Tyndale Publishers, Inc.