Ecclesiastes 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroys much good.
According to the CDC, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 Americans each year. In addition, the United States spends more than $300 billion a year on smoking-related illness, including more than $225 billion in direct medical care for adults and $156 billion in lost productivity.
Question: Should smokers then be sanctioned, lose their jobs, and be deprived of certain privileges that are available to all Americans because they do harm to themselves, to others, and to the economy? Now, the surgeon general might choose to put the image of a coffin on each box of cigarettes, and the health experts may lecture to persons until they are blue in the face, yet, while tobacco remains legal, persons do retain the freedom to choose to smoke or not.
Thus, we must ascertain why God does not inhibit our freedom of choice, even though at times it may cause real grief to ourselves and others. The reason is that choice is the key that opens the door for man to depart from God, but it is also the same key that reopens the door, if man chooses to return to God.
1st John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!