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Question: How can it be wrong to smoke pot, since God gave us every seed
producing plant to do with as we see fit.
Answer:
It is true that God made the earth and all things therein for man.
This is for man's proper USE, not for his ABUSE.
To illustrate, God gave us the grape for man's good and enjoyment,
but this does not mean it was right for Noah to plan a vineyard, and drink
of the wine and become drunk (see Genesis 9:20-21). The grapes were not
given by God "to do with as we see fit."
In the New Testament, Paul dealt with those that would use a similar
argument to justify fornication. We gather from the context of 1 Cor. 6:13
that some were contending that as food is for the stomach, that the body is
for fornication. In other words, food is intended to be eaten and enjoyed by
the stomach, and the body is made to be used for every kind of sexual
pleasure. Paul responded, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the
Lord" (1 Cor. 6:13). He did not give us our body to "do with as we see fit."
(see also Heb. 13:4).
So it is with all God has made. There is a legitimate and proper
usage, and then there is distortion and misuse of what God has given. When
you stop and think about it, so much of temptation is a matter of the devil
taking some God-given desire but to find an outlet that God has forbidden,
and is out of harmony with God's will.
So far as passages that would address the matter of marijuana: The
use of marijuana is a form of drunkenness. Therefore passages that condemn
drunkness would apply (Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; Prov. 23:29-35).
Also in Gal. 5:20 notice the word "witchcraft" (KJV) "sorcery"
(NKJV). This is from the Greek work PHARMAKEIA, from which you can see our
word pharmacy. The word in this context has to do with the abuse of drugs,
which was often used by the sorcerer to bring others under his spell. But my
point is that this is a specific passage that condemns the abuse of drugs.
The text says that they that practice such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
One's attitude is so important: why would one want to smoke
marijuana? Often it is done in a spirit of rebellion.
Many times a question regarding whether something is right can
easily be answered by asking "Would Jesus do it?" If anyone can imagine
Jesus smoking marijuana, and/or encouraging others to do so, he knows
nothing about the Jesus of the Bible.
What should our attitude be? Do we will to do His will? (John 7:17).
Is our attitude "Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth?" (1 Sam. 3:9). When this
attitude wins over so that one is not sitting in the seat of the scornful,
there will be no trouble determining whether it is right to smoke marijuana
or misuse other drugs.
If you have corrections, questions, comments or suggestions about these questions and answers, please contact Leon Mauldin directly at leon.mauldin@gmail.com
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