Terry Pruitt's Blog

Many godly people such as C.S. Lewis and C.H. Spurgeon have smoked tobacco. Some of the brothers and sisters in an effort to avoid adding extra moral codes to the Bible have wisely stated that smoking is not prohibited in Scripture. Smoking has a particular stigma to it that other unhealthy habits do not have. Re-enforcing this stigma is not wise for the church since such a practice focuses on an extra-biblical moral code. Such a focus can cause the would be hearers of the gospel to mistake moralism as the message of the Gospel. This has been a tragedy in the church in America. It is true that our freedom in Christ gives us freedom to do as we think best and according to godly decision making processes. God stated that in regard to keeping his Law we are not to add to it. "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. (Deu 12:32 ESV) It is also true that the morality of smoking is not directly addressed in the...

This post is in response to my friend's post Wrestling with Edwards | Jollyblogger. As I understand it, the modernist thinking that facts are good and value judgment are bad is not Scriptural. The commandment to love the Lord is that we should have a certain value judgment. Of course I could point out that facts stated as good is a value judgment. There is no salvation in finding an objective fact. It is the truth of the gospel that saves us, even if we have poor epistemology. No one was ever saved by knowing anything, they are only saved by the one who came and died for us. Salvation comes from Christ. He is our only hope, whether or not we can deny numb, press down, circumvent or otherwise work around our feelings. Feelings can cloud our vision so that we do not see the true circumstances, but so can facts. Many look at the simplicity of the gospel and underestimate the need to have true faith. I know my Grandfather expressed remorse in his later days that he did not take ...