I have had some best friends since my school days, years ago. I am the only person among them who is baptized. We all meet twice a year and during that meeting they all drink and smoke. I don’t drink or smoke since I was baptized. They are all good, sincere people and don’t do any bad activities, except drinking and smoking and even that is done without disturbing anyone. They don’t compel me to drink. Shall I avoid those drinking meetings or can I continue?<\/p>\n\t
“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler–not even to eat with such a one<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:9-11).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
We can’t isolate ourselves from worldly people. If we did, we would never get the Gospel taught to others. What you are describing is not bad, so long as being with them doesn’t tempt you to sin. If you have no desire to drink and smoke, there is no reason not to enjoy the company of your friends on these occasions.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: I have had some best friends since my school days, years ago. I am the only person among them who is baptized. We all meet twice a year and during that meeting they all drink and smoke. I don’t drink or smoke since I was baptized. They are all good, sincere people and don’t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[371,1319,353,420,419],"class_list":["post-53950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-alcohol","tag-drinking","tag-influence","tag-smoking","tag-tobacco"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46515,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-is-smoking-weed-any-worse-than-drinking-once-in-a-while\/","url_meta":{"origin":53950,"position":0},"title":"How is smoking weed any worse than drinking once in a while?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is smoking weed bad in God's eyes? 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He keeps trying to suggest that it's not a sin to drink, but it's a sin to get drunk, which is why Jesus turned that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16902,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-cigar-smoking-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":53950,"position":2},"title":"Is cigar smoking wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 30, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I saw\u00a0your articles on smoking. I have always believed heavy smoking is bad when it is something done constantly. Actually I hate cigarettes and the only time I do smoke is about three times a year. I have a cigar with one of my best friends as we sit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16446,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-christian-eat-with-a-non-christian-who-is-having-alcohol-with-his-meal\/","url_meta":{"origin":53950,"position":3},"title":"Should a Christian eat with a non-Christian who is having alcohol with his meal?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 19, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: First, I want to thank you for explaining in\u00a0a previous response about\u00a0why social drinking is sinful.\u00a0 Now, I have for you a short scenario that\u2019s based on that fact. A Christian gets invited to go eat at a steakhouse by his non-Christian work buddy. 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