Is Zyn A Sin?

A recent article published by Christianity Today has caused no shortage of controversy and backlash across social media. The debates seem to center around one question: is Zyn a sin?

The discussion surrounding how Christians ought to relate to substances like alcohol and nicotine is not a new one, even if current debates center around more modern, subtle methods of consumption, such as the nicotine pouch.

Everyone’s situation is so different that any blanket statement on this topic would be rather unhelpful. Of course, if you’re struggling with these or any type of addiction, you should go to a trusted pastor, elder, or father in the faith for guidance.

But I want to offer a few thoughts for consideration which apply to the whole realm of “potentially addictive substances.” The vices I have in mind which seem to plague the current generation the most are, of course, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.

Here’s the bottom line up front: Zyn (or any potentially addictive substance like nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine) is not inherently sinful, but Christians must evaluate their use of it through Scripture, personal motives, self-control, and love for others.

Full disclosure right off the bat: I consume and enjoy all three, sometimes all in the same day, but not always. Because I am a father of young kids and responsible for multiple early-rising Energizer bunnies, my consumption is moderate, but it hasn’t always been that way.

The Legality

Let’s start with 1 Corinthians 6:12:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”

Assuming there’s no illegality, I think it’s fair to say that a substance is generally neutral in itself, and that the morality of the issue depends largely on the user, his or her attitude, motives, and desires.

All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. Now to be clear, my Christian liberty and freedom in Christ do not give me permission to patronize strip clubs, smoke crack, or drink and drive, because these things are illegal; and they don’t give me permission to have sex with my married co-worker, because that’s a violation of God’s law. But apart from the explicitly illegal or immoral, we have liberty as Christians to consider all things lawful for us.

For the sake of a common starting point, we will assume that we’re talking about someone who is of legal age to use age-restricted substances, and that they’re not participating in any illegal activity as a result (driving drunk, infidelity, etc.). Hopefully this levels the playing field and allows us to look at the thing itself, instead of the million exceptions which can render an otherwise harmless thing immoral, irresponsible, and unwise.

Self-Assessment

With that out of the way, let’s ask ourselves a few questions to determine the helpfulness of these behaviors:

• Is it clearly addressed in Scripture?

If yes, then clearly, it’s prohibited. This takes explicit sins like drunkenness off the table (Ephesians 5:18). We are called to be sober-minded, watchful, always on the alert against our enemy, and therefore Christians should avoid any situation in which our judgment is impaired or our mental-state altered.

If no, then we need to use some discernment.

• Am I glorifying God in it?

We are called to do all to the glory of God. I’m of the belief that if I can use the good gifts God has given to man (including caffeine, nicotine, etc.) to be more effective at the work to which He has called me, and I’m not abusing it, then I can glorify Him through its use.

But this is never an excuse to become addicted or reckless in my consumption. It’s a matter of the heart; what is my ultimate aim? To glorify God through my work, or simply to get a quick, fleeting buzz? Am I doing it out of a love for Christ and a desire to honor Him through my work, or is it mere self-indulgence?

Again, there’s a difference between enjoying a hearty cup of coffee to wake up for work or smoking a fat cigar with friends and family, and sneaking away from family dinner to shotgun a beer or sneak a cigarette in private. Is the activity a hindrance to the godly life you wish to live, or is it giving you greater opportunities to minister to and care for those around you?

Personally, I can think of few things more glorious and filled with Christian joy than a late-night glass of whiskey around a firepit with friends. Compare this to sneaking shots from a hip flask at 10 A.M. in my cubicle. Quite the contrast.

• Will this cause another believer to stumble?

We all have friends that have struggled with various addictions, whether it’s nicotine, alcohol, or drugs. For me to pull out a nicotine pouch next to my buddy who finally quit smoking after a decade would be unloving and unhelpful (assuming he quit cold turkey). For him, smoking very well may be sinful, in that it controls his entire life, wrecks his body, and dominates his every waking hour. Meanwhile for me, it might not be an issue. But we should always be committed to ensuring that the weaker brother does not relapse into sin, and this might mean setting aside our “liberties” for another time.

• Is this ruling my life?

While nicotine gets a bad reputation for being a “crutch,” culturally, we cut coffee and other caffeinated products much more slack, perhaps because of their respective identities; coffee is usually considered a bit higher class, associated with waking up early to get ready for work, high performers, business people, etc. Nicotine, on the other hand, is associated with cigarette smoking, and therefore low impulse control, addiction, and unpleasant habits.

Caffeine addiction is considered quirky and almost inevitable, while nicotine addiction is considered akin to a drug dependency, and yet they’re not all that different (nicotine is considered more addictive than caffeine, wrongly, in my opinion). If you’ve ever experienced caffeine withdrawals, you’d know that it will knock you flat on your butt. The first week I ever went without coffee or energy drinks (check-in week at OCS), I had the worst, pounding migraines of my entire life. It actually caused a throbbing pain in my legs and lower back. Wild.

Bottom line: we’re all at least somewhat controlled by something. 99% of the modern diet is comprised of highly addictive, bio-engineered ingredients designed to make you crave more. But there’s a fine line between a craving and an addiction that controls your daily life.

So, it’s worth asking: Am I controlled by this? If I couldn’t get it, would my life be significantly different? Am I unable to function without it? In other words, am I a slave to it? Is it the first thing that crosses my mind every morning? Am I regularly changing my schedule to obtain it?

Again, there’s a big difference between something being an addiction and it being a nice start to your day. God gives us good things to enjoy. But when good things become ultimate things, they often become destructive. Has it gone from a satisfying, occasional treat, to a psychological or chemical need? If so, it might be time to break free from its grip.

• Am I remaining sober-minded?

Each of these things has the potential to alter our mind-state, but alcohol is uniquely capable of blurring our judgment and leading us into temptation and sin in a way that the others are not. There’s a reason nothing good happens downtown after midnight. For any activity we participate in, we must ask ourselves: are my faculties sharp?

Some of the dumbest things I’ve ever done began with alcohol. Every night, in every city on planet earth, bar fights, domestic disputes, affairs, and other irreversible mistakes occur as a direct result of excessive alcohol consumption. As Christians, part of being watchful, and remembering that our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, is to never allow ourselves to be put at a spiritual disadvantage. Predators, such as lions, will always attack their prey when it’s at its weakest. Greater men than us have been taken down by alcohol. Drink with caution!

• Am I putting my hope in it?

Another way of asking this is, “Am I constantly thinking about the next time I’ll have it?” I went through a period of life like this, where I would count the minutes until “happy hour” at 5 P.M. I came to love bourbon so much that my entire day began to revolve around just making it to that evening drink. No matter what happened in the day, I’d be fine because I knew within a matter of hours, I’d be sitting down on the couch with a stiff drink in hand.

By putting all of my hope for peace and rest in a bottle of bourbon, I missed out on the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God. I don’t want that to sound like false piety, because if somebody told me that, I’d roll my eyes. But it’s true; instead of looking at my concerns, anxieties, and fears in the face, and asking God for relief, guidance, and wisdom, I simply medicated with a liquid numbing agent in a fancy glass. This isn’t to say you can’t enjoy a drink even as you rely on God for renewal and strength; but it should never replace Him as your primary source of comfort. Again, it’s a matter of the heart.

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There are thousands of other questions you could ask yourself on this topic: is it actively harming me (more than all the other toxic chemicals I breathe in and eat every day)? Am I going into debt to obtain it? Am I doing it simply to fit in with the cool kids?

The bottom line is this: we can make an idol of anything. You could give up nicotine pouches today and become an avid kayaker, and chances are, if you have an addictive personality, you’d make kayaking your new god. The issue isn’t always the thing, but the heart behind the thing.

I also want to mention that articles like the one above can be helpful food for thought, and I appreciate the author’s honesty about his relationship to nicotine; but I do think his situation is unique, and far more dramatic than most. I also wonder if he would apply this same criticism to more destructive habits like sitting at a desk for 14 hours a day or eating Chick-fil-A 3x/week. There’s a fine line between discernment and asceticism.

So I want to make it very clear: it’s okay to enjoy things. It’s good, even. You really don’t have to overthink everything enjoyable in life. God made the world very good, and we shouldn’t walk around on eggshells afraid to break some unwritten rule about not ever smiling.

With a faithful heart that desires to glorify God, a discerning mind that knows when to stop, and a commitment to doing all things for love of God and neighbor, I think Christians are perfectly justified in smoking the occasional cigar, throwing in a few pouches a day, or downing some brewskies with the boys. If you’re a Protestant, you come from a long line of alcohol enthusiasts and tobacco smokers, like Spurgeon, who, when rebuked for his bad habits from his own pulpit, responded that he would continue to smoke “to the glory of God.”

So, to summarize: no, Zyn, like a bottle of whiskey, is not sinful in itself, because it’s an inanimate object. Sin enters the picture when the heart of the user is more concerned with the Zyn or the alcohol than with God’s clear, communicated will.

If you feel convicted, even if you’re not technically “addicted,” why not just take a short break to clear your mind? The times I’ve gone dry from alcohol for a month or two have been very beneficial for me, both in developing willpower, and in my fitness. I highly recommend periodic hiatuses from all stressors (even caffeine, if you can manage it) just to give yourself rest, to recalibrate yourself to depend on God alone, and to reset your body so that you don’t become dependent on it.

But don’t let false dichotomies (“am I using Zyn, or serving God?”) manipulate you into a self-serving, performative piety.

Only you can decide whether it fits into your life. Seek to glorify God in all you do in accordance with His word, and I believe the rest will work itself out.

May God bless you,

T