Christians Consuming Alcohol
24th September 2005
Ok, I thought I would write a blog entry on this subject since it always seems to be such a big deal in America. This entry was prompted by a post on the Sharper Iron forum. I have expressed some of my thoughts on the subject in that thread as well.
I will state my position up front, loud and clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Christians consuming alcohol. I find it strange that in America many preachers feel that the only way to solve the problem of drunkenness is to preach that consumption is a sin. First off, it is false doctrine to preach that consuming alcohol is a sin. Secondly, if you want to get technical, many of the medicines (and even some of the foods) you consume have alcohol in them. In fact, some medicines contain 30+% alcohol…far more than any beer/wine you may drink.
Why do Christians need to preach false doctrine to shield individuals from drunkenness? The Scripture surely doesn’t do that. There is nothing wrong with abstinence, that is for sure, however, teaching that consumption of any alcoholic beverage is a sin, is false. Are such teachers so bold that they would accuse the Lord of sin?
I personally think it is a good thing that some people withstain from alcohol. In fact, according to the Scripture certain people should withstain from alcohol (or should I say too much alchohol). Obviously, anyone led astray by it is not wise ( Proverbs 20:1). Again, this does not give the green light to preach false doctrine.
Someone in the thread mentioned above brought up a very good point. Christians can accept that sex is wrong outside of marriage but inside of marriage it is ok. Christians can accept that gluttony is a sin but eating normal is ok. However, when it comes to drinking they seem to have a problem accepting that drinking wine/beer is ok, and getting drunk is not.
If you can’t drink without getting drunk, then don’t drink. If drinking causes your brother to stumble then don’t drink around him (though I would say here that you should also try to teach him the truth in the Scripture). However, do not teach/preach that drinking is a sin. It is false doctrine, period.
One other thing before I end. I bring this up a lot but I believe it is one of the major pitfalls in Christendom today. We should not look to Scripture to “prove a point”, rather we should come to the Scripture with an open heart and mind and allow God to conform our mind to His Word.
Bottom line = drinking wine/beer is not a sin, getting drunk is a sin and drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Any other teaching is man’s invention and should be questioned Scripturally.
Mark 7:15 NET. There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him.”
AMDG
September 24th, 2005 at 21:35
I guess my only response to this, Brian, apart from getting drunk, is WHY? Once this questioned is answered, and one’s motives are pure, then I say go for it. 1 Cor 10:31 says to do whatever you do, whether, eating or drinking to the glory of the Lord (paraphrase).
Also, when drinking, a person better know at what point they “start” to get drunk (buzzed)–or come under the control of the “spirits” rather than the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph 5:18).
My skepticism comes from viewing brothers and sisters in Christ using their freedom in Christ as an opportunity for the flesh. I.e. After graduation from Multnomah Bible College there was a party, and beer was being served to many of my classmates–they got drunk (or buzzed)–but their response was, “hey, I’m free”. I think they need to check their definition of what freedom in Christ is all about.
I think prudence dictates abstinence, your right scripture doesn’t prescribe a black and white mandate here–but wisdom, to me, would say, why even get on that slope, it seems a bit slippery.
September 24th, 2005 at 23:26
“Why” is a good question. However, it is far from an excuse to preach false doctrine, and that is my point.
I personally drink wine because I like it. In addition, it is one of the very few beverages I drink (water, milk, wine). I might add that most of the time when I have a glass of wine it is at my home during dinner. Though it is a moot point for this discussion I will say that I don’t drink wine every night (far from it).
I am all for abstinence for people that can’t handle it. I am not for preaching false doctrine just because they can’t handle it. Drinking wine isn’t even near a slippery slope for me personally. In fact, I know many people that also don’t find it a slippery slope. It is more of a cultural slope in my opinion.
Anything negative about wine in the Scripture has to do with getting drunk, not with just drinking it. I think we should stick to the Scripture on the issue.
P.S. I have no problems drinking wine along with 1 Corinthians 10:31. In fact, I always give thanks to God for everything I eat or drink.
AMDG
September 25th, 2005 at 00:38
I agree preaching that drinking alcohol is a sin is not the way to go on this issue. Prudence is.
That’s my point as well, the cultural slope, our culture associates many things with drinking, it’s usually not Christianity. For the sake of testimony, in my opinion, abstaining from alcoholic drink, in social settings, provides an “opportunity” for me (or anybody) to be sanctified (i.e. “set apart”) enough to maybe provoke the question, why aren’t you drinking tonight? I’ve actually had this happen more than once.
Look what you’ve done Brian, you’ve reduced me to arguing from “utility”, nevertheless I think this is a great argument for not partaking amongst unbelievers at least.
Drinking in your home, that’s totally up to you, and between you and the Lord–I have no problem with that, and you’re right, no scripture to stand on–unless you get drunk of course
!
Bobby
September 27th, 2005 at 10:42
[…] cellent passage. Not only does it touch on my previous blog entry, it also touches on the blog entry before that. Psalms 104:1-35 NET. Praise the Lord, O my soul! O […]
January 19th, 2006 at 00:48
The bible says leave no place for the devil.There are mental,physical and spiritual porblems with casual drinking and what it can and has lead to have been used to kill.You have to eat,you dont have to take medicine with alcohol in it. and you dont have to drink,it do not get you closer to the Holy Spirit yet the scriptures do allow us to drink from the spirit of GOD and get drunk by him. so why do we need to go to the bottle or a beer can when we have the Holy Spirit.That is a poor weak excuse to indulge are flesh and here is the deal ,Drunks have there company with the family of the flesh which GOD outcast from the Kingdom of GOD and place their destination in the lake of fire.And beer was unheard of in Christ day but the issue of the Jesus drinking wine, do a study on the wines of jewish and Greek culture.Jesus did drink wine only for consecration and paul delt with the use of it the wrong way can lead to death and todays wine is totaly different from wine today.TodaY WINE IS LOADED WITH DIFFERENT PROOFS of alcohol.The wine jesus used only for Consecration was not loaded with different levels of alcohol like todays.
The bottom line if you are a christian and you want to get a high,GOD almighty is known as the most high GOD you want to drink wine and want to get a buzz or even high or drunk.
And I am serious dont knock it until you try it and i have tried everything.Pray in the Spirit,praise and worship him for about an hour non stop Speaking in tounges.God himself will show up and blow your mind. Check out www.Logosresourcepages.org/Believers/drinking.htm
January 20th, 2006 at 00:09
Pastor Rob,
I almost didn’t approve the comment because the link you pasted has false (unfounded) information concerning the consumption of wine and the Scripture. However, everyone should be heard to an extent.
I will point out though that Biblical wine was alcoholic, period. It is doubtful it had the exact same alcohol content as wines today but it is similar enough.
Drinking wine is not a sin and our Lord drank alcoholic wine. Getting drunk is a sin. In addition, many of the substances you put in your body are ten fold more deadly than alcohol (as a substance).
I made my point in the original post though so enough about that. When someone starts putting some Scripture in to back their opinion then maybe we will have something to discuss (of course, that won’t happen because there aren’t any Scriptural proofs that I am aware of for such claims).
P.S. Jesus should probably be capitalized in your writing.
AMDG
February 18th, 2006 at 23:25
In the Bible wine is a good thing because it symbolizes the harvest and the abundance of God’s provision. Wine at a meal could be understood as a celebration honoring God’s care and love for us. A little wine can also have medicinal benefits. My Gandfather actully had a glass of doctor-ordered wine every night before bed. In the Bible, it helped Timothy with his stomach problems.
This is not how we treat alcohol in our culture. We associate it with rebellion, wild parties, fun, and sex. It is often seen as a way to get or fill us up with whatever seems lacking in personality or skill. Alcohol promises to make us whole but leaves us shipwrecked. Yet, everyone that uses it says “I can handle it”. Alcohol is the most dangerous drug in our culture and actully kills more than speed or any other drug you could get on the street.
Alcohol is dangerous stuff. I don’t think most believers are able to make a clear distinction between the worldly and Biblical viewpoint. I fear that too many seek alcohol because it heightens carnal desires and promises to satisfy them. In this way there could be something terribly wrong with Christinas consuming alcohol. It is no good to hold on to Christian freedom if one is on the road to destruction.
February 7th, 2008 at 13:38
This is something that I have been struggling with lately. I understand it as I believe most do in this thread. Drinking is ok, but Drunk is sinfull and not from God. The whole concern that I have is at what point is considered Drunk. Many factors come into play such as tolerance, size, etc. I enjoy having 3 drinks and I set that as my limit. Those 3 drinks (1-2 times average per week) help me to relax and I look forward to those times. I don’t feel at a loss of control at all, but it does make me feel good, like a cup of coffe helps me to wake up. I guess my whole problem is at what point is it a blessing from God and at what point is it a sin (Drunk)? We could of course use a breathalizer as a guide, but that is mans guide to what he feels drunk is not God’s. Any thoughts?