SHOULD A CHRISTIAN DRINK ALCOHOL?

This is a question that always seems to draw a huge debate when Christians are witnessing around places that serve alcoholic beverages.

Those who want to debate the consumption of alcohol are usually not those who are "unbelievers"--but rather those who "claim" to serve God. So, what does the Bible say about this issue? You'll find that the issue is not really a "debatable" issue. The Word of God is very clear.

Proverbs 20:1 says, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise."

Strong Drink = shekar (Hebrew) = an intoxicant; fermented liquor

Led Astray = shagah (Hebrew) = to be deceived by; to err through drunkenness; to be misled mentally

Not Wise = lo-chakam (Hebrew) = without wisdom; not following wise instruction

So....Proverbs 15:5 says, A FOOL despises....instruction..."

NOTICE: Once a person opens the door to any intoxicating drink, they become "foolish" in their actions. They will often act in ways that they wouldn't when in their "right mind."

They get loud. They get rude. They cast off restraint. They lose their moral inhibitions. The progressively become more and more likely to do more, say more, and go further than they would ever hope to. They cease to act wisely and become FOOL-ISH!

Yes, many people drank alcoholic beverages in the Bible. But there were instances where people committed murder, lied, had illicit affairs and did other offensive things. These things are written as a matter of record and not a matter of righteousness.

i believe Gods intention regarding the consumption of alcohol by those that followed him is this:

Leviticus 10:9-10 "Do not drink wine nor strong drink..lest ye die, it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations...that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean."

The people being addressed here are those who are being identified with the priesthood. This stature would be one that would continue forever..!

They were those who had a responsibility to the Temple of God and were told they had to establish an obvious difference between themselves (Holy-Clean) and anyone else who would not walk in righteousness towards God ((Unholy-Unclean).

So here is how it applies today..

1 Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God.."

1 Corinthians 3:16-19, "Know ye not that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."

But what was the composition of the wine? Was it an intoxicating fermented beverage with the properties necessary to get the wedding party drunk? This could not be the case for several reasons.

Historically the Jewish culture in which this occurred was not an alcoholic culture as ours is today. That is, it was frowned upon for anyone to get intoxicated.

The wine of that day would be mixed 1/3 wine and 2/3 water in order to insure that any that may have become fermented would be cut to the degree that it would not intoxicate.

When Jesus turned water into wine He was consistent with this process (even in the miracle) by telling them to ...

John 2:6-7 "And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of purifying of the Jews...Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim."

The miracle was done after the manner of purifying and not after the manner of fermenting..

This purifying is the word katharismos which means to follow the Levitical practices, which we saw in Leviticus 10;8-9 forbid the drinking of anything intoxicating.

The pots were filled with water to the brim, and not just part of the way up. Instead of fermented wine being diluted down with water, this was water supernaturally given the taste of the grapes..amen

There is nothing in the passages of John that would even remotely suggest that Jesus broke from Levitical law and provided six waterpots of fermented wine for people to get drunk on. To the contrary, Jesus went to the other extreme in assuring that this wine was NOT alcoholic in composition..

1 Corinthians 6:10 tells us that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God.. Drunkard=methusos=one intoxicated

Ephesians 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.." Debauchery=asotia=unsavedness

Isaiah 5:11 "Woe to those who run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine."

God calls the drinking of intoxicating drink Evil and says that those who consume it have no place in His Kingdom but rather a place in Hell.

God would never allow or make something for our consumption that would put us in a place of temptation.

James 1:13 "Let no man say when he is tempted, i am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."

So i believe that drinking alcohol violates God''s law and sets a person up for eternal judgment. i believe a true follower of Christ will stay away from the things God has condemned.

Thanks to PT for this teaching.

SAD

AND not to mention, the body truly is the temple of God..1 Corinthians 3:16-17....and why do we as followers of Christ, want to look like the world in anything that kills so many every day, destroys so many lives, that is a stumbling block to so many...1 John 2:15-16, Romans 14:21

i have heard the these words...."my pastor drinks", "my youth pastor drinks"....as alcohol tears families apart for generations. My dad is a 4th generation Alcoholic and ALL three of his kids struggled with alcohol because of it...wasting years of truly following after Jesus because of it..don't let that be you...amen