Drinking

March 15^th 1986 is a very important day in my life.  First off, my brother and a friend of his drove from Ohio to Iowa to see me, (when you’re in college 500 miles from home, that’s special) secondly, I met my wife that day (she wasn’t my wife when I met her, but obviously that makes the day very special), and finally, it was the last day that I ever got drunk.  That’s important, because that’s the subject of this particular blog.  Is it wrong to drink?

This is obviously a hot subject among Christians, and there are very Godly people on both sides of the issue.

As mentioned in the story above, I used to drink when I was in college, and sadly, not just a little bit.  I was going down a wrong path. Every weekend I would drink way more than I should. Usually, I would find opportunities to drink during the week as well. Eventually when I found out more information about my birth family (I was adopted) I discovered that it was a good thing that I had stopped, because my real father died of cirrhosis of the liver at age 33 and both he and my grandfather were alcoholics, and I seemed to be heading in that same direction.  Most times if I would have one drink, I would have a second, and if I had the second, I wouldn’t stop until things were out of control.

Why does any of that matter? Because I believe that when we start to look at Scripture, there are certain things that are sin for some, but not necessarily for others. It all depends on the circumstances. I think drinking is one of those things.

I cannot find one scriptural passage that says that drinking is wrong, however I believe for me that it is sin.  Why?

Because what Scripture does say is that drunkenness is sin

Ephesians 5:18
¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Galatians 5:19-21
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

And as a pastor, it is clear that I should not be “a drunkard” (1 Timothy 3:3, Titus 1:7)

There are also other passages that clearly demonstrate the negative effects of drinking, (Proverbs 23:29-35, Proverbs 20:1, Isaiah 5:11-12, Luke 21:34) so wisdom would suggest that it is best for me to avoid alcohol altogether. I also need to consider in my position that I am setting an example, and if I set the wrong example to somebody who is not able to handle their alcohol and they drink because they see me drinking, then how would God view that.  So I have come to the conclusion that for me it is wrong to drink, period.

With that said, should I push my convictions on to others?

Scripture also says

Psalms 104:14-15
¹⁴ You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
¹⁵ and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:7
⁷ Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

Proverbs 31:6-7
⁶ Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
⁷ let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.

And Paul told Timothy

1 Timothy 5:23
²³ (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

That’s not to mention John 2:1-10 where Jesus turned water into wine, and if you read the whole context, it is clear (at least the way I see it) that it was fermented wine, not just grape juice.

While I would like to tell everybody that drinking is wrong and sinful, and that you shouldn’t drink, I can’t say something that Scripture does not say, and Scripture does not say that drinking is wrong. It very clearly says that drunkenness is wrong, and should be avoided, but not a casual drink.

So, what is the conclusion? While drinking is not necessarily wrong, or a sin, there are some serious negative consequences to drinking, including bad decisions, the possibly of leading others into sin, and the risk of addiction, so why go down that road? When I was drinking, one of my main reasons that I did it, was to fit in, (the enemy is very good at pushing that agenda). When I quit, I realized that if people didn’t accept me for what I really believed, then they really didn’t care about me, so why did I want to fit in with them.  As I watched their stupid behavior as they got drunk, I realized I was just as stupid when I was drunk, and God helped me to see that I didn’t want to continue down that road.

Ultimately it is a conversation between you and God.  There have been godly people who have gotten drunk and made some really stupid decisions, but God still used them anyway. Noah (Genesis 9:20-24) Lot (Genesis 19:30-38) for a couple of examples. But that is not how I would prefer to be known.

I can imagine that there will be a lot of people who disagree with me on this, and I respect their opinion. I would join in with them to encourage anybody and everybody to not drink, for lots of reasons. Ultimately, in my mind, that decision is between an individual and God, and I am nobody’s judge.

I will close with this thought from Paul

1 Corinthians 10:31
³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Thank you for reading this, as always, I would encourage you to spend time in His Word, in prayer and in the fellowship of other believers.  And if you haven’t visited already, I would encourage you to come visit our little church on the hill, it’s worth the drive.