- Sep 23, 2005
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I look at alcohol as an unnecessary indulgence. Much like going to McDonald's because you love the fries or are craving a Big Mac. Being hooked on a temporary feeling is not a good thing, because it leads to addiction.
There are qualities we should aspire to as Christians. Drinking alcohol isn't one of them.
Galatians 5:21-23 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I was known to toss back a couple beers after work, in my day, but I made a conscious decision to abstain from drinking alcohol as a devout Christian. As I sit here right now typing this, I have a crisper full of beer that just sits there. I also have a couple bottles of local wine. I don't drink it. Most of it is years old and was purchased before I came back to Christianity (2016).
The text your provide says drunkenness. That is prohibited. Drinking was not, as the texts indicate.
Now having said that, I also do not drink, and do not want to. And I think it does much harm. Therefore when I have opportunity to advise people I strongly suggest they not drink.
I worked as an auto-liability adjuster for a time, and many terrible tragedies happen because of drinking and driving.
Moreover, alcohol is involved in many sexual assaults. These studies are a bit dated, but the problem is certainly still going, especially among young people where drinking is up:
Alcohol and Sexual Assault
Thus, across the disparate populations studied, researchers consistently have found that approximately one-half of all sexual assaults are committed by men who have been drinking alcohol. Depending on the sample studied and the measures used, the estimates for alcohol use among perpetrators have ranged from 34 to 74 percent (Abbey et al. 1994; Crowell and Burgess 1996). Similarly, approximately one-half of all sexual assault victims report that they were drinking alcohol at the time of the assault, with estimates ranging from 30 to 79 percent (Abbey et al. 1994; Crowell and Burgess 1996).
Finally, alcohol consumption by perpetrators and victims tends to co-occur that is, when one of them is drinking, the other one is generally drinking as well (Abbey et al. 1998; Harrington and Leitenberg 1994)
Many also have liver damage from heavy drinking. And even when they recover from the addiction they must face the health consequences.
And so we ought to take seriously the many warnings against drunkenness, and the deceptive nature of alcohol.
Therefore, when you say that drinking is an indulgence, in today's society, in countries that have refrigeration, I agree with you. And it is an unnecessary indulgence.
However, that does not give me the liberty to say that drinking is forbidden if the Scriptures do not say that. And it does not give me the right to condemn someone who drinks one drink with food a couple of times a month if they are not getting drunk. I cannot take just the negative texts about wine or strong drink and avoid the others, because they are part of Scripture as well.
So if someone takes a pledge to the Lord not to drink, I think that is good. However, we cannot condemn people who do not get drunk.
I have to agree with LoveGodsWord on this. At what point is it considered to be drunkenness? Regardless of how much you think you can handle, the effects are fairly immediate. You start to feel it right away, after the first sips.
I don't drink anymore, because I can't have it in my Christian life. I was addicted to coffee, to beer, to fast food and so many other things.
I think we all should evaluate the things in our lives that we don't think about, but are indeed barnacles and undergrowth on the good ship Christian, which only serve to slow us down in our daily walk. Any intoxicating thing is dangerous to a Christian's walk.
And that is good to cut those out, especially if you recognize the signs of addiction.
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