When does drinking alcohol become a sin-or is it?

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Permalink Reply by Ron Payne on January 4, 2011 at 11:08am

Working as a Christian Superintendent in charge of a Rehabilitation Centre for Alcoholics for many years, I believe I am able to speak with some authority.

Not one of the inmates at the centre, consumed alcohol with the intention or thought, that their social drinking would become compulsive. Furthermore not one of them believed that they would eventually become alcoholics.

In the past, I have written a number of replies that can be read by simply paging through the questions placed on this blog.  The question should not be asked whether drinking alcohol is a sin. Rather it should ask: "When does it become a sin?"

It becomes a sin when you start to lose control of the amount you consume. It has become a sin when your friends and family lose respect for you. It becomes a sin when you abuse those who love you. It becomes a sin when your wife and children walk out on you. It becomes a sin when you lose your job and finally your self respect.  It becomes a sin when you lose total control and cannot help or heal yourself.

For those who are not alcoholics it becomes a sin when you do not take into account the plight of those alcoholics you have met or heard about, yet continue your own regular social drinking. It becomes a sin when alcoholics point to your example and say: "John is a Christian and he drinks!" (Let your light so shine before men......)

Finlly, is drinking a sin? "No!" (But ask any Alcoholic and he will tell you that it's a sure start to becoming a sin)

In Russian Roulette, one can only pull the trigger so many times, drinking alcohol is exactly the same. The only difference between the two, is that Russian Roulette will leave you dead. Alcohol will leave you living a life of misery, disrespect and regret, at times living in Hell itself. This then is the sin. Start and continue at your own peril.

Ron.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Vernon McEntire on January 4, 2011 at 12:06pm

Drinking is not a "sin" regardless of how much you drink, but drinking too much can leave you more vulnerable to temptation.  Anyone who has been alive long enough to drink alcohol knows that.  That's not really the issue, is it:?  The real question is, "Why would you want to be inebriated by anything other than the Spirit of God?"  If you want to be intoxicated by any substance or activity it's because you're missing the real purpose of being alive: to love God.

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Permalink Reply by JB on January 19, 2013 at 10:35pm

John 2:8-9  
 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, “3631” and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;)….Gr. # 3631 “oinos” a primary word (or perhaps of Hebrew origin [<H3196> (yayin)]); “wine” (literal or figurative) :- wine.

Root: a primary word (or perhaps of Hebrew origin <H3196>)

Vine's Words: Wine; a primary word (or perhaps of Hebrew origin [<H3196> (yayin)]); “wine” (literal or figurative) :- wine.

Heb. # 3196
from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication intoxication :- banqueting, wine, wine [-bibber].

With our reasoning’s faculties, intellectualism, conjecture, and or suppositions, we usually get these kind of results.

It is my belief that Jesus made fresh grape juice and not the forbidden Alcoholic wine. Would he who was sinless make a condemned substance? He would never have made a drink that causes people to lose visual acuity, mental acuity, bodily motor control and that leads to ravings, fighting, vomiting, memory-loss, cirrhosis of the liver, black-outs and loss of brain mass? It is unthinkable to suggest that he made alcoholic wine. It says that the people at the wedding ran out of beverage. If they had drunk all the alcohol they had are we to believe that Jesus made 60 gallons more? . They would have been falling down and slurring their speech and passing out. Would the lover of our souls really do that to people? Open your eyes he came to set us free from alcohol, not make party animals out of us.

I might ask, what do you when you get a cough or sore throat? Do you ever take any kind of cough syrup, or cough drops? The last one I took was about 10% alcohol.

JB

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Permalink Reply by Grazer #E2H on January 20, 2013 at 2:03am

If it was grape juice at the wedding, it would make the reaction of the host who tasted what Jesus had turned the water into very odd.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-water-wine.html

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Permalink Reply by Colby on January 20, 2013 at 2:05pm

        I urge you to consult the Bible and to do so prayerfully.  Whenever we want to know if something is sinful or not, such as drinking alcohol, the Bible is the appropriate place to find the answer.  Clearly, the Scriptures warn us against drunkenness; i.e.,  misusing or abusing alcoholic beverages.

        As for occasional drinking in moderation, if that is a matter of Christian freedom, neither right nor wrong in itself, then we need to be mindful of the Apostle Paul's cautionary words in Romans 14 and First Corinthians 8.  I will get back to this later.

        What do you mean when you say, "my fiance likes to occasionally have a couple of beers? "  Does that mean, literally, two (or more) beers every night or two beers on a rare special occasion?  Does "a few" mean 4 or 5, or maybe more?  How many times do you think police officers have heard the oft-repeated excuse, "but I only had a few" when investigating a car crash or after observing erratic and/or reckless driving? 

        Let us be clear.  For those suffering from alcohol addiction or dependence, even one drink is one too many.  Be on guard, for the evil one knows and exploits our vulnerabilities/weakenesses (1 Peter 5:8).

        As in all permissible activities, we need to ask if our doing something (or not doing something) is beneficial or -- at the very least not harmful -- to our Christian walk and witness.  Could our drinking, even if done responsibly, cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble?

        It's difficult for me to give specific advice in your situation because I don't know you and your fiance and the specifics of your situation.  I don't know yours or his level of spiritual maturity, temperament, Biblical knowledge and personality.  Is your boyfriend a Christ follower?

       But wait, if I understand you correctly, you stated in your post that you were "addicted to wine" before you became a believer and have since abstained.  If so, this raises a red flag.  As a matter of conscience, out of concern for you, your fiance should seriously consider whether he should continue drinking alcohol.  

        These verses from Scripture that may be especially helpful.  

• "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak" (1 Cor 8:9).
  
  
• "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall" (Rom 14:21).
  
  
• “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" (1 Cor 6:12).

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Permalink Reply by Bill Smith on January 23, 2013 at 9:27am

The answer to abuse is not non use, but right use ! God has given us all things richly to enjoy.

I don't consult the culture I live in  for how I should live my life. I get my direction from God. I believe it is wrong for believers to live in the fear of how society sees them, rather than in the liberty for which Christ has set us free. That freedom is the freedom to please God in everything we do, say and think.

I guess I must be one of those "so called Christians who drink wine/ alcohol" I take a bigoted meaning from that phrase. I have been a lover and follower of Jesus for over 50 years. I drink alcohol and I have never been drunk on wine. That is not a boast. It is a testimony to the grace of God in my life.

In fact it was only when the Holy Spirit began to set me free from the hard line religious 'thou shalt not' upbringing I had that I began to drink wine. I remember the first time to this day. I was still fearful from my background and it was with some trepidation that I broke out of 'religious Christian' into  true child of God in the Spirit.

By the way, IF it is wrong for pastors and leaders to drink alcohol it is equally wrong for every other Christian.Everyone of us is called and anointed of God to live for His glory in the calling we have.

Using everything correctly is a great testimony. Because the 'not yet Christian' has been getting drunk regularly does not mean I cannot show him that enjoying a drink does not have to lead to drunkenness. I am ministering to an alcoholic at the moment. While he was staying with us we cleared the house of all alcohol and locked it in the garage.

Not causing a brother to stumble is about our heart regarding other Christians. It does not relate to unbelievers in the same way.

No one really gets drunk by accident. There is a point in every drinking experience when the drinker knows his faculties are becoming affected. To continue drinking is not an accidental thing !

Something else, and I love this image from the book of Acts. On the Day of Pentecost some said that the disciples were drunk when they witnessed the effects of the Holy Spirit upon them.

When was the last time that was said of any of us? When was the last time that was said of one of our worship times together? It is interesting that Paul uses the same image in Ephesians calling believers to be drunk on the Spirit of God rather than the wine of the day. Drunkenness implies control has gone from us to another and we are responding to that influence.

Oh for more Spirit drunk  believers !

Blessings.

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Permalink Reply by Sunny Cloud on January 25, 2013 at 9:54am

I found this:

http://www.scionofzion.com/drinking.htm

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