This is a topic that is and always will be close to my heart. I talked in a previous post about how I ran from God's will and became a drunkard, but also some of my most valued friends from my childhood have fallen for alcohol and drugs and can't seem to find their way out.
I remember when I was drinking heavy, every night and sometimes when I'd wake up, I thought I was having fun and living life to it's fullest. Looking back on those days, they were the darkest time of my life. I can now see clearer and realize that they were dark times because God had hidden his face from me because I had turned my back on him. It wasn't until I began living in accordance with His will that I realized just how bad things were, and thankfully we have gracious God who welcomed his prodigal son back with open arms.
In Biblical times we have all read about drinking wine, as in when Jesus turned water into wine. This would seem to say that drinking alcohol is ok. I have heard some say that they drunk wine in those times because it was the only way to purify water to drink, but this is incorrect since alcohol dehydrates the body. I could explain why but the medical details do not matter, all I'll say now is it acts like a diuretic so they couldn't have solely drank alcohol and lived for very long. The other argument I've heard is that the wine in those times did not have alcohol in it, this might be possible but I'm just not sure, but even if it did my points below are still valid and make this point useless since Jesus commands us to live a life described below.
I can say for sure that from life experience alcohol is a tough mistress that will leave you hollow and empty inside after it's ravaged your life. It will take your body and make it ill, it will try to contain your mind and entrap your soul. I can also say that the long term health effects of it are bad, with the exception of small amounts of red wine though the same cardiovascular benefits can be attained without the alcohol (google resveratrol).
The Bible teaches in numerous places that over-consumption of alcohol is wrong, Ephesians 5:18 shows that we should not be drunk with wine which leads to debauchery, and debauchery is defined as- Excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. It would seem that some consumption of alcohol is acceptable but I'm here to say that the only acceptable use is for legitimate medicinal purposes, and that we should strive not only to avoid alcohol but in all things to be Holy, and set apart from the things of this world. If we look deeper into the scripture we can find more verses like the ones listed below, but I am going to dive deeper into Ephesians.
If we take the above verse in context her is what we find the following and we'll take it one verse at a time. Ephesians 5:15-20- "15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
"15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,"
We as followers of Christ are called to be more than just people following a set of rules, we are to be Holy and set apart from the world. Not to be drinking alcohol and partying with the world Isaiah 5:11-12, we are to be the example. We should strive to be the type of person that when the lost see us, they think "I don't know what he has, but I want it" we should be the light shining in a dark world (Matthew 5:14, Phillipians 2:15). We have to strive every day to maintain our "witness" and our reputation whether in public or private because the world will use anything it can to take down a follower of Christ.
"16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
When we drink, we are not productive, we are wasting time. Gods word tells us over and over again that we are to be useful, and not lazy or slothful. Being drunk is useless time, we cannot be productive because we are impaired. (Galations 5:19-22, Proverbs 19:15, Ecclesiastes 10:18)
"17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."
As Godly men, we should show our judgement to be wise, prudent, and sober at all times. We obviously cannot be sober and drunk at the same time and we cannot make wise and prudent decisions while under the influence of alcohol.
"18 And be not drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery; instead be filled with the Spirit;"
As I said before we are to be Holy in the eyes of God, we should not be chasing a fleeting high, but rather we should seek God more and be filled with the Holy Spirit which is better than any high or buzz you could ever get otherwise.
"19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"
We should praise the name of Jesus Christ in all things, we should be singing songs and melodies throughout our entire live. I know for me, when I listen to Christian music, hymns, or praise music they get stuck in my head. I'll walk around singing them all the time and even sometimes wake up at night with them running through my head. It would seem awful difficult to sing these songs, or to praise God when drunk, and thus we should avoid the things that would hinder our constant worship and praise of our Lord.
"20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
When a person drinks, it is often to escape from the pressures of life, to forget for a time the things we tend to worry about. The Bible teaches us that we should not worry about the things of this life (Matthew 6:25-27, Matthew 6:20-21). We should turn to God and give thanks always, not hide in a bottle of brew. God has given us the solution to life worries in Jesus Christ, and focus on living for Him instead of for today.
This is just what I've learned studying this subject to date and I'm sure there will be more as time goes on. To summarize, I believe that we as Christian men should refrain from all things not advantageous to the Kingdom of Christ, and we should not waste time on alcohol and useless indulgences. I do however feel that it is ok to take a medicine that has alcohol in it, but only if we need it to feel better and work toward our heavenly goals.
yours in Christ,
Bill Higgins
Proverbs 23:20-21: "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."
Isaiah 5:11-12 "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands."
Galatians 5:19–22: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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"
Ephesians 5:18- "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
Philippians 2:15- That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world
Matthew 5:14-Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Proverbs 19:15- Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
Ecclesiastes 10:18- By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
Mathew 6:25-27:"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:20-21: But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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