Yet Another Year of Choices
By Barbara Dahlgren
Recently I heard a radio preacher tell people it was a sin to drink alcoholic beverages. He cited death statistics for drunk drivers, scriptures focusing on wine being a mocker (Proverbs 20:1), alcohol being the root of our problematic society (Proverbs 23:31-32), and drinking leading to drunkenness (Isaiah 5:11). These are all true. Being drunk is bad. It’s condemned in the Bible. It’s a sin.
However, not all who choose to drink should be lumped in with drunkards. This preacher failed to mention that the majority of scriptures mentioning fermented drink take a positive view, not a negative one.
For example, fermented drinks were used:
- In offerings (Exodus 29: 38-41; Numbers 28:7)
- For tithe paying (Deuteronomy 18:4)
- In worship (Matthew 26:27; 1 Corinthians 11:25-26)
- In celebrations (Genesis 14:17-20, John 2:1-10)
- To gladden a person’s heart (Psalms 104:14-15)
- In the Lord’s supper (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18)
- For thanksgiving and honor to God (Proverbs 3:9-10)
- As blessings (Genesis 27:28; Joel 2:19, 24; 3:18; Amos 9:13-14)
- For medicinal purposes (Proverbs 31:6; 1 Timothy 5:23)
Fortunately, the speaker had the good sense not to say the wine mentioned in the Bible was not really fermented but just grape juice. Plus, he didn’t say, as many do, that when Jesus turned the water into wine it was a “watered” down wine and not potent.
However, he did try to slam dunk his thesis with my two personal favorite reasons not to do anything – abstaining from all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) and not causing someone to stumble (Romans 14:20). These are great scriptures people emphasize out of context when they want biblical backing for their point of view.
Does he not know that from the inception of Christ’s birth, Christianity has been steeped in “appearances” of evil by the world’s standards? A virgin gets pregnant giving the impression of immorality. Christ drinks wine leading some to call him a drunkard. Christ associates with sinners, offending many. Christ wastes costly ointment to wash His feet that could have been sold to help the poor. The list could go on and on.
And as far as causing someone to stumble, read all of Romans 20. It is the deliberate action of flaunting one’s belief in someone’s face that causes the offense. It’s that “in your face” action that God warns against. A drinker could easily trip into this pitfall, but so could a non-drinker with an “I’m more righteous and holier than thou” attitude because he chooses not to drink. The kingdom of God is not about meat or drink. (Romans 14:17)
Christianity misses the mark when it doesn’t give the freedom in Christ for people to make these decisions. We can’t rewrite scripture to say, “You have heard it said in the Bible that wine is okay to drink within moderation and drunkenness is wrong, but verily I say unto you, that all drinking is wrong and a sin.” That is not what the Bible says.
Is all this rhetoric leading up to a license for us to go “tie one on” for the Lord? I think not. The point is: if you are a Christian who chooses not to drink alcoholic beverages, do not condemn another Christian who chooses to drink them. If you are a Christian who chooses to drink alcoholic beverages, don’t condemn or flaunt it in front of Christians who choose not to drink.
Consider this… Is it a sin to drink wine and such? Not according to the Bible! But drunkenness and gluttony are. And here are some other sins to watch out for: judging others, condemning others, being quick to call someone a sinner, and setting up your standard as God’s.
Now, I’ll drink to that! (But I won’t tell you if I’m having wine or grape juice!)
One final thought…
Here are a couple of quotes. They might have been said in jest, but there may be an element of truth in them.
“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy.” ~Benjamin Franklin
“Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven. Therefore, let us drink beer.” ~Martin Luther