DRINK
We now find ourselves in times which, to
me, are very sad. These are times spoken
of in Scripture when men will stop up their
ears and refuse to hear sound doctrine.
These are times when folks who call themselves followers, will find increasingly more
imaginative ways to dilute Scripture and rationalize sin and selfish behavior.
In these times, I have often been
labeled as a legalist for attempting to teach the commands of Scripture. Of course, all of my accusers ignore the
true, classical meaning of legalism:
Trusting in the keeping of the law for salvation.
At worst, I'm guilty of a hyper-vigilant "brand" of teaching
Scriptural commands and teachings. The
sad truth is that the modern "earstoppers" don't see that their
"this much obedience and no more" brand of obedience is much more closely akin to
legalism, and is actually not obedience at all.
For if one says: “No, Lord", what he's really saying is
that The Lord is really "no lord" at all. If He's not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all.
Some of the most common talking points
of the proponents of drink are these:
Jesus drank wine; a little wine for the belly's sake; I don't to get drunk;
I'm covered by Grace and am not under the law; Paul said 'all things are
legal'. I suppose, to some, these all
sound good, but they don't really address the issue.
It's true that Jesus drank wine, but be
not deceived, it was a vastly different sort than we have these days, not to
mention the fact that the water was more dangerous than the wine. Jesus also had no refrigeration, no running water, no indoor plumbing and probably had
lice and dissentary most of His life. We
are not in those circumstances.
Similarly, a little wine for the belly's sake was advice for treatment
of a digestive disorder which was most
likely caused by the water.
Finally, under the "I don't drink
to get drunk"/"Scripture says 'don't get drunk', not 'don't drink'
" column, I offer this: If being
drunk is a sin, but drinking is not, where is the line drawn? Scientifically, it has been proven that even
one drink produces deleterious effects on the health and a measurable
impedement to judgement. So, how much of
our minds is it OK to give away, and how “out of our minds” can we be and still
not sin?
Very often in Scripture we are called to
go far beyond the socially excepted norm and reach to greater heights of
devotion and obedience. In Col 3:23-24
we are admonished to do all heartily as to The Lord. Jesus gave the following examples and others.
Murder. Matt 5:21-22
Lust. Matt 5:27-28
Forced servitude. Matt
5:40-41
Forgiveness. Matt
18:21-22
If these principles of excellence in
obedience hold true in so many cases, can this same approach possibly not apply to drunkeness and drink? 1 Cor 6:19-20
From the first time alcohol is mentioned
in Scripture (Gen 9:20-21) it is coupled with drunkeness and this drunkeness
always accompanies a moral failure and is never associated with purity or
godliness. Although wine and alcohol are
mentioned frequently in Scripture, a similar abundance of references are
devoted to warnings about alcohol. Here are just some of them: Lev 10:9; Num 6:3; Deut 21:20; Prov 20:1,
21:17, 23:20-21, 29-32, 31:4-5, Is 5:11-12, 28:1-3,7-8, 56:12, Hos 4:11, 7:5,
Joel 1:5-6, 3:3 Amos 6:6-7, Matt 24:49-51, Luke 21:34, Rom
13:13, 1 Cor 6:10, Gal 5:21, Eph. 5:18, Heb. 2:15. For the sake of perspective,
let us also note that adultery, slavery, multiple wives, and concubines are
also mentioned in Scripture, but no one of repute mentions these things as "OK" or acceptable by virtue of their oft
mentionedness.
After all of this, many will begin to
object as if this were some pet notion of mine and that, if what I say is true,
then these very standards should apply
to all behaviors and that I have, therefore, painted myself into a corner. To this I say "yes". However, it is no corner. It is simply the passage from the very small
"I'll only obey this much"
room to the larger "my all on the alter, take up my cross" room. It may help to try these 8 tests which I borrowed.
Is it expedient spiritually?
Is it edifying to me?
Will it "slow me down"
spiritually?
Will it bring me into bondage?
Will it hypocritically cover my sin?
Will it violate the Lordship of Christ
in my life?
Will it help other Christians by it's
example?
Will it lead others to Christ?
Certainly, our every action can't
possibly pass all eight tests every time, but as it appears to me, alcohol
doesn't pass muster on any of them!
There is precious little that can be
said of alcohol that is "good", and much that can be said of it being
"bad". My final point is this: To cling to alcohol is the very picture of
tending to the flesh and ignoring the spirit. ...and he who is deceived thereby, is not
wise. Prov. 20:1
