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To Drink or not to Drink?
Posted : 1 Sep, 2009 11:03 AM
To Drink or not to drink, that is the question!
When it comes to the issue of drinking alcoholic beverages, Christians are divided on this issue. From a certain perspective, they consider it a sin though the Bible never condemns drinking in itself, only getting drunk. So what is a Christian to do who attends a Church whose beliefs are that you should not drink, particularly when at a church sanctioned social gathering?
1Cor 8:7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol�s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?
11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (NKJV)
What is the principle here? Paul, who knew it was perfectly ok for him to eat meat and that it was not a sin, was willing to abstain from eating meat if he thought it would cause a fellow Christian to stumble in a sin. The same principle applies to drinking any alcoholic beverages. One must ask themselves. "Is my selfish desire to drink (carnally minded) outweigh my responsibility to keep my brother or sister from stumbling?" (Spiritually minded)
Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 � And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors��not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.(NKJV)
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (KJV)
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (KJV)
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (KJV)
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. (NKJV)
The principle here is blatantly obvious and the command is abundantly clear. Do not do anything at all that could potentially make your brother or sister stumble, become offended or made weak.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (KJV)
You cannot serve one another if you are causing someone to stumble or become offended.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self�control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ�s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (NKJV)
So for those of you who attend a Church that teaches against drinking, then you should abide by their beliefs and not drink in public as it can offend those who believe as their church teaches. Sure it is not a sin to drink and the Bible is actually very clear in that. However, the point is not whether it is wrong or right to drink. The point is whether or not it will cause someone to become offended or stumble or made weak if you were to drink in front of them. You should always assume it will and therefore you simply don't drink in public. That is what Paul emphasized! If it is a problem for anyone to NOT drink or abstain from drinking in public, especially at a church sanctioned social gathering then perhaps you should consider that you might have a drinking problem. Additionally, if this is such an issue for someone then perhaps one should consider finding another church though you still won't escape the Biblical principle as laid out above no matter what church you go to. So perhaps the best thing to do is to grow more spiritually mature and be at peace with all your fellow Christians by taking the same path Paul did and not do anything that can cause another to stumble! That is beng Christlike!
Blessings!
In Christ Jesus,
Walter
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