Praise the LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. Peace and Love, Mercy and Grace from GOD our FATHER and from HIS SON JESUS CHRIST to all the saints of GOD. As we were beginning a discussion on drinking in the "suicide" post, I thought is good, to start a post on drinking. Maybe someone who views the posts is wondering if drinking (wine/strong drink) is a sin in itself. As I stated previouly, I do not drink and have not since the age of 19 back in 1993. Yet I'm convinced from the Holy Scriptues that drinking is not a sin while getting drunk is. Now my preferrence for my family and friends or even my help mate would be that they do not drink. But I don't teach my preferrence as the Commandments of the LORD. I do not recommend that people who usualy drink too much, drink at all since that person isn't able to exercise self control. That's only my recomendation. GOD is clear and specific when commanding that certain indivuals in Scripture shouldn't drink and clear and specific when saying that others could. Examples of those who could/would not drink: Le 10:9 "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:" Command was to Aaron and his sons when they went into the tabernacle of the congregation. Nu 6:3 "He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried." Command was for those (male or female) who vowed a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD. Lu 1:15 "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." Words spoken about John the Baptist before his birth. Examples of those who could drink: De 14:26 "And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household," Words to all the congregtion of the children of Israel, excluding those commanded not to drink wine nor strong drink (as it relates to the drinking wine/strong drink portion of the text) 1Ti 5:23 "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." Paul advised Timothy to use a little wine. 1Ti 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Deacons could drink wine but were not to drink much wine. Titus 2:3 "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; The same with the elder women of GOD. They could drink wine, but were not to drink much wine. The key to it all is not to ovedue it if/when you drink wine or strong drink. Thus when the subject is discussed in the Sciptures you see words such as, "little", "much", "excess", "drunk"...which all have to do with exhortation to moderation. A Good rule of thumb from my perspective is to not allow any drink to take you out of your normal state of mind (sober mind). It shouldn't change your speech, your joy level (you shouldn't loose joy), it shouldn't change your emotion from good to bad, it shouldn't change your eye color. If these things are taking place, I am persuaded from Scripture that you have drank too much. Pr 23:29-30 "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions * ? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine." 1Pe 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:" Pr 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Don't allow people to condemn you if you're not sinning. Man will always find fault whether you're right or wrong. That's just man. Col 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist didn't drink wine but JESUS CHRIST did and the people Rejected both of these Holy Prophets of GOD (JESUS CHRIST being GOD in the flesh HIMSELF). JESUS said: Mt 11:18 "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil." Mt 11:19 "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children." So if you drink in keeping with the WORD of GOD and are not going overboard (be true to yourself and to GOD most importantly), then "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." Ec 9:7 Praise the LORD and my love be with you all in the Wonderful name of JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOUR. Amen.
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
I think it is speaking on the most important mesasge, of the spirit, here, talking about lusts of the flesh distracting from the truths of the spirit. However, I do think that anything that is physically harmful and in no way beneficial. If you were starving, eat what you can find. If you are about to die of thirst, I don't even want to write what options you have but take them as long as lawful and this includes drinking wine. If you have a cancerous growth, have a surgeon cut into your body to remove it, but don't just cut yourself needlessly.
Btw, loveandgrace, I replied to that other discussion and hope that you like it.
Jesus turned the water into wine, and too many evangelicals have been trying to turn it back into water ever since!
It's the spirit of the matter (pun intended); for the number of times I drink alchoholic drinks, I might as well not drink! I never stock the stuff, and the very rare occassion where someone may offer me a glass of wine or a beer and I feel permitted to drink it, is very rare indeed.
Will my having a beer cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble?
This is not hypocrisy, it is love.
It was similiar with secular music: I backslid over rock music. I really like rock music, and when I got saved, well frankly, the christian rock bands weren't that good. So I did something that was NOT clear in my conscience; and I began to listen to secular music. This was ultimately the first step in my backsliding, because I had just done something that - in my mind - was sin.
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. I have no problem listening to secular music now. I can enjoy it with a clear conscience (except of course various songs which I do NOT have a clear conscience; i.e., just about anything from Madonna or Franky goes to Hollywood).
So what changed? My understanding and my spiritual maturity. I recognize the effects it has on me, or does not have on me. It is not a "sin" to me to listen to secular music - BUT, to other christians it is, and I will not listen to secular music around them FOR THEIR SAKES.
It is out of love for them, and concern for their spiritual growth.
Same with alchohol; if I'm in a public setting, I typically will not drink anything alchoholic, because there's people there that I do not know where they stand - and if they judge me for having an alchoholic drink (even though I am having it with understanding) and consequently reject the gospel of christ, then I am not walking in love toward that person. I can do without my alchohol, I have no problem with that - but, I also have no problem having an alchoholic drink in private, or with people who's conscience I know will not be affected by my having a drink.
And in fact, (all things in moderation) alchohol does have beneficial health effects.
