That's a tough one. I do think that "not given to wine" means not addicted to it, not dependent on it, and never drunk from it. Paul did tell Timothy to have a little wine for his stomach, so it would seem that drinking is not completely forbidden. I personally don't think that it is a sin to have the occasional drink of alcohol.
However. We as Christians are told to guard our testimonies and be different from unbelievers. Think about the environment that alcohol is often associated with. Bars. Parties. Drunkenness. Ungodly behavior. Even if used in the privacy of home, alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol addiction...and that IS a sin (as is anything else that we are addicted to or that we do in excess). It can lead to violence when our minds are fuzzy from alcohol. Even if we are not addicted, and even if we never drink to the point of drunkenness, there is the chance that someone else will follow our example and start to drink...and perhaps THAT person could become and alcoholic. All because I simply wanted to have a glass of wine with dinner. To me, that risk is too great to take. I never want to cause another person to stumble. Because of that, I will not drink alcohol, and I will not marry someone who drinks alcohol. Many of my friends do choose to drink in moderation, and I do not condemn them. That is their choice, and if it is the wrong choice, they will answer to God for it. But I personally will not drink.
So, that's where I stand on Christians drinking wine! Hope it made at least a little sense!
I really appreciate what you had to say and I think that you are right. I don't "need" to drink at all and I have been being convicted by the Holy Spirit even though I don't get drunk. If someone sees me buying wine(and I have worried about that)I don't want them to think I'm a drunk or maybe cause them to stumble if they are "given" to drinking a lot.
I can't say I won't ever have a glass of wine again but God is changing my heart. I really don't want to have it at all in my life.
Thank you much, God bless, a sister in Christ, Denise
I believe it is our attitude towards certain things, such as wine, that determines whether it is sin or not. For every believer of Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit(the law of love) convicts us of sin that is in our hearts. It is up to us whether to obey the Spirit's leading or to continue on in our own understanding(i.e. disobedience).
If your conscience troubles you when you are doing something or about to do something, it is probably because the Holy Spirit is convicting you of something in your heart that He wants to help you fix.
Our Lord teaches us that sin is conceived in our hearts. If a beautiful woman walks past me and I look upon her with lust, I have already commited a sexual sin in my heart. Likewise, if we lust after wine/alcohol though we may not be drinking to get drunk, we have already commited the sin of drunkeness in our hearts.
I hope this encourages your walk in Christ.
God bless you,
Ken
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
"A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34)
When ask what the greatest commandment in the law was, Jesus had this to say.
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)
These are His commandments that He has written on the heart of the Christian:
"Then will I sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them." (Eziekel 36:23-25)
So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (James 3:12)
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love. (Galatians 5:6)
I know myself and I also know the effect alcohol has on me. Therefore, I abstain from any and all forms of alcohol. I don't want to be a stumbling block for another and I don't want my testimony to be undone.
There is no problem with wine, or any other alcohol for that matter. There *is* a problem with becoming drunk or addicted to it as you're very likely to lose self-control and in doing so, bring shame on yourself and the God you serve.
Jesus turned water to wine. He drank wine too - it's part of the Jewish passover which He would have partaken in every year. The "last supper" was such a passover meal, and His command was to "eat this bread and drink this cup in rememberance of me".
I won't be popular for saying this, but there's nothing godly about abstinence from alcohol. If you fear that if you drink alcohol you'll become addicted to it then that's fine. If you don't drink it because it's likely to drive someone else to drunkenness then that's fine too, but it's not an issue of faith, but orderly conduct.
Of course, it's easy for me to say - I don't like the taste of the stuff much anyway - it's not likely to become a problem for me! :toomuch:
That's certainly a factor, but making alcohol is harder than boiling water, and much more expensive!
Don't get me wrong; a lot of people would be better off avoiding the stuff - as a Brit I'm well aware of our reputation amongst others for drunkenness - I just don't want people thinking that God somehow frowns on them if they have it once in a while. Like I said, it's a behavioral issue, not spiritual...
You do not have to stand on them,simply placing a foot on their throat will prevent them from drinking,drinking and driving,drinking and driving and killing people's they are supposed to be ministering to....
Jesus turning water into wine? the master of banquet said best wine,so that would be fresh grape juice... did Jesus drink fermented wine? obviously, harvest only comes once a year...
