Alcohol and the Christian: Do they mix?
It seems rare that even a month will go by in my life where the topic of alcohol and the Christian does not come up. It comes up all the time. Our ministry is non-denominational with people coming from many different denominational backgrounds: Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and so on, which at times can lead to a difference of opinion. It also seems that about every 3rd odd day I'll hear some joke about a Methodist drinking at the bar or the Southern Baptist hiding in the basement sippin on some Kentucky Gentleman. Our worship leader is Methodist...my girlfriend is Methodist...and I'm the lonely Baptist, so you see the dilemma I'm in right? Or is it really a dilemma? Do we have different views? I'm not quite sure, but there is one thing that is certain: alcohol is everywhere and Christians drink. As my opinion has changed many times over on this topic, I find myself growing, what would appear as, more liberal in my opinion on alcohol and the Christian and constantly battling with the teetotalism taught to me in the Baptist church. Don't get me wrong: abuse of alcohol and being a drunk certainly is a sin, but it is no more of a sin than being a glutton and overdoing yourself in the buffet line. Methodists go to the bar and Southern Baptists go to the buffet and to each is his own vice. Gluttony and drunkenness are both sins and one shouldn't be used as an excuse for the other.
So what am I saying? Well, I'm not going to take the time to develop my opinion in this post but let's just say that I'm certainly not a teetotalist who believes that one must abstain from alcohol, nor am I a Silly-Billy who will use my freedom in Christ as an excuse to get drunk. I do believe being drunk is a sin on all occasions but drinking alcohol in itself is not a sin. And that's about as far as I'll go in this post, but I do want you to read a couple other well worthy reads....especially the iMonk's post about the hypocrisy in the Baptist Church when it comes to alcohol use. I also hope you'll take the time to comment with your own views on alcohol and the Christian. Do they mix? What is your opinion? Should Christians stay away from alcohol in public? Should Christians drink at all? Is it not OK to drink a cold one at the bar as long as it is in moderation? What do ya think?
One Big, Happy, Lie: Southern Baptists, Alcohol and Me
Alcohol and the Bible
4 comments:
I think the bottom line is that, when it comes to "gray" areas in the Bible, Christians need to listen to what God is telling them, and be attentive to convictions that they have. If someone feels like God is telling them to completely abstain from alcohol, then by all means they should do so. However, our job as Christians is not to go around making sure everyone has the same convictions we do, especially when we can't scripturally back up what we have to say 100%. I agree with the post at internetmonk.com that the idea that the Bible says somewhere explicitly that all alcohol is sinful (no matter what the context) is simply a lie. I've heard Christians tell other Christians that they are damaging their witness by holding a beer in their hand. Honestly, I'm more concerned with the Christian who is too worried about their fellow Christian holding a beer than they are concerned about ministering to unreached people in the bar five minutes down the road. Also, when it comes to drawing the line, I know a lot of times people do things that are definitely sinful when they are under the influence of alcohol. So if drinking usually makes you become a person you aren't proud of, that should be enough to discourage you from doing it, conviction or no conviction. Just my thoughts on it all.
I think it is ironic that the same Southern Baptist that argues for Scripture over tradition is the same Southern Baptist who argues for the total abstainer position, which Scripture does not state or support. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? This was one of the main things the Protestant Reformers were against, Tradition over Scripture. Anytime we add some extra-biblical requirements I think we need to back up and punt, and measure those requirements against Scripture. The Prohibition (which both Baptist and Methodist were for), left a bad taste in the mouths of unbelievers(pun intended) and the Church has yet to fully recover from it.
I can say all this as one who has chosen to abstain from alcohol.
In Romans 14:14 Paul says "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean." Then in verses 22 and 23 he says, "Happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves. But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”.
If your conscience will let you drink in moderation it is ok, but if it doesn’t then don’t drink. But the Bible clearly and strongly condemns drunkenness, so please don’t argue that alcohol is ok in moderation but then take that to the point of drunkenness, it is very hypocritical. Drunkenness is even contrasted with being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5.
While drinking is not always viewed as wrong in the Bible, it does come with multiple warnings about its dangers, so don’t be naïve about drinking. Just because it is ok in moderation be aware of the dangers, make sure you can do it with a clear conscience. Alcohol easily becomes habit-forming and addictive, and Paul warns us that, "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. (1 Corinth 6:12)
I wish not agree on it. I regard as precise post. Specially the designation attracted me to be familiar with the intact story.
Good dispatch and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Gratefulness you on your information.
Post a Comment