Featured Is it wrong for a Christian to drink alcohol?

I put Yuengling in my roasts and I enjoy a glass with a meal... so what. Good scotch is for sipping and vodka is for dancing and making merry and brandy is for coming in from the cold or if you have a cold... puts me to sleep, faster than any discussion about the evils of alcohol.

 

No its not

 

Ok. Is it wrong to drink wine if prescribed by doctor? I am not 100% sure to which question you responded.

 

It was prescribed to Timothy by Paul.

Again, this thread reveals how legalistic our Christian life can become. We like lists and we like to determine which sins are greater or lesser than others. We will listen to a doctor and take very powerful drugs that are mind altering, but we will be horrified at someone who dares drink a wine cooler. We can ignore gossip in ourselves and others, but we are put off by the person with a beer can in his hand.
We are all prone to legalism, which is why we study scripture and identify the function of grace toward us and our extension of grace toward others.
With sexual sins we know God's command to flee. There is no command for people to flee alcohol, but there is a command to wisely use alcohol in moderation.
Now, I wish you all a good day. I have to go pour my second mug of coffee. Still sleepy...

 

The issue is those who drink to get drunk (buzzed). That is against scripture. We are to be sober minded not take part in a lifestyle that works against it. If having wine in moderation and under the care of a physician is needful then that does not meet the standard of drinking to get drunk.

 

Some say alcohol at all is evil, and yet have no problem smoking fat cigars!

 

Cigar Smoking to the Glory of God?

https://www.christiantoday.com/arti...sdom-of-martin-luther-in-12-quotes/118288.htm

 

Particular's post about Spurgeon and his cigar to help him sleep brought up a hypothetical scenario.

Supposing someone is stressed and can't get to sleep. A shot of brandy taken before bed is "administered". Not under doctor's orders, but definitely for medicinal purposes. Not going to get drunk, but yeah, going to get buzzed.

Is this wrong?

 

Reformed Baptist James White was blabbing on his podcast a few years ago about experimenting on himself and finding he was gaining 2 to 4 hours of sleep per month by downing malt liquor at bedtime.

 

There is no difference buzzed is drunk. Further, Im not going to entertain every hypothetical that can be thought of. It just gets silly.

Just know that I used to be a drunk. Started drinking when I was 5. Yep 5 years old. My parents fed it to me. I was a full blown drunk by 17. I served in the service as a drunk. Didn't quit till I was 29. It destroyed my life, my family, my parents, I was homeless on more that one occasion.

If you guys want to play around with alcohol thats up to you. Scripture is clear and getting drunk does nothing to glorify God.

I will say it again. Getting drunk does nothing to glorify God.

 

Might as well give my story. I was a Christian that drank socially. A margarita at a mexican restaurant, a glass of champagne at wedding receptions. A couple of beers at home during a baseball game. So I don't think it is wrong for a Christian to drink alcohol.

Occasionally I would go to friend's houses and watch sporting events--baseball games, football, hockey--and bring along 2, 3, or 4 beers, just so I could be one of the guys. I didn't get drunk and sometimes, not often, I would get a little warm glow--buzzed, I guess. When I had any alcohol I always kept a count and quit drinking or mixed in water or food to avoid getting intoxicated. In addition I've known what it's like to be drunk but it's been over 25 years now. I didn't like the feeling.

Five years ago I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or afib. The doctors could not find a cause for it but told me I should probably stop drinking any alcohol. So I did. A year ago I had a sip of a microbrew, just to taste it. When my mom died last year, we found a bottle of champagne hidden in the basement (ha ha!). My sister took it and refrigerated it and this Thanksgiving the whole family toasted my mom's memory. So I had a small glass of champagne. But that's it over the past 5 years--a sip of beer and a small glass of champagne.

I believe there is a difference between being buzzed and being drunk but it's a fact you don't get drunk unless you've gone through the buzzed phase first. I don't think there is anything wrong with drinking alcohol, it's just not worth it to mess around with it. So I would counsel people to not drink.

 

And that would get them labeled today by some as supporting getting cancer or being a drunk!

 

NONE would say thata Christian should ever drink enough to get drunk, just that God does not forbid it for all!
That God gave you victory over it, praise God!

 

Its Gods victory. I literally just put it down and never went back. There was no struggle involved. Considering i drank till i blacked out (awake but retain no memory of events) daily it is miraculous. My liver took a major hit. God is good

 

Anything in excess can be sinful
MB

 

AMEN, he is good!

I can't believe how abruptly I lost my desire for beer. Like you, there was no struggle, no desire to have it again. Doctor said near as they could tell I had a "binge drinking" onset of afib, which was odd because I hadn't binge drank (anything.) But the strange, concerning symptoms of afib caused me to NEVER want that happen to me again. I just flat out quit drinking. I often think it was God telling me to stop now or there could be worse consequences.

I use this as an illustration of what repentance means. Your mind is changed and you never change it back. The mind change happens in a hurry, and it's permanent.

 

At the same moment i threw out a 18 pack of bud, a fifth of jack, a carton of ciggs, a roll of copenhagen, and one pouch of levi garrett. Never went back to any of them. Started smoking when i was 10.

 

Amazing is the power of God.

I vividly remember when my parents quit drinking. They poured their bottles of booze down the laundry room sink. And that was it.

A friend of mine tells the story of when he was a little boy. He was riding in the car with his mom when the news came on and the announcement was that the surgeon general "has determined that cigarette smoking was dangerous to your health". He said she ground the cigarette out in the car's ashtray and never had another one.

 

InTheLight sez: " --- I don't think there is anything wrong with drinking alcohol, it's just not worth it to mess around with it. So I would counsel people to not drink."

Amen bro.!!! I very seriously doubt that ANY alcoholic ever planned to get addicted to drink, so best to NEVER take that first one since you don't know whether you may be one of the future addicts.

 

As with most things in Christian walk, just need to practice being balanced on this issue, as some should indeed never partake, others free to do such, but not to abuse their freedom!