Title: Saints and wine (Ephesians 05:18)
Content We get a lot of questions about whether believers can drink alcohol or where is there a scripture that says it is a sin? Based on these questions, I will try to clarify my view on alcohol reflected in the Bible.
Noah, the righteous and perfect man of his time in Genesis 6:9, is the only head of a family to survive the Great Flood. Did you know that the first brewer and drinker found in the Bible was this righteous Noah (Genesis 9:20-21).
Also, if you look at the second chapter of the Gospel of John, you can see that Jesus himself made wine from water (John 2:1-6).
Paul also advises Timothy to stop drinking only water from now on, and to use wine little by little because of your stomach and frequent ailments (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Then, drinking is not a sin, but rather, isn't it a good thing to drink? It may be a quick decision, but let's put it off for a while and take a look at the Bible's comprehensive view on alcohol.
1. Views on alcohol in the light of the Bible 1) The Bible requires absolute abstinence from alcohol.
In the Old Testament (Numbers 6:1-4), the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "If a man or a woman makes a special vow, that is, a Nazarite vow, and separates his body to the LORD, he should abstain from wine and strong drink, You shall not drink vinegar or strong drink, neither shall you eat live grapes or raisins. You shall not eat any seeds or skins of the vine during all the days of your separation.
We are those who have offered ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord Christ God.
That is, they are set apart. In Old Testament terms, he is a Nazarite. Therefore, if you have separated your body, you must abstain from alcohol according to the Bible.
Likewise in the case of Daniel, 'Daniel has made up his mind that he will not defile himself with the king's Jimmy and with the wine he drinks. and asked the chief of the eunuch that he would not defile himself (Daniel 1:8).
2) The Bible warns of the dangers of alcohol.
A. It leads to arrogance and self-indulgence.
If we say to the elders of that city, Our children are hard-headed and rebellious, and do not obey our words, they are licentious and addicted to wine (Deuteronomy 21:20). There is no wisdom in them (Proverbs 20:1).
B. Makes poor.
A drunkard should not associate with a meat lover, for a drunkard and gluttonous person will come to poverty (Proverbs 23:20-21). A lover of communication will become poor, and a lover of wine and oil will not become rich. (Proverbs 21:17)
C. Causes all bad things.
To whom is calamity, to whom is sorrow, to whom is wounded without cause, with the drunken, and with those who go to seek mixed wine.
Wine is red, and it flashes and goes down smoothly from the goblet, and you must not see it, until it blazes like a snake, stings like a viper, and looks like a monstrosity to your eyes. Your heart will utter profane things (Proverbs 3:29-33).
Alcohol, as well as all misfortunes, poisons a person like a snake and also confuses the mind.
D. The Bible condemns drunkenness.
Morals, drunkards, or extortioners will not receive me as Christ the God as a martyr (1 Corinthians 6:10). ) do not get drunk, for this is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
2. Biblical testimony about the harm of drinking 1) Drinking causes the tragedy of human discrimination.
According to Genesis 9:20-27, Noah drank wine one day, got drunk, and was sleeping in the tent, naked and naked. Ham, the second son of Noah, saw it and spoke to his two brothers, Shem and Jabeb. Shem and Jabeb took their clothes and stepped back in, and covered their father's naked body, and it is recorded that they did not see his father's naked body.
When Noah wakes up from alcohol and learns what his second son has done, he curses Ham to become a servant of Shem, and Jabeb becomes great and dwells in Shem's tent.
Most drunkards and prodigals today are rude. He always has negative thoughts and is always good at judging others. Therefore, human differences are formed by acting according to emotions.
2) Drinking leads to an affair.
According to Genesis 19:30-38, when the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in the wrath of God, Lot and his two daughters were the only survivors to go up to the mountain. There is a message that says let's tell them and they slept together. One thing to point out here is that, in the relationship of an affair, it must be remembered that alcohol is the one that sticks like licorice in a pharmacy.
3) Why does the Bible say not to drink alcohol?
A. Because taking care of your body is important.
Do you not know the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? (1 Corinthians 6:9)
B. Because the Christian life should not be a hindrance to others.
Take care, then, that we no longer judge one another, but rather bump into each other, but do not put anything harsh before our brother; for it is wonderful that we do not eat meat or drink wine, and do not do anything that would offend your brother (Romans 14). :13-21)
The Bible says that drinking makes people talk, so it's a well-established fact that people get in the way if they talk about it.
C. Because Christians must always be vigilant in mind and conduct.
Therefore, let us not sleep like others, but let us be awake and sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6). 13)
Take heed of yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down with debauchery, drunkenness, and the cares of life, and the unexpected day will come like a trap (Luke 21:33).
Therefore, if you drink alcohol, you will not be able to do well, and you will not be able to conduct a godly life. The Bible warns against the harm of alcohol with great weight.
character! From now on, if we look more closely at the time when the Bible was written, it was grape juice rather than wine with a relatively low alcohol content, and according to the archaeologists, since the remote areas of Israel are deserts, water was scarce, so water was replaced with water. We should also remember that grape juice was used as a beverage instead.
So, in the circumstances at that time and in the present situation where there is clear water from God and many soft drinks made, it would be a good idea to speculate about replacing wine with beverages according to the Bible.
Therefore, the Bible stresses not to see wine that arouses the emotions and becomes arrogant, confuses the human mind, bruises like a serpent, makes all things unhappy, and most importantly, does not inherit the inheritance of God. It teaches us to obtain true peace of mind and joy through the Holy Spirit.