Title The Real Source of Miracles and Blessings
<The Gospel of John (17) The real source of miracles and blessings (John 2:11)
< Be considerate >
For believers, the issue of sobriety is often a controversial issue. Is drinking alcohol a sin? Some say that drinking alcohol is not a sin, but getting drunk is a sin. If so, there is a contradiction in which the presence or absence of guilt is determined according to the amount of alcohol consumed. Some say that you can't drink any other alcohol, but you can drink only wine. There are many contradictions in that statement. What is the truth? Strictly speaking, drinking alcohol is not necessarily a sin.
The Bible speaks of the benefits of wine everywhere. “Wine pleases God and man (Judges 9:13). The Lord has given people wine that makes them happy (Psalm 104:15). Give wine to the sorrowful (Proverbs 31:6). Drinking wine gives life and understanding (Proverbs 9:5-6).” The Apostle Paul also exhorts Timothy, who is weak. “From now on, drink no more water, but use wine little by little for your stomach and frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23).
In the scene where Isaac blesses Jacob, wine is mentioned as a symbol of blessing (Gen. 27:28). Also, wine was considered important in the banquets God had prepared (Isaiah 25:6), and the Lord uses wine at the Lord's Supper, and in the kingdom of God we drink new wine with the Lord (Matthew 26:29). Also in the text, Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine in the first miracle, and the Lord was nicknamed “a man who enjoys wine” (Matthew 11:19).
In the Old Testament, when laws were strict, there were a total of 613 laws saying “Do!” and “Don’t!”, but none of them condemned alcohol. As such, the Bible does not condemn alcohol itself. However, it is not recommended to drink it for three reasons:
First, if you are close to alcohol, you will get drunk and lose control, and there is a high possibility that you will eventually be exposed to sins and faults. Second, in a society where there is a perception that drinking alcohol is generally not good, drinking alcohol is a negative effect on spirituality while being conscious of other people's views. Third, a brother with weak faith who sees the life of a believer, sets the standard of his life of faith and draws an image of God, may be tested as a saint drinking alcohol. Even if such drinking is not a sin, sobriety is good for the glory of God and one's own spirituality. Such a thoughtful attitude is the attitude of a sincere saint.
< The real source of miracles and blessings >
The miracle of turning wine into wine at the wedding feast in Cana is the Lord's first miracle (verse 11). This fact is theologically very important. In the early church, in addition to the Bible, the church had the apocryphal and apocryphal scriptures. The pseudonym is not recognized as authoritative because it has been proven to be a forgery. The Apocrypha, on the other hand, is considered a book of considerable authority. But the Apocrypha cannot be compared to the Bible.
There are records of this in the Apocrypha. When Jesus was very young, a snake came out of a local cave and threatened Jesus' family. At that time, the miracle is introduced that Jesus was sitting on his mother's lap, and then jumped out and defeated the snake. Of course, this is to exalt Jesus, but because the miracle of the wedding feast in Cana in verse 11 is the first miracle of Jesus, this story is not true.
Another apocryphal document records a miracle that Jesus walked a distance of 30 days in just one day when he was a child, and when the baby Jesus arrived in Egypt while fleeing to Egypt, 355 idols fell to the ground and bowed down to Jesus passing by. Miracles are recorded. In another place, a miracle is recorded that the young Jesus made twelve sparrows out of clay, put them on the palm of his hand, and blew them into the sky.
If you say such a miraculous story, you can make Jesus look more wonderful and great, but in fact, you can see that all such miracles are made up words from verse 11 of the text. It is better to be sincere than to be marvelous and miraculous. Don't be obsessed with miraculous miracles. Have a spiritual eye that sees truth as greater than novelty. After all, a true life is the real source of miracles and blessings.