Alcohol
Today more and more people (even many Christians) think it’s OK to drink beer or wine. Just because so many people—and even kids—are drinking alcohol, does that make it right or a healthy thing to do?
What do the Scriptures say about alcohol, wine and liquor? It’s in the Bible. “Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them, making them reel drunkenly down the street!” (Prov. 20:1, TLB).
Why is drinking dangerous? It’s in the Bible, “Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18, TEV). There is at least one death every 30 minutes in the United States because of alcohol. Over 75,000 people die every year due to drunken driving and diseases caused by alcohol.
How do alcoholic drinks affect those who use them? Here’s a challenge. Read the following Bible verses and see if you can find at least 12 different bad things that can happen to the person who drinks alcohol.
“Whose heart is filled with anguish and sorrow? Who is always fighting and quarreling? Who is the man with bloodshot eyes and many wounds? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new mixtures. Don’t let the sparkle and the smooth taste of strong wine deceive you. For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like an adder. You will see hallucinations and have delirium tremors, and you will say foolish, silly things that would embarrass you no end when sober. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And afterwards you will say, ‘I didn’t even know it when they beat me up’” (Proverbs 23:29-35, TLB).
What other problems occur because of drinking? Discover the answer in Prov. 23:21, NIV, “Drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” Wow! This is even telling us that those who eat too much, along with those who drink alcohol and those who sleep too much, are in danger of becoming poor!
Why are kings and rulers advised to not drink alcoholic drinks? It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 31:4-5, NIV. “It is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.” Whether a king or not, alcoholic drinks hurt all people the same way.
Why does it matter to God what I drink? In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV) It also goes on to say, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).
What is the biggest danger of drinking alcohol? It’s in the Bible, “nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards…will inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:10 NIV). Jesus will not let alcohol spoil the happiness of heaven. Don’t let anyone talk you into drinking alcohol. It’s not worth the pain it causes.
Read the story of Daniel and his friends who wouldn’t give into the pressure of drinking.
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