A Moral and Biblical Case Against Alcohol

This past Wednesday was my 52nd birthday. Years ago I had looked forward to having birthday drinks in bars. Nowadays I consider myself a teetotaler. I’ve seen firsthand the devastation alcoholic beverages can bring.

During my twenties, I frequented nightclubs and beer parties. One night I was arrested for drunk driving. Eventually, I plea-bargained to lesser charges but still had to pay over $400 in towing charges, fines, and court costs. Two other times I went to the hospital for stitches after being attacked by men who were intoxicated. One of them was a roommate.

Family and friends have also been negatively affected by drinking. My mother grew up in a home where her father physically abused the family when drunk. One of my uncles died from alcoholic poisoning. Another former roommate of mine was killed when his car collided with a drunk driver going the wrong direction on the freeway.

A few months after giving my life to the Lord in 1991, I made the decision to shun alcohol completely.For those of you who think I’m being “religious” or “legalistic”, the Bible has accounts of ruined lives resulting from the consumption of intoxicating drink…

•    Noah became uncovered in his tent and pronounced a curse upon one of his sons. (Genesis 9:20-25)

•    Lot had incest with his two daughters producing races of people that caused future problems for Israel. (Genesis 19:30-38)

•    Amnon raped his half-sister and was later killed by his half-brother. (2 Samuel 13:28-29)

•    Belshazzar drank from temple treasures and lost his kingdom as well as his life. (Daniel 5:30)

Many will argue, “But Jesus drank wine!” One person emailed me claiming “the wine Christ made from water [in John chapter 2] was not grape juice.” On the contrary. The wine drunk in Biblical times was often unfermented (Hebrew word “tîyrôsh”) and diluted with water. It had far less alcohol content than most of the wine manufactured today.

It should also be pointed out new wine takes up to eight weeks to ferment. I can’t imagine Jesus instantly adding alcohol to wine. Otherwise, He would have produced approximately 180 gallons of a destructive drug to launch a new marriage with slurring lips and staggering feet. The Lord would violate His own Word by doing that (see Leviticus 10:9-10, Habakkuk 2:15; Luke 12:45-46, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

A fellow missionary recently told me about a time he visited Spain and drank one glass of wine at somebody’s house. Afterward, he noticed it took away his spiritual discernment and for a while felt totally lost. I remain convinced nothing good comes from drinking booze especially for those aspiring to be in Christian leadership. 1 Timothy 3 warns against bishops and deacons “given to wine.” Romans 14:21 says, “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.”

Instead of looking for loopholes to justify moderate drinking, I exhort all sipping saints reading this to sincerely seek the Lord as to whether or not He wants you drinking alcohol at all. Would you be willing to give that up if He asked you to? Isn’t being filled with the Holy Spirit enough?

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” - Ephesians 5:18

Thinking About Drinking

Shortly after giving my life to the Lord twenty-two years ago, I became convinced it’s best to totally abstain from alcoholic beverages. However, a minister I know recently posted a YouTube video claiming it’s okay for Christians to drink booze in moderation. Initially, I was reluctant to watch this video knowing this minister uses fermented wine while serving communion. Nevertheless, I decided to give the video a fair viewing and became a bit troubled when I heard him quote Deuteronomy 14:26 (KJV)…

“And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.”

This verse appears to contradict other Scriptures warning against the consumption of intoxicating drink. As I did more research on the subject, I came across a two-part video series by Perry Stone called “A Little Toddy for the Body.” One thing Perry points out is the wine drunk in Biblical times was often diluted with water. It had far less alcohol content than most of the wine manufactured today.

The famous inventor Thomas Edison (who never even professed to be a Christian) stated, “To put alcohol into the human body is like putting sand in the bearings of an engine. I am a total abstainer from alcoholic liquor. I always thought I had a better use for my head.” 

Personally, I think it’s irresponsible for any minister to encourage believers (especially those young in the Lord) to have an occasional drink of liquor. Moderate drinking still results in moderate intoxication that can impair a person’s judgment and influence them to sin. For some, it has led to devastating consequences. 

Four years ago at an ApologetiX concert in Maryland, I heard a young man share his testimony. Nathan Jones had once gone to a party where he drank just one beer. While driving home that night, Nathan blacked out and discovered the next day he had caused a car accident that killed a middle-aged Christian couple. Although the couple's family members forgave Nathan and pleaded with the authorities for mercy on his behalf, he still spent a couple years in prison.

During my missionary travels, I sometimes stayed with believers who had beer or wine in the house. Usually, I didn’t say anything about that unless they asked or offered me a drink. As for my household, I don’t want alcohol in any part of it. Ephesians 4:27 tells us to give no place to the devil. One does not have to be an alcoholic to have alcohol ruin his life and those closest to him.

If a believer never starts drinking in the first place, then he will never have a problem with drinking.

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” -   1 Corinthians 10:23-24