Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Drinking alcohol is not a sin Drunkenness is. By V. Toussaint

I have a bone to pick with all those Christians that point a finger at any brother in Christ who they find out has a drink occasionally and says you are sinning. I would love to know where in scripture does it say that you cannot drink alcohol. Do not put an alcoholic beverage to your mouth for it will cause you eternal damnation. I have never seen it. I will tell you what it does say , and you may double check it. I actually want you to. Proverbs 23:20 says  AKJV:  " Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat". ESV:  "Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat," 23:21 AKJV "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." 1 Corinthians 6:10 AKJV "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God."  Eph. 5:18 AKJV "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"   Drunk implies excess, not simple consumption. We all know a lot about what excessive alcohol can do in a person's life. We also know that it takes a lot to stop drinking once you become an alcoholic. But what about those who don't over consume and those who like to drink wine at dinner and do not drink till they begin to lose control of their faculties?  Why is it that they get blamed for drunkenness by other Christians? They haven't broken any biblical law, or command, or rule. Jesus drank wine and it was fermented and the fundamental leaders of the day (Pharisees) called him a winebibber. AKJV " The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.'  Jesus drank wine. I heard one church say he was drinking grape juice. It would obviously be a surprise to them to find out that the  process didn't exist yet to turn wine into grape juice till 1869 By Thomas Bramwell Welch. He discovered  the Pasteurization process to prevent the fermentation  of grape juice. So yes Jesus did drink wine. In the region where he was living the climate was very warm which actually sped up the fermentation process. So if you brought wine made that morning, by noon it would be about the equivalent of a beer today. Look into it. If they accused Jesus of being a drunkard and today any Christian who chooses to enjoy a beer at a barbecue or wine with dinner is being accused of the same, then I would have to say that there are modern day Pharisees among us and to read the scriptures for yourself to see if you are right with God. That being said, if you find that you have a problem with alcohol, then you should refrain from drinking. This is not because drinking in and of itself is wrong but that your self control is an issue that you have to lay before God. If you are unable to drink responsibly, and for a Christian this means to avoid drunkenness, then you should not drink. This applies to all aspects of life. Everything in moderation is a good way to look at this. The focus in your walk should always be your relationship with God, not what people think about you. to read more on this subject checkout these links http://powerofaith.com/drinking.htm
http://www.peele.net/lib/latimes030196.html


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