I have noticed over the years that there are a lot of opinions and confusion over alcohol use by believers. I spent most of my younger years in a southern baptist church that looked at any kind of alcohol use as sin and made me believe alcohol was the devil himself. Then I moved off to college and began exploring the topic of alcohol and the other gray areas themselves to decide what I myself believe. So, what is the answer? Is any alcohol use a sin if you are a believer? Here is what I have studied and found within the Bible and other trusted sources:
I want to state everything I studied within the Bible and what I got from the verses are what God placed in my heart Himself. However, it is important you study this topic yourself and find your own beliefs on these areas according to what God tells you.
First of all, Galatians 5:19-21 lists the works of the flesh. Here we see some of the gray area topics I will be covering listed, which is the verse I began in on every topic. 16 words in we see “drunkenness” listed as a work of the flesh. What exactly is drunkenness though? It is a disturbance in behavior or mental function during or after alcohol consumption. There have been many times, by many people I am sure, that the definition of drunkenness has been twisted into a definition other than what it actually is so that over drinking can be “okay”. I have asked the questions myself, “what does it actually mean to be drunk?”, “If I am just tipsy is that a sin since it is not the same as being black out drunk?”. Where does the fun end and the sin begin?
The sin can begin before you even take the first sip of alcohol. Why are you drinking in the first place? If it is to party or to intentionally get drunk, it is sin according to the Bible. If it is to forget the troubles of your heart and mind, it is sin according to the Bible. Alcohol should not be used to throw back and forget the night, but should be used for enjoyment. Sadly, a lot of people use alcohol when they are going through a hard time and want to forget their troubles or it is used to become drunk for fun. But this is when it turns into a sin. When alcohol is not being used in moderation or is being what you run to during troubles, instead of God. Okay now keep a place holder on the idea of alcohol being used for our enjoyment.
Going back to the beginning idea of any alcohol use at all being a sin is exactly where you should begin your journey for these answers. I do not believe all alcohol use is a sin. It becomes a sin when the intentions are not pure, like partying or drinking to get drunk, and when it is consumed too much. The use of alcohol to get drunk is a sin and we see this in many verses. Ephesians 5:18 is just one of these verses. It tells us to not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit. Alcohol can completely take over your life if you let it. It can control what you do, when you do it, and even your decisions. Instead of allowing alcohol to control our lives, we are called to be filled with the Spirit as a positive alternative. Allow God to control your life, not alcohol. Some may take this verse as all alcohol being sinful, but Paul is speaking to drunkenness and how it can control you. I personally believe if all alcohol use was a sin then we would be told so. But instead of flat out being told to not drink alcohol, we have verses like Ecclesiastes 9:7 and Psalm 104:14-15. Ecclesiastes 9:7 says to drink wine cheerfully, for recreation not refreshment, in moderation, and in thankfulness to God. Therefore, we can drink alcohol as long as our intentions are pure, in thankfulness to God, and we are drinking in moderation. The key words being pure intentions and in moderation!
While studying this topic over the years I did notice another way alcohol can be sinful. If the use of alcohol can hurt your testimony, yet you continue, it can become a sin. For example if you are at a restaurant with people who fully believe Christians should not drink any alcohol, then you should not order any to drink in front of them. It can cause an argument and can even cause them to stop listening to anything you have to say spiritually. Another example is if you go to a party where you know the intentions of alcohol use are not pure, yet you go, it can cause others to look at you sideways and not listen to your testimony the way they would if you did not go to the party in the first place. Whether you drank or not, it can still harm the way others view believers and listen to them.
So all in all, no drinking alcohol is not a sin unless you allow it to become a sin. Keep from allowing it to control your life and your mind. Know your limits so that you do not become drunk and know when it is the wrong time or place to drink at all. Dig deep into your intentions for drinking alcohol before you do it.
I highly recommend “Chasing Elephants” to dig deeper into verses like those above and more that speak to the gray areas. It is an incredible book that explains the gray areas and where the fun ends and sin begins.
Kokonaomi
