10 Reasons why Christians Shouldn’t Drink – I discuss ten reasons why Christians shouldn’t drink. I even share some scriptures as well. #Drinking #Christians
10 Reasons why Christians Shouldn’t Drink
The Original Greek for wine,kainos (καινός) #G2537 – neos, (νέος) #G3501, new wine, The Word usage gives an idea of an uncommon or unheard of type of wine. Not to mention, it also means it was freshly made. It is a juice, a non-fermented, new wine is never fermented, so it means a juice. This is talking about where Jesus turned water to wine see John 2:1-11. Below are 10 Reasons why Christians Shouldn’t Drink.
10 Reasons Why Christians Shouldn’t Drink
1. It ruins your testimony
It can ruin your testimony you have for Christ. How you can witness for Christ then go around taking a drink, even just a small drink. It looks bad on you and your witness for Christ.
2. It’s addictive
Drinking is addictive. Before you know it becomes an easy habit and you will always want to have a drink for one reason or another. Soon you will become dependent on the alcohol. We usually use drinking as an escape clause, instead of turning to Jesus. When we do this, we say Jesus is not important and not first in our life.
3. Imperative you
It can impair you, cause a cloud of judgement or thinking. You are not able to thinking straight, even with the tiniest amount of drink. It will cause you to stumble. It will cause you to say stuff you will regret, do stuff you regret too. Even one drink will weaken you.
4. Drink pleasures the flesh
Acts against the flesh is a sin. Drink is pleasuring the flesh. You begin to lust after the drink and want it more than you do anything with God. After all our bodies are a temp of God. God said be sober-minded!
5. Drinking leads to drunkenness
Drinking can lead to you wanting to drink more and more. The more you drink the greater the chances of you becoming drunk and wanting more to drink.
6. Destroys families/friends/relationships
It can destroy your relationships such as your friends and family. It can cause separation and anxiety between you and them. The drinking often will cause you to do things you don’t realize you did or say things you didn’t realize you said all because you are not being sober-minded and are impaired. Once we do things and or say things it is hard to take them back.
7. It can kill you or others
Drinking can lead to you killing someone else or you being killed. According to Project Know, there are 79,000 deaths each year in the United States dealing with Alcohol.
8. Lead others to drink
If your kids see you drink, they will drink. Also, how can you enforce or tell your children not to drink, when you drink yourself? You will be saying do as I say, not as I do. As a parent you have to set the example to your child. You cannot tell your child not to drink, if you are drinking yourself! Plus, if you claim that you are a Christian and other people see you drinking, they will think it is okay to drink too. They won’t see a difference between you and them.
9. Destroys body
It can destroy your body by damaging your kidneys, liver and other organs. Did you know that they use Aldehydes in most drinks, that is also used in formaldehyde which is a form of a liquid preservative animals and parts, but not our organs. It also dehydrates and takes stuff away from your body. Alcohol gets rid of the water supply, nutrients, B Vitamins, calcium, magnesium and even potassium too. It also affects your digestive system and blood system too. Plus damages your brain.
10. Cost money
It cost money, money. Money that could be well spent on the family, tithes, helping others that need help instead. Often people will buy a drink over buying needs for the home. Most would rather buy some booze over much-needed food. Not to mention, it is an expensive habit. We will tend to get behind on bills so we can have that next drink.
Bible references for 10 Reasons why Christians Shouldn’t Drink
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Proverbs 23:31-35
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
Isaiah 5:11
Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
Proverbs 23:20
Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
Romans 13:13
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:18
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 14:21 NKJV
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.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 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? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Ephesians 5:18
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
Leviticus 10:9
“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations,
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 John 2:15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
2 Corinthians 6:17
Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Philippians 2:15
that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Closing
10 Reasons why Christians Shouldn’t Drink as listed above give us good reasons why we as Christians should avoid any kind of intoxicating drink(s).
Don’t buy the lies of the devil
The devil can and will use your impairment to his advantage and cause you to stumble even more too. Do not allow that to happen to you because it will ruin your testimony. By drinking it is the same thing as, dragging our Saviors name in the mud. Save your children and future generations of your family by simply not drinking!
Just don’t drink! Satan will tell you it is okay and will tell you just one sip is okay. It is a lie from hell itself. Don’t buy into it! Drinking shows you have no trust for God and rely on the drink. Yet the list above is just a small factor of reasons why not to drink, there are tons more of reasons why not to drink as well. Also do you want our Savior to come back for us and He found you with drink or drunk?
Fermented is rotten!
When you look at the word fermented, it actually means rotten. Not to mention, Jesus wouldn’t make rotten things! What he made was new, something that was never seen before or tasted before. If Jesus did make the wine fermented, then He was contributing to drunkenness and thus making Him no longer sinless. Since some of those guest could have already been drunk and drinking fermented wine would have caused them to become drunker or if they were border line or not even tipsy as we say, then it could increase the state of being drunk. If Jesus was to do this, then He was going against all the teaching about being drunk,
I do believe people who try to say otherwise are just justifying their sin against God and will continue to live in this open sin and rebel against a Holy and Just God.
Learn about the Two Wine Theory by Justin Breeden
By Chaplain Bill Rhetts had a video on YouTube, but it has since been taken down.
But Here are some things he mentioned about that video that was up.
I made an err in this video, I forgot to include one Biblical account, and some other talking points (a criteria to go by). Therefore my below written preface to this video is below.
In this message I discuss four arguments (or alleged Biblical excuses) that many ‘believers’ give, to justify their alcohol consumption.
I then give a Biblical response to each of them. I also confess that I too once gave many of these same excuses myself.
Correction at time stamp 21:00: That wine which Jesus refused to drink in Matt 27:34, was just moments ‘prior’ to His crucifixion. However I failed to mention a second incident in my message. The ‘second’ time they placed a sponge of vinegar (KJV), or “sour wine” to His mouth, was in John 19:28-30. This was done only as a fulfillment of prophecy. Where it was foretold in the O.T. that the Lord would suffer from a severe dry mouth (Psalm 22:15.) Nevertheless the Lord did not make alcohol, nor did He drink it.
Some of you might pull the “that’s legalism” card. If that’s you, please watch this commentary on what legalism is, and what it is not.
I failed to mention some other points in this video. Fact is in many cases it can be a sin to drink, even without being “drunk.” Following are some of them.
- Are you drinking against the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
- Does it cause others to stumble (Remember what Jesus said about that?)
- Does it bring an offense to the brethren?
- Does it cause you to commit sins (or crimes,) that you would not have, had you not been drinking?
- Does it harm your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit?
- Are you addicted?
- Does it affect your mind like drugs?
- Does it make you methusko?
- Is it destroying your marriage?
- Is it destroying your testimony?
See what Dr. MacArthur said …
- Is it necessary?
- Is it spiritually beneficial?
- Does it bring honor to Christ?
“Watch for the guys even in our own church. Who are the loudest and most vehement in defending these kinds of things. And you just look and tell me, are they the Godliest among us. Are they the ones that you want to pattern your life after. Are they the ones that set the standard. Are they the ones that when you see them, you feel convicted. Or are they the ones… (that compromise.)
Pastor Tim Conway
Resources
- BibleGateway.com
- New King James Version Bible
- Logos Resource page
- Olsen Park
- The Expositor
First published May 7, 2013. Last republished or updated on May 11, 2017.
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I have to say, while I do agree to a degree with most of what you’ve said, drinking in and of itself is NOT bad. If it was so horrible, why would Jesus have turned the water into wine? Yes, getting drunk to the point where you act in a sinful matter is wrong. Drinking to excess is never good. To claim drinking is bad for your health…. again, you’re talking drinking to excess. It’s actually proven that a glass of wine or beer is healthy for you. As for leading others to drink… if your child sees you enjoying a glass of wine at dinner, or a beer after dinner… this will not lead them to become alcoholics. If they see you stumbling home drunk every night… then yes, this could lead them to drink also.
Again I say… drinking to EXCESS is what is bad and is what Christians (and everyone) should avoid. Drinking in general is NOT evil or bad or a sin.
I mention 10 reasons why Christians shouldn’t drink. Yes, children mimic what they see. I said if you drink as parents your kids will too. I didn’t say they will become alcoholics. Yes, Jesus did make wine from water. There wine was a far different then our wine today and it diluted with water too. Some references to wine wasn’t wine as we thought either done cases it grape drink to find out which one it needs to go original manual manuscript and word used for wine and it will say if it was fir minted or not. Check out some references on blog post first one I believe talks more about that.
The answer that the wine Jesus created was little different from grape juice isn’t consistent with the warnings against drunkenness. It would make no sense to warn someone “Don’t drink too much of that grape juice – you’ll get drunk!”. Clearly, the warnings against drunkenness in Scripture tell us that the wine Jesus made and the wine He consumed, was potent enough that it could lead to drunkenness if abused. Jesus was known to drink wine and He was criticized for it (Matthew 11:19). On top of this, one of the holiest moments in all of history – a moment that will impact us for eternity – the shedding of His blood, is memorialized by the drinking of wine. On top of this, multiple passages refer to wine as a blessing from God as well as something we will enjoy with Him in the Kingdom (see for example, Joel 3:18 and Isaiah 25:6-8). Yes there are warnings against overconsumption as well as leading another into temptation. But if we say “Christians shouldn’t drink”, we are then accusing Jesus of sin because He drank, and accusing Him of leading others into sin because He created wine “to the glory of the Father”, and encouraged His followers to drink in celebration of His sacrifice.
So so true!
I AM A CHRISTIAN AND ONE DRINK WON’T HURT ME
Christians will search for any and all excuses in order to justify drinking alcohol. How does that work in reality?
One to two drinks of alcohol impair mental and physical abilities; mental process such as restraint, awareness, concentration and judgment are affected, reaction time slowed, and an inability to perform complicated tasks. [The Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs,” Motor Safety Foundation, Irvine, Ca, 1991]
As a Christian would you approve of your heart surgeon having a couple of beers before your operation?
As a Christian who believes social drinking is acceptable, would you be in favor of lowering the drinking age to six years of age?
As a Christian would you feel comfortable with the airplane pilot of your flight having a glass or two of wine before your flight?
As a Christian would you give your dentist permission to have a shot of whiskey before he drills and fills your teeth?
As a Christian is it acceptable, in your eyes, for pregnant women to drink socially?
As a Christian do you approve of beer and wine being served at church Bible studies and other church functions?
As a Christian would you hire a person who drinks a couple of glasses of wine while watching your children?
Would your answers be the same if you inserted the words coffee, tea, milk or soft drinks?
You are legally drunk in all states if you BAC [Blood Alcohol Concentration] is .08. IMPAIRMENT BEGINS BELOW .02 BAC. One to one and one half drinks results in a .02 BAC.
Are Christians who say social drinking is acceptable, being honest with the church, the world and themselves?
If social drinking is harmless, then it should be permitted seven days a week in all circumstances where coffee, tea, milk, and sodas are permitted, and permitted for all ages.
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY CHRISTIAN BLOG. Google search>>> steve finnell a christian view
Totally agree with all your points. Well put.
Deuteronomy 14:26
I agree with what you are trying to say. Some of the facts are not accurate.
The process of making wine would create a higher alcohol content. Wine has a higher percentage of alcohol compared to beer because of the amount of sugar in grapes.
At the time wine making was not sophisticated to dilute the wine and ensure that it was safe. Safety is also why it was used as an alternative to water. Water bourne illness was major problem. Diluted wine could be dangerous and fatal if one was depending on it as a water source. It was also a little disrespectful to offer a guest less then your best. Exceptions were made for the poor that could not afford proper wine….but it was also dangerous to consume as the water used to dilute could have been contaminated as well and lacking sufficient alcohol content to slow the growth bacteria.
No quote from the bible prohibits alcohol out right. Some are common sense…you shouldn’t drink before church…you shouldn’t wake in the morning and drink all day…drinking excessively causes you to lose control and sin…
I imagine a few poor fellows that drank all the time and had strong faith are the reasons for some of the common sense quotes in the bible.
I admire the dedication….but Brother John is not going to get much out of service if he shows up drunk…
Alcohol can not be prohibited or considered a sin because Christ drank wine during the passover and He is without sin. The first miracle performed by Jesus was turning water into wine. The first mentioned miracle, there may have been others unrecorded.
Alcohol can destroy lives and destroy your relationship with God. But you cannot take the position, from a Christian perspective at least, to prohibit it.
Respectfully, it is not likely that wine would be diluted. There are safety and social issues as I state in the above post.
Also, the most logical reason I can assume Christ turned water to wine is because too many people showed up to the wedding and they ran out. At the time it was considered impolite not to offer guests wine at a wedding celebration.
I can’t imagine Jesus pressing anyone to drink. It was available to those that wanted it. I don’t think it had anything to do with alcohol. Jesus was saving a friend from embarressment at a wedding party. Don’t read to much into it. A savior saves
There are countless verses that I think would disagree with you. That said, you seem to think that every person who takes even a sip of alcohol immediately becomes a raging alcoholic. While some of your points are true for the alcoholic, most are complete misrepresentations of the casual drinker. Alcohol in small amounts has been shown to have health benefits. Addiction comes in many forms, including things we would say are beneficial, like exercise. And I also think you either misrepresent, or misunderstand, the “pleasures of the flesh.” I hope you are not suggesting that God wants us to avoid anything that would be physically pleasing to the senses.
Christians should use judgement and test every situation. If your friends are going to a strip club where they intend to get drunk and buy lap dances, this may not be the best place for you to share your testimony. And I doubt you’d be able to convince yourself, or the Holy Spirit, that you’re going with them has the best intentions. But, for some, sharing a beer or two over dinner, or even in a men’s group setting, is a great way to bond and strengthen a friendship rooted in Christ. A better principle to guide you is, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” But do not cause others to stumble, whether you choose to consume alcohol or not.
I wish I had never taken the first drink. I didn’t know I was going to be more than a social drinker. If I had known, I could have planned accordingly. I am a Christian. A weak Christian whose life has been destroyed by alcohol. As a weak Christian, please do not drink because it will cause me to stumble. I hope love for me and other weak Christians is enough for you to not drink. Remember, we are all under the law of love, not the law of rights.
Thanks for sharing your story and your comment Frederick.
Totally agree that Christians should not drink. I have heard all the excuses; the most common being “but Jesus turned water into wine!” They refuse to do any research and realize that Christ did not create rotten, intoxicating grape juice but something completely fresh and pure and from God. Clearly Christ did not cause a large group of people including children, to become drunk! They ignore all the verses that speak ill of alcohol. Glad you wrote this article. God bless.
Thanks your comment and input.
I have one simple answer when i am asked why I dont drink. “Do you want to be drunk or even tipsy when Jesus comes back?”
That’s right! And we never know when He will come back.
I do not drink
Me either
Me either
Check out this YouTube video by Bill Rhetts
https://youtu.be/0O0dpvzgYXY
Your claim that the “new wine” in scripture is not fermented is demonstrably false. In Acts 2, the disciples were accused of being drunk on “new wine.”
http://wayofthetabernacle.com/alcohol.htm
tîyrôwsh, tee-roshe’; or תִּירֹשׁ tîyrôsh; from H3423 in the sense of expulsion; must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by implication (rarely) fermented wine:—(new, sweet) wine.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=h8492
The key issue is that drinking alcoholic beverages is not prohibited by scripture except under certain circumstances such as when sitting in judgement, drunkenness or as part of a vow (Nazirite). The scriptures never promote abuse of any substance, but neither does it prohibit its use when used properly.
The arguments against wine seem to all be of a social nature rather than a scriptural nature. It is easier to make a blanket rule against a behavior of any type, due to instances of abuse, than to deal with it on an individual bases.