Just a few days before New Years, an opinion piece, or at least what I assume is an opinion piece, because that is all it is, popped up of at the charismatic Christian website, Charisma News. It’s title, “50 Reasons I Don’t Drink” is exactly what it says. Written by a “Pastor” and “Ex-alcoholic”, it begins with a brief disclaimer, followed by a bit of personal experience, then the 50 points. So to begin, I will give a little explanation, my own disclaimer (I talk about sex and guns), then lastly, a point by point rebuttal.
The toughest part about being a Christians is the whole part about trying our best to follow the bible’s instructions and doing our best to let its teachings shape our hearts, and renew our minds. It is often uneasy business. Our author mentions that this issue is “hotly debated”, and in some circles it is, but in the bible it is NOT. Gathering all that we can read about alcohol from scripture, the picture does vary from verse to verse, but when we put it all together we see a very clear portrait about alcohol from the biblical perspective. A portrait I will try to paint as clearly as possible.
The bible allows the consumption of alcohol in moderation. Moderation is not a particular type of alcohol, or number a certain number of drinks. you should or should not take, the only prohibition we see is to not be drunk. Drunkenness seems to be a point of consumption to where self control is inhibited to a detrimental degree. It should be noted that many things can inhibit your self control, including your personal desires and emotions. If alcohol is bringing out those desires and emotions it is merely revealing what is in you heart, the problem is your internal thoughts, it is within you, not the external alcohol. Other than the strict prohibition from drunkenness, the only other prohibition we see is for some clergy members to abstain, during certain personal oaths such as fasting, and personal conviction. Which is what we have a prime example of in this article, personal conviction. Other than that, this is basically all the scriptures has to say on alcohol in a nut shell.
Personal Conviction can be difficult. It can be very meaningful for you, you can find much to delight about in it, and when that personal conviction is designed to keep you safe from certain sinful proclivities of your own, it can be particularly life giving. This is the case with our personally convicted Charisma author in this article. As an ex-alcoholic, her personal conviction is meaningful and life-giving, and it keeps her from sin that she is specifically bent towards and weak too. So it makes it difficult for her to see why not all Christians see things her way. In matters like this we have the scriptures to counsel us, personal convictions are a great place to have great discussion, but we should never elevate them above what the bible actually says. This is what happens in this article, and this is the fatal flaw in which it’s reasoning is based.
This is where I find my main problem with this article. On the surface the obvious problem is a legalism where we elevate personal conviction to the level of God’s decree. This is a big deal, a real big deal, and something we should never do. However, what concerns me most is a blatant misunderstanding of what sin is, revealing that the main problem is a well meaning Christian who isn’t handling things like a Christian should. Which is according to the bible.
In a direct conversation I am sure our author could quote the correct passages on the nature of sin, but it seems obvious to me that she doesn’t understand them at all, and further more, she doesn’t want to. “This article is not a theological defense on the topic of Christians and alcohol (another article for another time), but it is a heartfelt plea.” If we are not thinking theologically, also known as biblically, then what are we doing exactly? Theology matters, and for the Christian, we look inconsistent at best when our theology doesn’t actually line up with our scriptures, and at worst, we make God look foolish when we think our ways are better than his.
I really do appreciate, and even agree somewhat with the genuine concern she has over sin, but the bible, if we are really Christian, must be considered in all that we say and we do! She seems to think the particular act of drinking alcohol is sinful, or that it causes one sin. This is not the case. Sin comes from the desires of our heart (Matthew 15:19), and our actions are only sinful when they coincide with those desires. I think the most obvious example of this is sex.
Is sex sinful? No, although some act like it is. Is sex sinful in a particular context? Yes, if you are married and have sex with someone that you are not married to, this is a sin. Was it the combinations of external factors that made it sinful? NO, it was the heart of the person who desired to have sex with someone who wasn’t there spouse that made the circumstances possible. Someone who’s heart is not bent towards infidelity id never going to accidentally find themselves in someone else’s bed. In fact if you change the context you can still have biblical sex, and it still be very sinful. So imagine this person is still with their spouse, and still in their own martial bed, but in their mind and heart they are imagining and desiring someone else. Guess what, all the external factors are there, the right person, the right place, but this person is still being and acting with atrocious sinful intent. They are having sex in a biblical context and still sinning! In her original article, our author clearly cannot see the difference between the external actions of sin, and the internal desires of the heart that lead to the external action.
Think of yourself like a gun, and you are loaded with bullets, these bullets are your sin. Just sitting there, you are pretty harmless, but you still have great potential to fire off that sin at any moment. Your gun, because of its particular sins, can only be triggered by certain factors. For some, alcohol is the trigger that causes their gun to fire, for others, not so much. So for some, alcohol is indeed their trigger, and they should abstain until such a time that they can become unloaded of those particular sin bullets. External handling and self control is always needed, but we shouldn’t full ourselves into thinking that it can “unload” our gun, or that it can “load” our gun in a way that we are not prone to fire.
So while I see the value of her conviction for her and others like her (it keeps her trigger from being pulled), for me, a guy who has beer in his fridge that he really enjoys that he bought on vacation last year and still hasn’t drank. A guy who’s last beer consumed was two weeks ago at a friends house with a group of guys from my church. A guy who’s first drink ever was when he was 28. I simply cannot see the value for me. I think it is obvious that whatever sinful bents I have, and there are plenty, alcohol is not the trigger to my loaded sin gun. For others it is, and they may very well need to abstain, and the fact that I don’t does not make me any stronger or weaker or better than any other child in God’s kingdom, and neither does abstaining make anyone better. In fact, if alcohol can easily undo your Christians character and witness, then perhaps you are the weaker brother.
For the Christian, God’s law is where we need to debate, not over its validity, but over submitting to its understanding, and holding to its clear teaching that we may abstain not from alcohol, but from sin. This is where our fight should be, in the depths of our guts where our sin is hiding. If we are a gun loaded with sin and potential harm to ourselves and others, then our hope is that we would learn and grow and that over time, God, through His Son, and by His Spirit, would gently unload all of our chambers from their sin. Then and only then could we experience the freedom he has intended for us. The ultimate goal for a Christian that struggles with alcohol, is not that he would never drink, but that the underlying sinful desires that are triggered by drinking would be eliminated.
Hopefully I made a clear picture, sometimes I find it was much more clear in my head, and not so much in my typed words. If the picture is as clear as I hope, then we can see what happens when we apply a biblical understanding of sin to these 50 points. IF anything, maybe you’ll see how personal experience cannot be the test for corporate truth. It quickly disintegrates to personal truth versus personal truth, which gets us nowhere, except to show why truth must ultimately be objective rather than subjective.
50 reasons why I don’t drink vs 50 reasons I do
Her points in bold font vs my points in italics.
1. I can’t be sober-minded if I’m not sober.
Well I’m sorry to hear that, I can, so we ought not elevate out personal struggles and experience to the level of norm for all Christians. Maybe you are drinking too much when you drink, a clear violation of the prohibition not to be drunk. You should search your heart and see what underlying motives cause you to drink to such excess. Or maybe you are particularly sensitive, you may have some underlying medical issues and need to speak to a doctor. If you are overly sensitive, you should exercise caution around alcohol, which sounds like you do, so good for you!
2. Alcohol has an assignment: destruction.
Is this from scripture, the surgeon generals warning, a health and fitness blog or personal opinion…something?
3. Alcohol is a depressant. Anything that depresses should be avoided at all costs.
I have never been depressed after drinking alcohol, so maybe this is NOT true for everyone, and to act like it is is an unfair representation. Also I don’t know if ANYTHING that depresses should be avoided, sometimes I become depressed and grieved about particular issues, and it causes me to seek the Lord’s counsel with more intensity. Now if someone suffers from clinical depression, they ought to maybe exercise some caution, although in some cases, alcohol can be consumed with Joy according to Ecclesiastes 9:7, but why bring the bible into this now, after all, you did not use it in your original post.
4. I don’t want to make my brother or sister stumble in the name of exercising my “Christian liberties.” My choice to drink could lead to someone’s demise.
So we are no longer personally responsible for our own sin? That’s a relief! Now instead of “The Devil made me do it!”, I can say “You Christian liberties made me do it!”
5. Alcohol skews my judgment.
Not mine.
6. Alcohol leaves me worse, not better.
Not me.
7. What I do in moderation, my children will do in excess.
Not true, I drink way less than my parents. On the other hand, if this is true, then I can be a moderate bible reader and my kids will do it in excess, man my job just got easier!
8. Even the unsaved know I shouldn’t drink. Bible in one hand, beer in the other—any lost person could point this out as a confusing contradiction.
I’ve been able to have many conversations rich in the gospel because I was willing to go to the local pub and have a beer with my neighbor.
9. Alcohol doesn’t bring others closer to the Lord when they see me drinking, but further away.
See my response previous to this one.
10. Alcohol doesn’t bring me closer to the Lord when I drink, but further away.
See my response previous to this one.
11. I want to be fully awake and ready for the return of Christ, not drowsy, sluggish and fuzzy.
Good thing Jesus is faithful, and when he returns he will be faithful to receive all that he has saved in-spite of their mental ability at the time or whether or not that mental ability was impeded by a substance. Should a Christian on pain meds post surgery also avoid those medications that help them recover if they make them drowsy or sluggish, just in case Jesus returns?
12. Show me a family for whom alcohol has made a positive difference in their lives. You won’t be able to.
Mine! As I said before, many conversation because I was willing to share a beer, some of those with my own father. Also my favorite drinking partner is my wife, it helps us get all snuggly on the couch after the kids are in bed
13. I have never heard anyone say, “Wow, that gin and tonic made me feel so Christlike!”
* makes a gun and tonic, drinks it* “Wow, that gin and tonic made me feel so Christlike”
14. I want to avoid all appearances of evil.
Then don’t! Wait, how is alcohol evil again? Verse please!
15. Alcohol makes it much harder for me to practice the fruit of self-control.
I’m sorry to hear that, then maybe you should abstain from alcohol and ask God to search your heart for the underlying sins that cause you to loose the fruit of self-control.
16. Alcohol causes me to lose my filter.
Sorry to hear that, maybe you need to learn self-control of your tongue, and not just alcohol. If your sin is a loose filter, gossip or a sharp tongue, then alcohol doesn’t cause it, it reveals it. In that case, praise God for using alcohol to reveal your weakness, now you can zero in on it a prayerfully fight against it.
17. Alcohol is a legal mind-altering drug.
Whoa, then I must be drinking wrong, I have never had my mind altered
18. Alcohol is addictive.
Did you see the bit where I still have beer in my fridge that I bought a year ago? IF it was addictive I think I would of drank it by now.
19. Alcohol is a numbing agent for pain and sorrow only Jesus can heal.
Right, using alcohol to fill a need only Jesus can is a serious problem. This would be treating alcohol like your savior, but alcohol does NOT cause this sin, it reveals it. Also, I have never used alcohol to numb anything.
20. Many regrets are associated with alcohol. (I can give you a whole bunch!)
No regrets are associated with alcohol, (I can give you none). Your experience vs my experiences
21. No one has ever said, “If only I had taken a drink, things wouldn’t have gotten out of control.”
Right, cause that is a ridiculous statement.
22. Alcohol causes me to act in ways I normally wouldn’t.
You would normally act that way given the right set of circumstances, so yes, you should avoid those circumstance, but you should also understand that your weakness is not caused by those circumstances. Your problem is still very real even without those circumstances.
23. Alcohol kills brain cells.
Not if you are drinking biblically (in moderation)
24. Alcohol is a counterfeit and provides a false peace.
Right, but alcohol is not the problem, its that we are worshiping alcohol like a god. Alcohol is no more to blame than the Golden Calf in the wilderness.
25. The Bible says that no drunkards will enter the kingdom of God. Being drunk starts with one drink. I don’t want to see how far outside the lines I can color when eternity is at stake.
-_- I’ll just continue to believe that God will be faithful to save me, I’ll place my confidence in his ability to keep his covenant. *sips more of that gin and tonic*
26. Alcohol is a waster—money, gifts and talents, destinies and so on.
Then pretty much anything can be a “waster”, again, its not a problem with the “thing”, but with the heart of the person using that thing.
27. Alcohol leads to really bad behavior. It is a factor in 50 percent of violent crimes.
Let go back to my bullet analogy. Their chambers are filled with violent bullets, alcohol is the trigger. They still have issues with violence with or without alcohol. Your point also works both ways. Alcohol is NOT a factor in 50 percent of violent crimes. Do you know what is a factor 100 percent of the time? Sinful people who need redemption.
28. Alcohol distracts and derails you from living the victorious life for which Christ died.
Alcohol helps me celebrate my victorious life! *sip*
29. Wisdom is the principle thing that I need to pursue at all cost; alcohol makes me stupid.
Yeah, you should definitely see a doctor and continue to abstain. I don’t know you, so I can’t attest to this fact, but in your article, your poor understanding of scripture makes you seem foolish. Also Christ is the principle thing we should pursue at all cost.
30. Alcohol has ruined many, many marriages.
Those marriages may still be together if we only got past the external abuses of alcohol and really got to the heart issues underneath those failing marriages. In a way, alcohol is only the tip of the iceberg, the bulk of the problem is underneath. Also, did I mention that my wife and I get all snuggly after a few drinks? Being Snuggly is good for marriages. *makes wife a gin and tonic*
31. The only influence I should be “under” is God’s.
Which is why I don’t let alcohol influence me or drink to such excess that it does.
32. The Bible tells me to be alert; alcohol delays my reaction time.
Okay, sometimes playing around all day with my kids makes me tired which delays my reaction time, should I stop playing with my kids?
33. If I don’t start drinking, I’ll never have to stop.
Wow, we must live in entirely different context.
34. Alcohol severely tarnishes my testimony.
Wow, we must live in entirely different context.
35. Don’t want your teenagers to drink? Yep, same reasons apply to you.
Nope, same reasons don’t apply, the only reason I don’t want my teenager to drink is that it is illegal for them. If I see certain characteristics in my children that give other reasons for them specifically to abstain, then I will address them with my child biblically.
36. God is holy; alcohol is not.
I’ll take “Things not ever said in scripture” for 1000 Alex.
37. Alcohol and prayer don’t mix.
Hey, lets stay on topic, Praying and drinking is different than if we should abstain all together.
38. Alcohol and Bible study don’t mix.
Hey, lets stay on topic, bible study and drinking is different than if we should abstain all together.
39. Alcohol lowers my resolve to resist temptation.
If abstaining helps you resits, then great, and maybe others should too, but for me alcohol is not a factor, and it is not normative for everyone.
40. Alcohol = Brokenness (broken lives, health, dreams and so on)
Scripture citation please.
41. When the world sees us drinking, it sends the message that Jesus isn’t enough.
The “World”? Apparently you do not understand the cultural or missional implications of your opinion.
42. Moderate drinking? How about moderate pornography or moderate heroin use or moderate lying or moderate adultery?
How about moderate bible reading? I kid, but seriously your examples are setting up a straw-man argument. Specifically with adultery, adultery is the result of sex used sinfully. As we already covered before, sex is NOT a sin, sex with someone that is not your spouse is. There is no such thing as moderate sin, drinking is not a sin, excessive drinking, also known as drunkenness, is a sin. So your example should say “Moderate Drunkenness?” There is no such thing because if you’ve already moved to drunkenness then you are already sinning, same thing with pornography and adultery. Is it a sin to be moderately aroused by your spouse? No, but this is they type of fallacious argument you are using.
43. Christians are called to live a life of total surrender and separation from the world.
Yes, even in the way they partake of alcohol.
44. Alcohol makes me forget. It can make me forget that I am married, that I am saved and so on.
What the what? You have much bigger issues than alcohol.
45. “I don’t get drunk. I only have one or two drinks.” If they didn’t affect you, you would drink soda.
I am not sure what you are trying to say, soda in excess can have adverse affects too.
46. I should never look to the glass or bottle for joy, which can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, but I don’t not find my Joy in drink, I express my Joy in Christ with a drink. “In Christ God has atoned for all my sins! Cheers and Amen”
47. Alcohol fills my mind with impure thoughts.
No, alcohol reveals them.
48. If it could hinder my faith walk or love walk or dishonor the lordship of Jesus Christ, I need to forsake it.
Everything potentially has that problem, so should we forsake everything that God has given us? Surely not if we are using it properly.
49. Alcohol doesn’t help me run the race that Jesus has marked before me to finish with more accuracy. It does the polar opposite.
Do you got a verse for me yet?
50. For any argument that tries to justify Christian drinking, there are at least 50 other reasons not to. The writing is on the wall. It’s not God’s best for Christians to drink.
I don’t care what wall the writing is on, or how many counter arguments there are, if it is not in the bible and we are not talking about what a Christian should or should not do, we are merely talking about personal experience and preferences.
Theist the Bearded 