BOTTOMS UP

"You have spent enough time in the past doing what godless people do - living for immorality, lust, drunkenness, orgies and idolatry." - 1 Peter 4:3


Here's my question. Is it bad for a Christian to drink alcohol? In the verse above, Peter associates drunkenness with a pretty nasty laundry list of other activities, but on the other hand, there are also verses like Ecclesiastes 9:7 that say, "Go, eat your food with gladness and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God approves of this." That seems confusing doesn't it?

Although on the surface the Bible seems to be in conflict on this issue, I think closer examination will show that it provides some very clear cut directions on drinking.

For starters, it's important to remember that alcohol, just like everything else, is good because it was created by God. Psalms 104:15 says that "God made wine which gladdens the hearts of men." There is nothing God has made that is not good, but problems arise when man takes a good thing created by God and abuses it. It seems that you and I have this tendency to become so obsessed with the good things that God has made that we fail to worship the creator himself. This is what we have done with alcohol. We have turned drinking into an experience we look forward to because we know it will be an escape from reality and from the pressures and weight of this world. Hosea 4:10-11 gives us a vivid picture of problems God's followers had hundreds of years ago and I'm afraid we're not much different today. "They will eat and still be hungry, they will play the prostitute and not multiply, all because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish whoredom, wine and more wine, which rob them of their senses."

I feel pretty strongly that God gave us our senses for a reason and that they are meant to be kept, not thrown by the wayside on the weekends. In Matthew 5:13-14, Jesus instructs his followers to be "salt and light" to the rest of the world. He tells them they should talk different, live different and look different that those who are living life for themselves and any follower of Christ today should do the same. Living like this isn't an optional thing for a believer, it's expected, and it's tough to do this when one doesn't have their senses isn't it?

I think this is why Peter and the rest of the Bible speak out strongly against drinking to the point of getting drunk. While there's certainly nothing wrong with drinking, as long as it's done legally, there is no reason for a follower of Christ to be drunk.

Two important things to remember when drinking:

1. Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit to the governing authorities because there is no authority that God has not established." This means that God expects his followers to obey the law of the land. Since the current law says it is illegal to drink before the the age of 21, it is wrong for any person under this age to drink. No exceptions. In you are a follower of Christ under the age of 21 and you're drinking, you're wrong and need to stop.

2. Romans 15:1-2 says, "We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive to things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord." A believer who is of legal age to drink, should always be careful of the setting in which they do. Minors and friends who have a tendency to abuse alcohol are likely not as "strong" as you are when it comes to drinking responsibly and so you have an obligation to do what is in their best interest, not your own. Be careful!