Christians and Alcohol

Ephesians 5:15-18

Scripture says a lot about alcohol. Today we look at some things and talk about it, not from a human perspective but through a Biblical lens to see what scripture says about it.

Scripture Isn’t Silent on Alcohol:

• Proverbs 20: 1
• Proverbs 23: 21
• Psalm 104:14-15
• Romans 14:21
• 1 Timothy 5:23
• Ephesians 5:18

A few things we know:

1. Drunkenness is sin.
2. Alcohol is dangerous.
   • 1/3 of all traffic deaths are alcohol related.
   • It leads to addiction.
   • 1 in 10 people who drink socially will become addicts.
   • It contributes to spouse and child abuse.
   • It causes 27,000 deaths a year by liver disease.
   • An estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
3. Scripture speaks both positively and negatively about alcohol.

Christians and Alcohol – 4 positions:

1. Teetotaler – Never touch an alcoholic drink, its always a sin.
2. Moderation – Drink, but do so in moderation, never to drunkenness.
3. Liberty – Eat, drink and be merry. God made it, it’s good, go for it.
4. Wisdom – In our current context, given the dangers, other believers, our community, and for the sake of the gospel, its wise to abstain.

Principles for the “Gray Areas” – taken from Danny Akin, President of SEBTS:

• Will this action be helpful to me? – 1 Corinthians 6:12
• Will this action potentially enslave me? – 1 Corinthians 6:12
• Will this action encourage my brother or sister in Christ? – Romans 14:19-21
• Will this action help or hinder my gospel witness? – 1 Corinthians 9:19-23