GO AHEAD, HAVE A FEW BEERS - IT'S OK

GO AHEAD, HAVE A FEW BEERS - NO KIDDING

The Bible says much about drinking alcohol, as well as many other subjects. There is some debate in regard to the question – was the wine in the Bible referring to grape juice or fermented grape juice, which is alcoholic in nature?

Genesis 9:20-21 says, “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.” Noah could not have become drunk by drinking grape juice, so we must assume he drank an alcoholic beverage made from the grapes of his vineyard.

So, Noah was a drunkard but God still used him to build the ark. God still loved Noah just as He still loves you and I. Noah repented of his sin of drunkeness and God used him in a mighty way.

I have met several people who think that because they drink beer, wine or alcohol that they will go to hell. That is honestly how they felt and they assumed that God did not care for them because they did drink alcohol.They veiwed God as judgemental and waiting to condem them. My friends, this is just not true.

Not only can God save you, but only God can save you. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). Not one of us is beyond the reach of God’s saving grace (Isaiah 59:1).

Mankind is the crown jewel of God’s creation, made in His image (Genesis 1:26). God wishes all of us to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and none of us to perish (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:32). To those who believe in Jesus’ name, God gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12)

What about King David? King David was an adulterer and a murderer but he cried out to God for forgiveness.(Psalm 51) God forgave him and not only did David write many of the Psalms in the bible but he became known as a man after God's on heart.

What about Simon Peter who walked with Jesus and was present for many teachings and miracles. But when Jesus was arrested Peter denied even knowing who Jesus was. Peter was forgiven and wrote 1st and 2nd Peter that we have in the bible today.

So how is it that you can think that God does not love us or will not forgive us? You can talk to God as you would a close friend or relative. He cares for you.

So why did God do things this way? Because God wanted to encourage anyone who thought they were "too sinful" to be saved and at the same time He put His perfect patience on display for everyone to see.

Scripture does not necessarily forbid a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol.

In fact, some Scriptures discuss alcohol in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs, “Drink your wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine “that makes glad the heart of men.” Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. Isaiah 55:1 encourages, “Yes, come buy wine and milk”.

What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19).

Drinking alcohol in excess is undeniably addictive. Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say he is drinking alcohol in excess to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Jesus changed water into wine. It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion (John 2:1-11; Matthew 26:29). In New Testament times, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation, the water was often filled with bacteria, viruses, and all kinds of contaminants. The same is true in many third-world countries today.

As a result, people often drank wine because it was far less likely to be contaminated. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul was instructing Timothy to stop drinking the water (which was probably causing his stomach problems) and instead drink wine. In that day, wine was fermented (containing alcohol), but not necessarily to the degree it is today.

Again, Scripture does not forbid Christians from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12).

Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful nor addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin.

However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to consume alcohol in excess, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others, it is often best for a Christian to abstain from drinking alcohol.

So, Is it sinful to drink alcohol beverages? The answer to this question is that the alcohol beverage itself is not sinful, because sin is in the heart of man and does not exist in any object of itself.

It is the drunkenness and intoxication that comes about when we drink too much alcohol beverage that causes us to sin. Jesus performed his first miracle which was turning water into wine. You can read the entire account of His miracle in John 2:1-11

Consider Jesus words in Matthew chapter 15

Matthew 15:10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand".

Jesus said in Matthew 15:11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Matthew 15:15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

Matthew 15:16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body"?

Jesus said in Matthew 15:18 "But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these things defile them".

So, are we free to drink moderately as long as we do not become drunk? Yes. But know that there is no free pass to drink any alcohol beverage in excess.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.

1 Timothy 5:23 "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities".

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit".

1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".

The Bible teaches discipline and moderation; even eating too much food is a sin and is called the sin of gluttony in the Bible.

Proverbs 23:2 "Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony". But you don't hear many people quote that bible passage.

Instead, judgemental people like to say "be not drunk on the wine". And by the way, that is only half of that bible verse.

Ephesians 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit". (Holy Spirit)

Now debauchery is defined as excess. So, if you drink any alcohol beverage in excess you will become a drunkard. Do not become a drunkard.

Think about God's word in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor DRUNKARDS nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God".

Proverbs 20:1 warns us what too much wine and strong drink can do to us. You can end up raging and brawling and doing things in a drunken state that are very unwise and you may regret it later.
How many times have we heard the expression when someone talks unwisely after drinking too much? — “That was the alcohol talking.”

The Bible does make a distinction, as to the affect that strong drinks (alcoholic beverages like whiskey, vodka, etc.) have on a person, as opposed to wine, showing that the strong alcoholic drinks are far worse at causing us to become out of our heads and violent.

We know that drunkeness is responsible for many broken homes, abusive behavior toward family members and others. We all know the many deaths on our highways caused by drinking and driving and the many premature deaths caused by health problems from being a drunkard. Drunkenness is a very evil sin that hurts many families.

Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. However, the Bible specifically condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35).

Christians are also commanded to not allow anything to control them (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Scripture further forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13).

Also, the phrase “underage drinking” refers to breaking the law by supplying alcohol to minors or imbibing by minors, then clearly it is wrong and the Bible condemns it. Romans 13:1-7 makes it very clear that Christians are not to disobey the laws of the land but we are to obey the government God places over us.

God created government to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Romans 12:8). We are to obey the government in everything—paying taxes, obeying rules and laws, and showing respect.

If we do not, we are ultimately showing disrespect towards God, for He is the One who placed that government over us. Therefore, anyone who breaks the law by buying or supplying alcohol to minors is guilty of law-breaking and is disobeying God. Minors who drink alcohol illegally, through underage drinking, are similarly guilty.

So what should our position be as responsible citizens knowing the problems that drunkenness causes? The Bible says all drunkards who do not repent will not inherit the kingdom of God. Period.

The Apostle Paul wrote that he would not allow his liberty to be a license to sin, nor would he do anything that would cause a brother to stumble. "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another". Galatians 5:13"But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a tumbling block to them that are weak". 1 Corinthians 8:9

There is growing evidence that moderate drinking may be good for your health. I recently read about an analysis on Wine and Beer consumtion. The study found that when people drank 16 ounces a day for 45 days their cholesterol and triglycerides (or blood fats) dropped.

Also, our drinking water - including our tap water, can be expected to contain a certain amount of contaminants. In the United States, the EPA sets standards for around 90 different types of contaminants in our drinking water. These contaminates can have a negative effect on your health.

I believe that brewed beer is safer to drink than our own tap water. Nowadays, at the very minimum we need to use a good water filter.

We must all give an account of ourselves before God one day. What would please Him? The Spirit of God gives us a better joy and a more complete release that many are seeking by drinking TO MUCH alcohol beverage.

If you want to receive the salvation that is available through Jesus, place your faith in Him. Fully trust His death as the sufficient sacrifice for your sins. Completely rely on Him alone as your Savior. That is the biblical method of salvation.

If you have received Jesus as your Savior, by all means, say a prayer to God. Tell God how thankful you are for Jesus. Offer praise to God for His love and sacrifice. Thank Jesus for dying for your sins and providing salvation for you.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Thank you for the liberty we have in Christ. Help us not to judge one another in regards to what we eat or drink. We are first to love You, and then, to love one another. May we do this in word and deed. May we be a good witness before those in the world and may our life be pleasing to You Lord. We pray You will deliver those who are addicted to alcohol beverage. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE: God Is for the Alcoholic by Bernard Palmer OR https://www.gotquestions.org/whats-new.html