According to the bible is it a sin to drink alcohol

According to the Bible, it is not a sin to drink alcohol, but getting drunk on wine is forbidden because it leads to dissipation.

This is according to the book of Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV), which says:

“And do not be drunk with wine, which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.”

So what is dissipation?

The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines dissipation as “a disapproving behavior that is enjoyable but has a harmful effect on you.”

The New International Version uses the word debauchery instead of dissipation. This is what it says:

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines debauchery as “immoral behavior involving sex, alcohol, or drugs”.

The New American Standard Bible puts it this way:

“And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

You will agree with me that a drunkard cannot do the things we find recorded in Ephesians 5:19–20, that is,

“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Instead, drunkenness most often leads to immoral behavior, which is not fitting for the saints.

Next, we examine scriptures that are against drunkenness.

Scriptures against drinking alcohol

In Leviticus 10:9–11, God gave an instruction to Aaron, saying:

“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drinks, you and your sons, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

In this passage, God gives a command to Aaron and his sons not to go into the tabernacle of meeting WHILE drunk for three main reasons. God wanted them to remain sober enough to

• Distinguish between clean and unclean things,
• Distinguish between holy and unholy things, and
• Correctly teach the children of Israel God’s laws and requirements.

From the above passage, we notice that the instruction God gave them was time-specific. By that, I mean that as long as they were ‘off duty, they were at liberty to drink wine. What do you think?

We find a similar instruction in Ezekiel 44:21, which says:

“No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court.”

In Numbers 6:1-4, we come across the Law of the Nazirite that God gave Moses concerning a man or woman who was willing to separate themselves to the LORD. The scripture says:

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from the seed to skin.’”

This passage implies that the Nazirite was expected to abstain from wine and any related stuff, until their days of separation were over.

Again, we see that abstinence from wine or intoxicating drinks was expected to last as long as the vow remained active. Otherwise, after finishing the days of separation, they were free to drink wine.

In Judges 13:3-5, an Angel of the LORD appeared to Samson’s mother with a message from God. The Angel told her that she would conceive and bear a son. However, she was to abstain from wine or similar drinks and anything unclean throughout the pregnancy period. In addition, the child to be born was to be a Nazirite throughout his life.

We find these words in Judges 13:3-5:

“And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drinks and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of Philistines.””

In Proverbs 20:1, the Bible says:

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”

This means that wine is capable of making a fool out of an otherwise honorable person. When a person gets drunk, he can easily turn abusive and outrageous at the same time.

According to Proverbs 23:19–20, we are warned not to mingle with winebibbers and drunkards because we may end up harvesting poverty. This scripture reads:

“Hear, my son, and be wise; and guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers or with gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”

Proverbs 23:29–30 enumerates the miseries caused by excessive consumption of wine and intoxicating drinks. These miseries include woe, sorrow, contentions, complaints, wounds without cause, and redness of the eyes. This is what we read in Proverbs 23:29–30:

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contention? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness in the eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine.”

Proverbs 23:31–32 warns us against lusting after wine, the consequence of which is hallucinations and perverseness. This scripture says:

“Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the end, it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things.”

Proverbs 31:4-5 teaches that rulers of the land should not be given to wine or strong drink to prevent them from forgetting the law and perverting justice for the afflicted. This is what that scripture records:

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel; IT IS NOT FOR KINGS TO DRINK WINE, nor for princes to intoxicate drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.”

The Bible teaches that a land is blessed when its rulers abstain from intoxicating drinks. We find this in Ecclesiastes 10:16–17, which says:

“Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness!”

Proverbs 31:6-7 gives us a description of who should take an intoxicating drink: he who is perishing and whoever has bitterness in his heart. We thus read:

“Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.”

This scripture teaches that unless you are miserable and hopeless, wine and intoxicating drinks are not for you.

Isaiah 5:11 warns that those who rise up early in the morning to pursue strong drink and those who linger on in the dens of wine are likely to get inflamed by the same. This is what the scriptures say:

“Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink; who continue until night, till wine inflames them!”

Isaiah 5:22 warns of men who are champions at drinking wine, who get intoxicated and then take bribes to deny the righteous the justice due to them. This scripture says:

“Woe to men mighty at drinking wine; Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink; Who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away justice from the righteous man!”

In Isaiah 28:1, we see God pronouncing woe to the drunkards of Ephraim—to those who are overwhelmed with wine. We thus read:

“Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim. Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower that is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine!”

In Isaiah 28:3, God reveals the fate of the drunkards of Ephraim, which is, being trampled underfoot. This is what the Scripture records:

“The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot.”

In Isaiah 28:7-8, we get to see the negative consequences of taking intoxicating drinks, especially for those who were priests and prophets in Israel. We thus read:

“But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink they are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink; they are swallowed up by wine; they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision; they stumble in judgment. All tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean.”

In Jeremiah 35:6–14, we find the story of the Rechabites, who had been instructed by their father Rechab never to drink wine, together with their sons. This is what the scripture says:

“But they said, ‘we will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever, You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’’”

Hosea 4:11 teaches that wine and strong drinks can enslave the heart. This is what it says:

“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.”

Habakkuk 2:15 gives a warning to those who give wine or a strong drink to their neighbor so that they may gaze at their nakedness. This is what we read:

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness!”

In Luke 1:15, we see an Angel of God delivering a message to Elizabeth concerning the news about the birth of John the Baptist. He goes ahead to give information on John’s conduct, including abstinence from wine and strong drinks. We thus read:

“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb”.

John the Baptist never drank wine or strong drinks because he was set apart for God’s work right from the womb.

In Romans 13:13–14, the Apostle Paul exhorts the saints to walk circumspectly in readiness for the return of Christ. This is what we read:

“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.”

Notice that this letter is addressed to believers. Paul wrote such things because they were happening among believers. So Paul saw the need to send reminders in order to bring them back to the right path.

It is also interesting to notice that the Apostle Paul instructs the saints at Corinth to avoid individuals who were covetous, drunkards, sexually immoral, and idolaters. We find this in 1 Corinthians 5:11, which says:

“But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”

In 1 Timothy 3:2–3, the Apostle Paul gives the qualifications of overseers, one of which is to keep off alcohol. This is what the scripture says:

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence.”

A similar requirement is given to those who desire to be deacons. We find the following instruction in the book of 1 Timothy 3:8–9:

“Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, and hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.”

It is interesting to note that here, the Apostle Paul talks of ‘much wine’. Does this mean that deacons are allowed to drink in moderation? I leave that to you!

In 1 Peter 4:3, the Apostle Peter urges the saints to abandon their previous lifestyle and embrace the Christian way of living, which includes abstinence from intoxicating drinks. We thus read:

“For we have spent enough of our past lifetime doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.”

Conclusion

From our discussion, we have seen that there is no scripture in the Bible that says it is sinful to drink wine. Some say drinking a little wine is not bad; I agree. But how little is a little? And at what point do you say, Now I think I’m about to get drunk, and then stop? Therein lies the trap! The Bible gives us many examples that show the negative consequences of getting intoxicated. We have seen that getting drunk can impair one’s judgment, leading to bodily harm, brawls, contentions, immoral conduct, poor health, and miscarriages of justice, among other things. All these things are against the will of God, which is for us to lead a peaceful and quiet life. So, as a born again CHRISTIAN, it would be very WISE to KEEP OFF wine and any INTOXICATING DRINK which may easily lead you astray. This will greatly help you to remain focused on the higher calling; which is, salvation of your soul.

I hope the information was helpful. Thank you for your time.

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Are you a Born Again Christian? If not, kindly say the following prayer from the bottom of your heart, and you will get saved.

Prayer to become a born again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God;

I believe that you were sent of your Father to the earth to save sinners like me;

I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.

Come into my heart and baptize me with The Holy Spirit.

Thank you for saving me.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

Congratulations friend! You are now a born again Christian!

Welcome to the Family of God!

Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/