It's in the Bible
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).
Why are kings and rulers advised to not drink alcoholic drinks? It's in the Bible.
"It is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights” (Proverbs 31:4-5).
With what sins is drunkenness classed? It's in the Bible,
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).
What is one of the results of over-indulgence in food and drink? It's in the Bible,
"Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags” (Proverbs 23:20-21).
How do alcoholic drinks affect those who use them? It's in the Bible,
"Whose heart is filled with anguish and sorrow? Who is always fighting and quarreling? Who is the man with bloodshot eyes and many wounds? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new mixtures”
Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly. In 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. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it” (Proverbs 23:29-35).
Pure grape juice - not fermented wine - is a blessing to man. It's in the Bible,
"As the new wine is found in the cluster…one says, 'Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it…'" (Isaiah 65:8).
Our actions, no matter what they are, should be to bring glory to God. It's in the Bible,
"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:30-32).
Can I not just drink what I want? No. It's in the Bible,
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Lastly, the Bible offers a powerful alternative to drinking.
"Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead be filled with the [Holy] Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
I had supper with a man last Friday night. He told me how alcohol almost destroyed his life when he was a young man, leading to problems with the law and eventually prison. He told me that he hasn’t touched alcohol in thirty years, after the Lord delivered him from it. I told him I was proud of him.
How should we behave in these last days?
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
This is not a time for gaiety, self-indulgence, and careless living or drinking. We should be alert to the times we are in, shunning the lies of the enemy. We resist the enemy by walking in the truth and staying faithful. It helps to remember that we are not alone, no matter how alienated we may feel. Faithful brethren are experiencing (and resisting) the same trials that we are confronted with. In Christ, we can be more than conquerors. There is hope!
It's in the Bible.
****
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:24).
