The subject of drinking intoxicating beverages is often discussed among Christians, even leading to strong disagreements. Whether or not believers in Jesus should consume intoxicating beverages is a very important issue since drinking and drunkenness are social norms in most of the world. All Christians should know what God’s Word has to say about the matter, as well as how to apply it to their lives.
The purpose of this series of articles is to answer questions like these: Is drinking intoxicating beverages simply a matter of conscience? Are Christians free to drink if they try not to get drunk, or should they abstain altogether? How clear is Scripture on this? Does cultural context matter in how Christians should look at the issue?
A Worldwide Concern
To abstain or not to abstain from alcoholic beverages is an important topic worldwide. It is not just a Christian debate.
Major world religions forbid the drinking of intoxicating beverages, considering it sin. Both Buddhism and Islam forbid it. Islam often enforces abstinence with severe penalties, while Buddhist philosophy simply teaches abstinence without calling for enforcement. However, abstinence is one of the five most important moral precepts for Buddhists, so any remotely sincere Buddhist will abstain.
Bahai, Mormonism, Jainism, Sikhism all completely forbid consumption of alcoholic beverages. Other religions, like Hinduism, discourage intoxicating beverages outside of certain religious rituals and ceremonies. This means that billions of people are told that it is immoral to drink beverages that lead to inebriation.
Does Christianity? Do Christians, as opposed to Buddhism, Islam, and the other religions mentioned above, teach that believers have a moral right to drink alcoholic beverages?
God’s Word on Drunkenness
Throughout the world today, most people with a moral compass would acknowledge that drunkenness is sin. It would be very difficult to find anyone upholding morality who would argue that drunkenness is good.
We have all heard of and seen the horrible effects of drunkenness, such as violence, rape, sexual immorality, alcohol-related accidents, and other shameful behaviors and consequences. Today, most people know heavy drinking destroys the body and the mind, often resulting in various diseases.
When we read God’s Word, it does not take us long to understand His mind regarding drunkenness.
Fact 1: God absolutely forbids drunkenness among His people.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians. 5:18).
Fact 2: God judges drunkards and those who produce “strong drink.”
Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! … Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink (Isaiah 5:11, 20-22).
Fact 3: Drunkenness is dangerous and leads to much shame and poverty.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. ‘They struck me,’ you will say, ‘but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink’ (Proverbs 23:29-35).
Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Be not among the drunkards or among the gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags (Proverbs 23:19-21).
Fact 4: Unrepentant drunkards are outside God’s kingdom.
Those who refuse to put away wicked behaviors such as drunkenness reveal that they do not know God, for they do not have a new heart which seeks to honor Him. Those saved from sin through Jesus Christ do not want to continue in wickedness because they have been made clean in Him.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Those who profess, “I believe,” but remain enslaved to intoxicating beverages, make it quite clear that they have no true faith in Christ.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
Peter also made it clear that “drunkenness” and “drinking parties” was a practice of “the Gentiles” who live driven by “sensuality” and “passions.” Peter says that true believers have put this lifestyle in the past (1 Peter 4:3-5).
The sin of drunkenness is a serious matter in the eyes of God. Those who commit this sin do not honor Him. Repentance of such sins as drunkenness shows a genuine faith and desire to walk a new life in Jesus Christ.
Fact 5: God commands church discipline for drunkards.
If there is a believer in our assembly who refuses to repent of the sin of drunkenness, God commands us to cast that person out of our fellowship. This is to remain true until he or she willingly forsakes his evil practices.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you (1Cor. 5:9-13).
This much is obvious: inebriation/drunkenness is clearly outside of the will of God. Once we establish what should be obvious, we can consider whether a Christian can please God by drinking intoxicating beverages if he or she is careful to avoid getting drunk.
The Two Sides
Many believe that all Christians in every culture should abstain from alcoholic beverages, regardless of their ability to maintain sobriety. Those who hold to this position urge God’s people not to drink socially, offer intoxicating beverages at wedding receptions, or use them in any public functions.
Others insist that Christians have the freedom to drink in moderation. They argue there should be no restriction other than that of avoidance of drunkenness. Some Christians would even gather to drink alcoholic beverages upon leaving a worship service.
Whose lead should we follow? Should we abstain completely or take the position of freedom to drink without drunkenness? Is drinking in moderation ever permissible for Christians?
The Challenge
I believe that a careful examination of Scripture will guide us to a conclusion about God’s will in this matter. Before you continue to read this series, please take a few moments to prayerfully seek God’s wisdom about the matter. Whether your proclivity is to immediately side with total abstinence or allowance according to conscience, we need humility before God and His Word. We must strive to not take away from God’s revealed will or go beyond it.
We must be willing to side with God’s Word, whether it is popular or unpopular, whether it results in men’s praise or censure. If this is our heart, the remainder of the series will, I believe, prove helpful.
All Scripture quotations use the ESV unless otherwise noted.
