2019 Survey Found

% of people 18 and older reported they have consumed alcohol at some point in their lifetime.

% drank in the last year.

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% drank within the last 30 days.

% admitted to binge drinking in the last 30 days.

Americans had Alcohol Use Disorder.

youth from ages 12-17 have what is known as Alcohol Use Disorder in 2019

Alcohol use disorder: A chronic brain disorder marked by compulsive drinking, loss of control over alcohol use, and negative emotions when not drinking.

% of high school students drank alcohol,

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% engaged in binge drinking,

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% drove after drinking, and

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% rode with someone who had been drinking.
_{(Source: National Institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism)}

But what does the Bible say about Alcohol?

There are

references to wine and

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references to hard drink in the Bible.

Out of these 247 references,

are used negatively,

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are used positively,

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are neutral and tend to be symbolic references or specific to a vow of abstinence.

Negative:

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; At the last 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 have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Isaiah 5:22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Positive:

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.

Amos 9:14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.

John 2:1-11 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.*

Wine vs. Grape Juice:

There is only

word in both Greek and Hebrew that is used for wine with

Reveal Answer

distinction.

Everything God created was good came

.

There are aspects of creation (and their effects on us) that are part of the fall and

.

There are things that God created and are good, but that doesn’t mean we can use them

.

God created sex and said that sex is good, but only within a

.

One argument is that alcohol has a

affect to and so should be alright.

1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

There are plenty of studies that indicate

effects.

Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?”

Scripture

a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 “Drink your wine with a merry heart.”

Psalm 104:14-15 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 “Yes, come buy wine and milk…”

God does command Christians to

.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; At the last 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 have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Christians are commanded to not allow their bodies to be

by anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

Scripture forbids a Christian from doing anything that might

other Christians or

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them to sin.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

The Bottom Line.

Scripture does not forbid Christians from __drinking __beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol.

The key: Why would you do anything that would

your testimony?

If you have been delivered from sin and Jesus is all you need then why would you need or want

.

You may have the

to sin because of your salvation but that doesn’t mean you should.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

How can you be ready to share the Gospel with someone if your judgment is impaired?

Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.