“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?(Proverbs 23:29-35 NKJV)
Beer, wine, whiskey—you name it, I don’t need it. For me, it is not worth the danger. Some may say they can drink, “socially,” but I cannot. I am not judging you, but I am judging myself, and as I write I am seeking to lead you to sound judgment.
Clearly, drunkenness is sin. Scripture forbids it in many places. Before I was saved, I did not drink alcohol because I liked the taste, but to get buzzed. I usually went beyond buzzed to blitzed. I could have been the poster child for this Proverbs 23:29-35. That is a matter of wickedness.
When you start down that path, how do you know? Where is the need to do it? Why run the risk? There is the influence you also have on others, and even your family—will they be emboldened to try it, and will they be enticed to drunkenness? That is a matter of wisdom.
So, will I tell you the Bible forbids a beer or a glass of wine? It does not, but neither does it demand that you do it. There was a compelling reason for drinking some wine in the New Testament era. Grape juice would naturally ferment, as they did not have the means to preserve it. We do not face that issue today. In Bible times, water alone might often be contaminated as they had no means to purify it, except by adding some wine. Paul told Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.” (1 Tim.5:23). There was a health reason for its use.
What we see in our culture is the celebration and promotion of alcohol that often leads to excess. It is easy to be sucked into that vortex of vice or become a stumbling block to others. How many broken homes, shattered lives, and deaths on highways result? Someone near and dear to my heart is in prison now because of drinking and driving, resulting in a death. I sat in a courtroom and listened to weeping family members speak of the pain of their loved one needlessly killed.
I would like for you to weigh the wisdom of abstinence from alcohol. Rather than asking the question, “Can I have a drink?” to consider, “Should I?” What is the profit weighed against the peril? You may come to a different conclusion—some Christians do—but as for me, I just say, “Give me a glass of water,” or “I’ll take a cup of coffee.” That’s stimulating enough for me.
