What_Bible_Says_About_Alcohol_and_Drugs

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ALCOHOL AND DRUGS' May be we believe that good friends and a drink of good whisky or beer equal a good time. May be we are one of those who insist that it is okay to drink as long as you drink "responsibly,". May be we have an opinion that drinking is fun and the people who drink are more social, creative, cool and attractive. May be we profess that a little wine is good for health! But, We are not an exception, the whole world glamorizes the use of alcohol. But have we ever bothered to know what God our creator says about this substance' The word of God - Bible tells us something very different: 1 Corinthians 6:10 lists drunkards among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. "Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves – none of these will possess God’s kingdom." Galatians 5:21 "They are envious, get drunk, have orgies and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before THOSE WHO DO THESE THINGS WILL NOT POSSESS THE KINGDOM OF GOD. " Proverbs 23:19-21, "Listen, my son, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. Don’t associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags."   Proverbs 20:1 "Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It’s stupid to get drunk." Isaiah 5:11, 22 "You are doomed! You get up early in the morning to start drinking, and you spend long evenings getting drunk. You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle! Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks! " Hosea 4:11 The Lord says, "Wine, both old and new, is robbing my people of their senses."   Titus 2:11-12 tells us, "For the grace of God that bring salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. (This is how God wants us to live) 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13 "In the letter that I wrote you I told you not to associate with immoral people. What I meant was that you should not associate with a person who calls himself a believer but is immoral or greedy or worship idols or is a slanderer or a drunkard or a thief. Don’t even sit down to eat with such a person." (God does not want us to have any association with people who are drunkards!) Ephesians 5:18, "Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the spirit." REMEMBER, MY BROTHER/SISTER, SATAN LOVES IT WHEN WE DRINK AND GET HIGH. Maybe we have never thought of this, but it is a fact that consumption of alcohol or drugs opens us up to the attack of the evil spirits. Satan will use drugs and alcohol to get a stronghold in our life. He loves it when we drink and get high. Satan wants us to be off guard and hallucinating. There are specific demonic spirits associated with liquor and drugs and every time we use these substances, we could unknowingly be opening the doorway for these demonic spirits to come into our life. Ephesians 6:12 warns us of such things: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." When we drink alcohol and use drugs, we are in no shape to fight against temptations. We are leaving ourselves wide open to demonic possession. When we are intoxicated, with our inhibitions lowered and our judgment gone, we will sin and get into things that we would have avoided had we been in our senses. How many people have been killed because of drunk drivers' How many babies have been aborted because two drunken strangers had sex that they later regretted' How many men and women have committed crimes against their neighbors and friends while being under the influence of alcohol or drugs' God's Word warns against these things: Romans 13:12-14, "The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light. Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of the day – no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy. But take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires." Proverbs 23:31-32 "Don’t let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, though it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. " Isaiah 28:7, "Even the prophets and the priests are so drunk that they stagger. They have drunk so much wine and liquor that they stumble in confusion. The prophets are too drunk to understand the visions that God sends, and the priests are too drunk to decide the cases brought to them." Are we living sober' Are we always on guard' Let us remember Ephesians 6:11 which instruct us to "Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks." So, if we are struggling with sin in some areas of our lives, let us examine ourselves, whether we are leaving the door wide open for Satan by the things we involve ourselves with. And check whether we treat our bodies like the temple of the Holy Spirit or more like a temple of devils. We have heard people say that God made everything and hence anything natural is good! What a weird idea! Just because God made something, does not mean that He wants you to use that thing in a way that would harm yourself or others. God made many mushrooms that spring forth out of the ground and are poisonous. Do you think God wants you to eat these poisonous mushrooms' Are they good for you since God made them' Of course not. God also made the materials needed to fashion a gun, and God gave man the ability to use his brain to create different weapons. Does God want His created beings to use their God-given abilities to create weapons of destruction and ultimately kill one another' Of course not. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, there was a tree there that God had created. It was the tree that bore the fruit that would reveal knowledge about good and evil. It was a tree pleasant to the eye. It was also a tree that God told Adam and Eve to stay away from. God created this tree, but He did not want His children to have anything to do with it. But Satan came along and whispered in Eve's ear and told her that the fruit from this tree would make her wise and that eating from the tree would not harm her. Foolishly, instead of listening to God's instructions, Eve listened to the devil. We all know what happened next. How many of us foolishly believe the devil's lie that drinking alcohol will give us knowledge and make us more creative' How many of us are deceiving ourselves by saying, "but it is natural"' The forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden was "natural," too. How many of us are trying to prove something to our so-called friends and fit in with them instead of heeding God's warning to stay away from those substances that alter our behavior and damage our mind' We will be surprised when we find that the price we have to pay for a quick high is more than we bargained for. Let us not forget that ALCOHOL AND DRUGS DISQUALIFY US FROM BEING USED BY GOD. Don't we want to be used by God' How can God use us as a witness to others if we have no self-control, are setting a bad example to others, and are behaving just like the world by drinking and getting high' The Word of God tells us that if we are to be used by Him, we must be sober and avoid intoxicating substances. Titus 1:7-8, "For since a church leader is in charge of God’s work, he should be blameless. He must not be arrogant or quick tempered, or drunkard or violent or greedy for money.” Titus 2:2-6, " That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children... Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. This is what God's Word tells us about a great man of God, John the Baptist: Luke 1:15-16, "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.' And this is what another great man of God, Daniel, did when given the opportunity to drink wine: Daniel 1:8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." These men were used by God in a mighty way. God was able to use them because they did not defile their bodies or minds with alcohol or drugs. Do you think anyone would have listened to John the Baptist or Daniel or the disciples if they would have been hanging out at the bar during happy hour and getting drunk' And if we are thinking, "But I'm not a bishop or deacon or someone chosen like John the Baptist, I am not under those same conditions, I'm just trying to enjoy a little wine with my meal," we need to consider this: If we are truly saved and have been adopted into God's family, we are now called kings, priests, and saints. Revelation 1:5-6 says "Jesus Christ ... washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us KINGS and PRIESTS unto God and his Father." And Revelation 5:10 also says that Jesus has made us unto our God kings and priests. So we see, men and women, we have been adopted into God's royal family. "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9). And the Bible says this of its kings and royalty: Proverbs 31:4 "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted." So, friends, let us stop living like the world, and start living like God's holy royal people! We may nod our heads in agreement, when someone say "I am a Christian and I do not see anything wrong with drinking an alcoholic beverage within moderation. However I know that drinking to the point of intoxication is strictly forbidden by the Bible and therefore I drink responsibly." But, the fact remains that, all Christians should abstain from drinking alcohol altogether. Every Christian has a responsibility and an obligation to not drink alcohol at all. * We are at liberty in the Lord, but we still have to be aware of how our actions affect others. Some of us will often say, Well, we can wear what we want or drink what we want or do what we want because we are not under law. We are under grace. But the Bible shows us something else that we need to consider: Romans 14:21, "The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine or doing anything that will make your brother or sister fall." 1 Corinthians 8:11-13, "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died' But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." 1 Corinthians 10:23, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." Alcohol has caused countless numbers of people to experience death, heartache, broken homes, sinful mistakes. Obviously a whole lot of people are stumbling because of it. Instead of justifying our habit of drinking, let us realize that someone else may be made weak because of our habit. We should be aware of the image we portray as ambassadors of Christ. In whatever we are doing, we should ask ourselves, "Will this thing cause someone weaker in the faith confusion or alarm'" "Will this cause those who do not know the Lord to believe I am worldly'" "Will this make my kids think that I approve of them engaging in this behavior'" Let us not give anyone any "ammunition" that they can use against us. When we personally engage in something, to a certain extent doing it "disqualifies" us from speaking out against it. How can we tell our children not to drink alcohol if they see us drinking' How lame does it sound when they say, "But you do it," and our response is, "Oh, but I know my limits." The Bible tells us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We are not to even give the appearance of doing something that may be judged by someone as evil. If someone sees me at a restaurant with a glass of wine in my hand, do they know whether that is my first glass or my fifth' All they see is someone drinking an alcoholic beverage. We want people to behold our good works, not our questionable behavior. 1 Peter 2:12, "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." And this applies to other areas of our life, not just the appearance we give when we drink alcohol. We need to see our lives through the eyes of others and act in a way that glorifies God. And we need to do all we can to not give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27) or do things that weaken our testimony as Christians. Matthew 5:13, 14 tells us, "Ye are the salt of the earth...Ye are the light of the world." As Christians we should be striving to set an example to others. We should show the world that we don't need to drink to be social and happy We should show our brothers and sisters that they don't need to conform to this world's standards. Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.." Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." We need not live like the world, look like the world, or agree with the world, unless, of course, the world is saying that Jesus is Lord and that He is the only way to be saved! We are the people called to lift the world to higher standards, God's standards. We need to glorify God in all that we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Let us always remember that we are at war with Satan and are subject to spiritual wickedness. Not a single Christian can take this war lightly or be unprepared. How can we be foolish enough to have an impression that it is okay to "relax with a little wine" while the Enemy is plotting and scheming! 1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 1 Peter 2:11, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul..." If we still insist that we can drink "responsibly," can we even really trust ourselves to know when enough is enough' How can we say we know our limits' What are we trusting, our own heart' Jeremiah 17:9, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it' Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Isaiah 28:7, "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment." How can we easily set aside the truth that, no alcoholic wanted to become an alcoholic and it all started with a sip. As Christians and ambassadors for God, we have a responsibility to set an example to those around us. We need to be aware of the fact that at anytime and at anyplace, we are being watched. Someone is taking note of our actions. These people who are viewing us may be family members, friends, or even total strangers. Who the person is, is of no importance. What is important is that we do not want to cause even one person to stumble in their walk because of our deeds, appearance, conversation, or habits.  This corrupt world that we live in will tell us that to have fun and to be social and to look cool, we have to drink or get high. And then later if we become an alcoholic or a crackhead, this twisted world will say, "Well, that is okay. You just have a "disease." God's Word clearly tells us that our body is a holy temple, and that we are not to defile ourselves with alcohol and drugs. And if we insist on rebelling against God and indulging in alcohol and drugs, God's Word calls you a drunkard and a fool. We need to choose this day whom we will serve. We can serve God and ask Him to clean up our life, or we can continue serving our own fleshly lusts and drinking and getting high. And if we choose to serve God, we need to follow God's command as found in this verse: Ephesians 5:8, 11 "For ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." So let us stop being entertained by wickedness and stop taking part in it. Stop calling evil good and good evil, and prepare for the battle that is at hand. “With God everything is possible.”