The Christian and Alcohol

I have been preaching “full-time” for over 25 years. I have worked in Tennessee, Florida, and Arkansas and at four different congregations in that time. One subject that has needed attention in every place is that of the consumption of alcohol. I saw a statement on Facebook that is very accurate: “Alcohol is the one drug that you have to defend yourself for NOT using.” The consumption of alcohol is so common that you are considered abnormal for not partaking.

I do not think anyone would disagree that drunkenness is a sin. The Bible is abundantly clear on that issue (Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; 1 Pet. 4:3). The statistics concerning alcoholism speak for themselves. DUI, public intoxication, aggravated assault, sexual assault, spousal abuse, homicide, child neglect and abuse, property damage. The list could go on and on! Alcohol changes how your body functions. The liver, brain, pancreas, and metabolism are all affected by the use of alcohol in any amount. Alcohol is a depressant that impacts the function of the brain, followed by the function of the central nervous system. Brain activity slows, drowsiness, decreased inhibition, and slowed coordination.

Yet, how many times have we heard a person who claims to be a Christian defend the use of alcohol? Think about the Biblical admonitions to sobriety. “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thes. 5:5-8). Peter wrote, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober…” (1 Pet. 1:13). “Be sober, be vigilant…” (1 Pet. 5:8). Sobriety has to do with having a clear mind and being free from intoxicants. The consumption of alcohol does exactly the opposite of that! Sarah Sheppard, at www.verywellmind.com wrote, “Specifically, alcohol acts on the body’s central nervous system. It disrupts the neurotransmitters in your brain that are responsible for transmitting information. This can affect your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings...In other words, it reduces activity in the brain.” Science and Scripture both speak about the negative impacts of alcohol so definitively! However, you’ll hear someone argue, “Well, Jesus made wine!” or “What about Deuteronomy 14:26?!”

The effects of alcohol begin with the first drink. A person can consume alcohol quickly, but it takes the body a lot longer to process it. A biomarker can be detected in urine for up to fourteen days after drinking. Alcohol can be detected in the saliva for up to twenty-four hours. It takes approximately sixty to ninety minutes for the body to begin breaking it down. All the while, you are not sober. While you may not be stumbling drunk, you certainly are not sober. If the Christian is commanded to be sober - and he is - how is the consumption of alcohol justifiable? Here’s a good question - why would a Christian want to be involved with it at all?