Should Christians drink alcohol? This is one of those questions with which many believers struggle. One person says it’s no big deal. Another says we shouldn’t drink and criticizes those who do.

At first glance, the Bible may even seem to contradict itself. In one passage it says wine is a blessing making the heart of man glad. Another says wine is a mocker.

So, how do you sort it all out? What does the Bible really say? How do you decide what’s right? Is it a personal decision? If so, are there some biblical guidelines to use in making that and other decisions?

Today’s Readings:

1 Chronicles 21 & 22
Psalm 78.34-39
Proverbs 20.1-2
Acts 9.1-21

Should Christians Drink Alcohol?

Proverbs 20.1-2:

To Drink or Not to Drink?

To drink or not to drink? The Bible has plenty to say about this issue but at times it does seem contradictory.  Today’s reading from Proverbs says:

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise (v. 1).

But let’s look at some other passages and try to put the issue of drinking alcohol in a wider biblical perspective.

Paul on Drinking

Paul addressed the issue in several of his letters. To the church at Rome he said:

Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy (Rom. 13.13).

And to the Galatians he said:

¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Gal. 5.19-21 NLT).

In talking about the Spirit-led life, he wrote to the Ephesians:

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5.18 NLT).

More from Proverbs

Another passage in Proverbs, this one from chapter 23, says:

²⁹ Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
³⁰ Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
³¹ Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
³² At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
³³ Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
³⁴ 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:
³⁵ “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?

And from Peter

The Apostle Peter said:

¹ So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. ² You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. ³ You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

⁴ Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. ⁵ But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead (1 Pet. 4. 1-5 NLT).

Water into Wine

But the Bible also says:

¹⁴ He [God] causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
¹⁵ And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart (Ps. 104).

And Jesus Himself turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana (Jn. 2.1-11).

So how do you sort it all out?

Sorting It Out

Certainly, there are situations where it’s important not to drink.

Proverbs 31 says:

⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
⁵ Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

When we are in situations where we must exercise clear-headed discernment or where there is a risk to others like drinking and driving, we should abstain. But that same passage goes on:

⁶ Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

And 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).

In biblical times, wine served hygienic and medicinal purposes.

It, also, had celebratory uses as in the wedding that Jesus attended. And since the Bible does not strictly condemn drinking we have the freedom in Christ to enjoy it in moderation in those and other settings.

Idolatry & Drunkenness

But the Scripture repeatedly condemns drunkenness. And since the Bible from Genesis to Revelation condemns and warns against idolatry, alcohol should never be what we turn to for comfort or relief from the stresses and trials of everyday life. God orchestrates those circumstances to help us see our need for Him. We shouldn’t run to alcohol or food or shopping or the million other things we tend to run to find what only He can provide.

But sometimes, it’s hard to know when, where, or even if we should drink at all. How can we discern God’s will for our lives in this and other what we might call gray areas?

Discerning God’s Will

Let’s look at several passages that can help guide our decisions in these areas.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Cor. 10.23).

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 (1 Cor. 6.12).

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more (1 Cor. 9.19).

¹⁵ And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. ¹⁹ So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. ²⁰ Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. ²¹ It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble (Rom. 14.15-21 NLT).

So, with these and other passages in mind, we might ask ourselves several questions as we consider whether or not we should drink. The same questions apply to other gray areas, as well.

Questions to Consider

Is it edifying, not just to me, but to those around me? My children or others?

Could I be brought under its power, either temporarily or in the long term? Temporarily, will my behavior be influenced by it? Long term, could I become addicted to it?

Is it the loving thing to do? Are there others around me who struggle in this area and who could be wrongly influenced or tempted?

What about the unbelievers that God has placed in my life? Perhaps even strangers who are watching from a distance? One of the excuses unsaved people use to keep God at arm’s length is that believers are hypocrites. Is my freedom worth being a stumbling block to someone? That’s what Paul was referring to in Romans 14.21 above.

It would be easier if Christianity was just a simple list of do’s and don’ts. Instead, in some cases, God asks us to choose and to do so out of a desire to please Him (2 Cor. 5.9) and demonstrate unselfish love for others (Matt. 22.37-40).

You may have already made a firm commitment not to drink, as my husband and I have done for a variety of reasons. The exception in our case might be a little champagne at a wedding, etc. But each of us needs to remember that other believers may view this issue differently and we must be careful not to impose our convictions on them. Where the Bible does not command either specifically or in principle, neither should we.

May God grant you His wisdom and grace as you seek God on this issue.

Today’s Other Readings:

1 Chronicles 21 & 22:

Praying for Our Children

Only may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the LORD charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed (22.12-13).

This was the blessing that David wanted for his son Solomon. I was reminded of Paul’s prayers and how his primary focus was on praying for spiritual growth for those in his care, something to consider as we pray for our children.

Psalm 78.34-39:

A God of Compassion

But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again (vv. 38-39).

Oh, the depth of His mercy and grace!

But … we cannot let that be an excuse to sin willfully. Romans 6.1-2 says:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Acts 9.1-21:

The Fruit of Repentance

In the last two chapters when the mob stoned Stephen, there was a man named Saul watching approvingly:

When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul (Acts 7.58).

Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death (Acts 8.1a).

And he didn’t stop with mere approval.

And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. ³ But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison (Acts 8.2b-3).

But notice in today’s reading that when Paul came to faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 9.1-19a), there was a complete and dramatic change. He went from persecuting, arresting, and murdering Christians to preaching Christ in the synagogues.

¹⁹ … Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,²⁰ and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ²¹ All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ (Acts 19b-22).

A genuine conversion experience will bear fruit (Matt. 3.8)!

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about the importance of godly friends and the foolishness of arguing, among other subjects.

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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

You might also like to check out this short series:

How Psychology Affects the Spread of the Gospel – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.