Alcohol is considered a blessing from God and as a result should never be treated or identified as evil. It possesses the ability to gladden the heart, ease physical suffering and help w/other physical maladies. It is for these reasons associated w/other good things such as the gospel, wisdom or love. However, like all blessings, if they are abused, they become a curse. Alcohol abuse (i.e. drunkenness) is oftentimes the sign of (or associated w/) God’s curse upon a person or people. The reason God curses those who abuse alcohol (e.g. who get drunk) is b/c drunkenness removes the two things necessary to our mission of expanding His kingdom and bearing His image in this world: our ability to understand truth and (our ability to) carry out righteous judgment. Drunk persons make fools of themselves, lose the respect of others and regularly become guilty of great or grievous crimes. Drunkenness is therefore not only strongly warned against as dissipation and sin, but also listed among those sins most likely to cause a person to forfeit heaven. As such, the Church is called to abstain from any professing Christian who gets drunk and never give assurance to these individuals through allowing them to partake of the Lord’s Table. Christians who continue to drink once they feel the effects of alcohol are risking drunkenness and therefore not careful but foolish or even sinful. This person is not above reproach, lacking self-control and disqualified for diakonos or elder designations in the church. Additionally it must be noted that giving your minor children alcohol (or allowing your adult children who are immature and still living at home to drink) for the purpose of gladdening their hearts means you are also not being careful, may be breaking the law, and are possibly becoming a huge stumbling block in your child’s life that could damn you to Hell. As to cause, frequent drinking of alcohol and drunkenness is symptomatic of people who refuse to trust God. The only time a Christian should be drinking to gladden the heart is when the context and intention is sacred talk and holy celebration. No drinking whatsoever should be done unless it can be practiced to the glory of God. Lastly, as should obvious, a Christian can never be associated with those things pertaining to alcohol that communicate or represent its abuse.

1. Alcohol (for the purpose of consumption) is considered a blessing from God and as a result should never be treated/identified as evil (Pro 3:11; Isa 25:6; Amo 9:13-14; 1Ti 4:4 – “created by God” incl. His gifts/blessings – Jam 1:17; Isa 5:20).

2. It possesses the ability to gladden the heart, ease physical suffering or help w/other physical maladies (Psa 104:15 –“gladden [LXX -εὐφραίνω] the heart of man” = the heightened sense of happiness experienced when blood alcohol content [BAC] >.03 [legal limit = .08]. In modern slang, this is often referred to as being “buzzed”; Jud 9:13; Est 1:10; 2Sa 13:28; Zec 10:7; Ecc 9:7, 10:19; Pro 31:6-7; Joh 19:29-30; 1Ti 5:23 –“use a little wine for your stomach” = Paul’s prescription implies Timothy is having digestive problems. Studies show that the low ethanol count found in beer/wine stimulates “gastric emptying”/digestion in the stomach[1].).

3. It is for these reasons associated w/other good things such as the gospel, wisdom or love (Isa 55:1-7; Pro 9:2-5; Son 5:1).

4. However, like all blessings, if they are abused, they become a curse. Alcohol abuse (i.e. drunkenness) is oftentimes the sign of (or associated w/) God’s curse upon a person or people (Pro 23:20-21; Deu 28:39; Jer 13:13-14, 25:16, 27, 51:55-57; Lam 4:21-22; Nah 1:9-10; Joe 1:1-6; Mic 2:10-11[2]; Deu 21:20; Drunkenness occurs when I no longer possess the ability to think, control myself or conduct my responsibilities in a way that is wise [i.e. accurate, righteous and respectable] – Ecc 2:3; 1Co 6:12 – “enslaved” = control of oneself is no longer simply self])[3].

“Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil.” – Increase Mather

“Almost anything can be preserved in alcohol, except health, happiness, and money.”  – Mary Wilson Little

5. The reason God curses those who abuse alcohol (e.g. who get drunk) is b/c drunkenness removes the two things necessary to our mission of expanding His kingdom and bearing His image in this world: our ability to understand truth and (our ability to) carry out righteous judgment (Pro 20:1, 23:29-35, 33, 31:4-5; Isa 5:11-12, 22-23, 28:1, 3, 7, 56:10-12; Hos 4:11; Ecc 10:17 e.g. Gen 9:21, 19:32; 1Ki 16:9, 20:16).

“I would not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains.” ― William Shakespeare

“Alcohol is necessary for a man so that he can have a good opinion of himself, undisturbed be the facts.”  – Finley Peter Dunne

“Talking to a drunk person is like talking to an extremely happy, severely brain-damaged, three year old” – John Green

6. Drunk persons make fools of themselves, lose the respect of others and regularly become guilty of great or grievous crimes (Pro 4:17, 20:1, 26:10; Eze 28:28-32, 42; Hab 2:5, 15-16; e.g. Gen 9:21, 19:32, Lev 10:1-11; Isa 19:11-14).

7. Drunkenness is therefore not only strongly warned against as dissipation and sin, but also listed among those sins most likely to cause a person to forfeit heaven (Eph 5:18; Rom 13:13; Gal 5:19, 21; 1Co 6:10; 1Th 5:1-7; 1Pe 4:3; Mat 24:49; Luk 21:33-34).

8. As such, the Church is called to abstain from any professing Christian who gets drunk and never give assurance to these individuals thru allowing them to partake of the Lord’s Table (1Co 5:11-13).

9. Christians who continue to drink once they feel the effects of alcohol are risking drunkenness and therefore not careful but foolish or even sinful. This person is not above reproach, lacking self-control and disqualified for diakonos or elder designations in the church (1Ti 3:2-3, 8, 12; Tit 2:3; re: resuming drinking after you no longer feel buzzed = Such decisions are being made on impaired judgment and one of the main reasons so many people end up w/DUI’s. It is also therefore not operating from a position of carefulness).

10. Additionally it must be noted that giving your minor children alcohol (or allowing your adult children who are immature and still living at home to drink) for the purpose of gladdening their hearts means you are also not being careful, may be breaking the law, and are possibly becoming a huge stumbling block in your child’s life that could damn you to Hell (Mat 18:5-10; Rom 14:20-21; 1Co 8:8-13; Consider again Deu 21:20)[4].

11. As to cause, frequent drinking of alcohol and drunkenness is symptomatic of people who refuse to trust God (Phi 4:10-13 = The key to contentment or courageously handling all of life’s different situations – esp. those that are difficult, is trusting that we can/will overcome all things thru Christ. A sign or symptom of people who lack such trust is a reliance on alcohol. It becomes the distrustful person’s “crutch” or alternative means to getting thru such situations. This too therefore is alcohol abuse, sin and a wrong application of Pro 31:6-7; e.g. Noah: Gen 9:18-21 = Noah and his wife ml drank b/c of their distrust in God’s promise to never again flood the earth. This is why men would later attempt to build a tower higher than the mtns – Gen 11:1-9; Lot: Gen 19:17-22, 30-35 = Lot ml already possessed a drinking problem due to his lack of trust in God. His daughters simply used it to exploit him).

12. The only time a Christian should be drinking to gladden the heart is when the context and intention is sacred talk and holy celebration (versus worldly talk and idolatrous celebration) (Eph 5:18-20 w/Deu 14:22-26; Joh 2:1-11; Ecc 9:7 w/Act 14:17; Rom 1:21-25 = Idolatry is committed when people choose to celebrate [i.e. worship] the things of creation w/o giving honor/glory to God; Interesting historical fact: To be served in the taverns of Calvin’s Geneva, Bibles were required to be open and sacred talk engaged)[5].

13. No drinking whatsoever should be done unless it can be practiced to the glory of God (1Co 10:31 – “do all to the glory of God”) = Our choice to eat or drink demonstrates thankfulness to God and/or exemplifies what God views as respectable practice among His image-bearers. This would therefore include having a drink w/a respectable person, during a respectable time or for a respectable tradition/occasion – Rom 13:7. IT SB NOTED: 1) there is difference between having a drink and drinking to gladden the heart. Though something may qualify as “to the glory of God” it may not possess the sacred context to qualify it as a time when we would drink to “gladden the heart.” 2) drinking for digestion (where there is no digestive problem) is not to the glory of God.

14. Lastly, as should obvious, a Christian can never be associated with those things pertaining to alcohol that communicate or represent its abuse (1Co 10:15-22; 1Pe 4:3-4 – “join them” = have association w/them; e.g. Fb pics of Christians at drinking parties or bars; wearing a Spuds McKenzie t-shirt).

CLOSING CONTEMPLATION/CHALLENGE: (Rom 14:16-18)

[1] “Alcoholic beverages with low ethanol content (beer and wine) are strong stimulants of gastric acid secretion and gastrin release…” – A. Pfieffer, B. Hogl, H. Kaess (“Effect of ethanol and commonly ingested alcoholic beverages on gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit”, Journal Of Molecular Medicine)

[2] The false gospel preacher and accursed wine-bibber, Martin Luther is a perfect example of (Mic 2:10-11) and those cursed by God due to the love of alcohol. Luther’s gospel accommodated lavish drinking – even if it broke God’s law, when annoying the devil and exalting easy-believism was the goal: “Sometimes we must drink more, aye, even sin a little to spirit the devil, so that we leave him no pace for troubling our consciences with trifles. We are conquered if we try too conscientiously no to sin at all. So when the devil says to you: ‘DO not drink, ‘ answer him: ‘I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.’ One must always do what Satan forbids. Would that I could contrive some great sin to spite the devil, that he might understand that I would not even acknowledge it and that I was conscious of no sin whatsoever. We, whom the devil thus seeks to annoy, should remove whole Decalogue from our hearts and minds. Better to have the entire Decalogue removed from our hearts than allow the devil to resurrect guilt that has already been plunged beneath the crimson tide of Christ’s blood.”

[3] The only exception to what has been discussed regarding drunkenness is when such intoxication is pursued for the sake of relieving severe physical suffering or other legitimate medical uses.

[4] Per The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. the following represents Colorado law and its exceptions regarding underage drinking: Underage possession or consumption is a strict liability offense (C.R.S. 18-13-122) The exceptions allowed: 1. On private property (that is, where a person habitually resides and NOT a place of business) with the consent of a parent or guardian in the parent’s presence. In other words, that small glass of wine a teenager is given by a parent on Thanksgiving is completely fine, as long as the property owner AND the parent consent and the parent is present during the consumption. It is implied that the child does not drive afterward. 2. For medical or hygienic purposes. This exception also includes “confectionaries” or baked goods that happen to have alcohol in them (though these baked goods must also comply with regulations first). 3. For educational purposes. Students in college can taste alcohol for a class in the restaurant industry under the supervision of an accredited instructor, but the student must spit out the alcohol after tasting.. 4. For religious purposes, such as Mass at a Catholic church. This is protected speech pursuant to the 1st Amendment. 5. When reporting another minor in need of medical assistance. This is the most complicated exception and requires a showing of the following: one underage person calls 911 to report another underage person in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption, provides his or her name to the 911 operator, was the first to make a 911 report, remains on scene until assistance arrives, and cooperates with medical or law enforcement as they arrive. This Good Samaritan defense is intended to encourage young people to call 911 for medical help if necessary, rather than let a friend die or become dangerously ill out of fear of the legal consequences.

[5] Drinking as a means of escaping or forgetting our responsibilities in life (e.g. marriage, children, work, etc.) is not legitimate use of alcohol but also abuse and sin since such responsibilities are given and called “good” by God.