The Christian and Alcohol
“Be sober, be
vigilant…” (1 Peter 5:8)
This is a serious
lesson. It’s one I never thought would need to be preached—not in
the Lord’s church. But here we are. Alcohol has crept its way into
homes, into pulpits, and even into the lives of Christians. And too
many are staying silent. But I cannot be silent. God’s Word is not
silent on this subject, and I won’t pretend like it is.
Let me begin by
asking a few direct questions. Does drinking alcohol help me better
understand the Word of God? Does it sharpen my mind and strengthen
my conscience? Does it increase my self-control and lift me to a
higher plane of Christian service? Or does it drag me down, blur my
judgment, and lead me into temptation?
Let’s be honest
with the answers. They will guide everything we say in this study.
We’re going to
look at this subject from several different angles—medically,
biblically, and morally. Let’s begin with what alcohol actually does
to the body and mind.
Medically
speaking, alcohol is a depressant. That means it dulls the senses
and suppresses good judgment. It lowers inhibitions, decreases
self-control, impairs coordination, slows reflexes, and clouds depth
perception—and research confirms that these effects begin with the
very first drink. One drink is all it takes to start impairing your
ability to think clearly. That’s why alcohol is involved in over
25,000 fatal automobile accidents every single year. It’s also
implicated in over 12,000 murders annually, in a third of all
suicides, in half of all divorces, and in two-thirds of violent
spouse and child abuse cases. It enlarges the heart, destroys the
liver, causes gastrointestinal bleeding, and costs our nation over
$249 billion every year in health-related expenses.
And again, I’m
not even talking about drunkenness. I’m just talking about drinking.
Now, someone
might say, “But the Bible talks about wine.” And yes, it does. But
the word “wine” in the Bible does not always mean what we assume it
means today. In the Old Testament, there are more than a dozen
Hebrew words translated “wine.” In the New Testament, at least four
Greek words are rendered “wine.” These words don’t always refer to
intoxicating drink. In fact, many times they refer to the grape
itself, or the juice of the grape, or even the vine or the vat in
which the grapes were stored.
Isaiah 65:8
says, “As the new wine is found in the cluster...” That’s a grape on
the vine—not alcohol. Jeremiah 40:10 speaks of gathering wine and
summer fruit—again, that’s harvesting grapes, not drinking booze.
Joel speaks of the winepress, where grapes were trodden and crushed
into juice. In many cases, the word “wine” refers to unfermented,
non-alcoholic juice. It depends entirely on the context.
Some people
claim that people in Bible times had no way to preserve grape juice,
so it had to ferment. That’s simply not true. As a chemistry teacher
would tell you, fermentation requires specific
conditions—temperature, sugar content, exposure to yeast. Just
leaving grapes out doesn’t automatically produce fine wine; most of
the time, it produces vinegar. And ancient people knew how to
prevent that. They boiled grape juice, they sealed it in airtight
containers, they added sulfur, and they stored it properly to
preserve its sweetness. The idea that all “wine” in the Bible was
alcoholic is a myth.
So what about
Jesus turning water into wine in John 2? Doesn’t that prove He
endorsed drinking? No, it doesn’t. In that account, the master of
the feast says, “You have kept the good wine until now.” In
first-century Jewish culture, “good wine” referred to fresh, sweet,
unfermented grape juice—the kind that hadn’t been spoiled or turned.
That’s what was prized. That’s what Jesus made. He didn’t create
intoxicating drink. He created something clean and pure, something
that honored His character and upheld holiness.
Some point to
Ephesians 5:18, where Paul writes, “Do not be drunk with wine, in
which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” They claim
this means it’s okay to drink as long as you don’t get drunk. But
that argument misses a crucial truth. Drunkenness is not a sudden
state—it’s a process. Intoxication happens gradually. It begins with
the first drink. You don’t jump from sober to drunk in a single
gulp. You descend into it, and the descent begins immediately. When
Paul says not to be drunk with wine, he’s warning against starting
down that road at all.
Some also point
to 1 Timothy 3, where elders are told not to be “given to wine,” and
deacons are told not to be “given to much wine.” They claim this
means elders must avoid it entirely, but deacons can have a little.
But let’s apply that logic elsewhere. Ecclesiastes 7:17 says, “Do
not be overly wicked.” Would we then argue that it’s okay to be
moderately wicked? Of course not. That’s absurd. Paul’s point in 1
Timothy 3 is that these men must not be of the kind that indulge or
are known for drinking. He’s describing their character, not giving
permission to sin in moderation.
1 Timothy 5:23
is another verse used to justify drinking. Paul tells Timothy, “Use
a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent
infirmities.” That’s not social drinking. That’s medicinal use. And
even then, Timothy had apparently refrained entirely from drinking
wine—so much so that Paul had to convince him to use a little for
his health. Why? Because Timothy didn’t want anyone to think he was
drinking alcohol. He wanted to protect his influence. That tells us
something about how serious this issue really is.
The Bible is
filled with warnings—not just about drunkenness, but about drinking
itself. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a
brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” That’s clear.
That’s plain. Proverbs 23 describes those who linger long at the
wine, who suffer woe, sorrow, strife, and wounds without cause. It
warns, “Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in
the cup… at the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a
viper.” That passage paints a picture of deception, addiction, and
destruction. It says your eyes will see strange things, your heart
will utter perverse things, and you’ll wake up craving another
drink.
Proverbs 31
warns kings and rulers not to drink wine, “lest they forget the law
and pervert the justice of the afflicted.” Alcohol clouds judgment.
It makes it hard to discern right from wrong. That’s why Leviticus
10:9–10 commands priests not to drink wine when serving before the
Lord—because it would render them unable to distinguish between holy
and unholy, clean and unclean.
We are New
Testament priests (1 Peter 2:9). We are called to be holy. We are
commanded to be sober. The Greek word “nēphō” in 1 Thessalonians 5:6
means to abstain from wine—not just to avoid drunkenness, but to
stay away completely. Paul says, “Let us not sleep as others do, but
let us watch and be sober.” The same word appears in 1 Peter 1:13,
where we are told to “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,” and
in 1 Peter 5:8, where we are warned, “Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion…”
Why does God
command sobriety so strongly? Because the devil is hunting us. And
the moment our minds are dulled—even a little—we become vulnerable.
So what should
we do? We need to be holy. We need to be watchful. We need to be
different from the world. When Noah stepped off the ark, one of the
first things he did was plant a vineyard—and then he got drunk. That
was the beginning of a terrible episode. Even a righteous man like
Noah made foolish decisions under the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol never
leads to good. It always leads to something bad. It clouds judgment,
weakens resistance, stirs temptation, and opens the door to sin.
That’s why we, as Christians, must take a stand—not just against
drunkenness, but against drinking. We are lights in a dark world. We
are examples to our children, our communities, and our brethren. And
we must be holy.
This world is
filled with temptation. Walk into any gas station, grocery store, or
restaurant and you’ll see it. Alcohol is everywhere. But we don’t
have to give in. God has given us everything we need to resist. His
Word is clear. His warnings are sharp. And His call to holiness
still stands.
If you’re not a
Christian, this lesson may not have felt aimed at you—but I want you
to know something. Jesus Christ died for your sins and for mine. He
offers a better life—one of clarity, purpose, holiness, and peace.
If you believe in Him, repent of your sins, and are baptized for the
forgiveness of those sins, you can begin walking the narrow road
that leads to life. And if you’re already a Christian and have
stumbled—maybe in this very area—you can return to God today.
Let’s raise the
standard. Let’s be holy. Let’s be sober. And let’s help others do
the same.
Sermon
Outline: The Christian and Alcohol
Title:
The Christian and Alcohol
Text: 1 Peter 5:8
Introduction:
The need for this lesson is greater than ever. Alcohol is no longer
just a worldly issue—it’s become a church issue. God has not
remained silent, and neither must we.
Point I:
What Alcohol Does to the Body and Mind
Alcohol is a depressant. It impairs judgment, slows reflexes, lowers
inhibitions, and begins working on the mind with the very first
drink. It is involved in countless deaths, crimes, divorces, and
moral failures.
Point II:
What “Wine” Means in the Bible
Scripture uses the word “wine” in many ways—grape juice, grapes,
vinegar, and yes, sometimes intoxicating drink. But the context
determines the meaning. Most often, it refers to something
non-intoxicating. Jesus did not create an intoxicating beverage; He
provided good, sweet wine—grape juice—at the wedding in Cana.
Point
III: Scriptures Often Misused
Ephesians 5:18 warns not to be drunk—but drunkenness is a process
that begins with the first drink. 1 Timothy 3 does not excuse
deacons to drink moderately. 1 Timothy 5:23 permits medicinal use,
not social drinking. Each of these passages has been twisted to
justify sin.
Point IV:
The Bible Warns Against Drinking Itself
Proverbs and other passages warn not only against drunkenness but
against drinking entirely. Wine deceives, bites, and destroys. It
takes away good judgment and holiness. Priests were forbidden to
drink because it robbed them of discernment—and so it will for us.
Point V:
God Commands Sobriety
Sobriety means total abstinence. The Greek word nēphō means “to
abstain from wine.” We are to be alert, watchful, and ready—because
the devil is prowling. We cannot afford to lose our focus.
Point VI:
Christians Must Be Holy
We are a royal priesthood. That means we are set apart. Our lives
must not mirror the world. We must not drink, even socially, because
even one drink harms our influence, our clarity, and our holiness.
Conclusion:
There is nothing good about alcohol for the Christian—nothing at
all. It ruins judgment, leads to sin, and destroys lives. Let us be
holy, set apart, sober, and serious in our pursuit of God.
Application:
The world may pressure us to conform, but we must be transformed.
Let us be a light in the darkness. Let us take a stand for holiness,
for our families, for the church, and for Christ.
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