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.