November 19, 2022
Of all the drugs in our world, which is the most dangerous? When discussing hazardous drugs, it usually includes both illegal and legal substances. The list would consist of fentanyl, heroin, meth, LSD, speed, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, cocaine, alprazolam, and diazepam. All of these drugs are dangerous, highly addictive, and can be harmful or even deadly. They remain very risky even when taken as prescribed by a doctor. Drugs are reported to cause thousands of deaths each year. The CDC reported on November 17, 2021, that overdose deaths during the 12 months ending April 2021 increased by 28.5% from 78,056 the previous year to just over 100,306. I suppose this rise is attributable to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The CDC report focuses on overdose deaths over one year. But what about the number of people who use illicit drugs? According to Very Well Mind, they cite a 2020 NSDUH report and provide the following figures for users aged 12 and older in the past year: Marijuana 49.6 million, Opioids 9.5 million, Pain Medications 9.3 million, Hallucinogens 7.1 million, Sedatives 6.2 million, Cocaine 5.2 million, Stimulants 5.1 million, Benzodiazepines 4.8 million, Methamphetamine 2.5 million, Inhalants 2.4 million, Heroin 902,000, and Crack Cocaine 657,000.
In summary, 37.3 million of the population aged 12 or older are current or present users of these drugs in the United States. 59.3 million over age 12 used illicit drugs in the past year. Clearly, the use of illegal drugs is pervasive in our society. I’m not sure how accurate their statistics are, but even if they include some duplications, the numbers are still alarming.
But there is one drug that is even more dangerous than all these, and that is the drug alcohol. Alcohol is the drug that has destroyed countless individuals, families, marriages, and cultures over thousands of years and done more damage than all other drugs put together, I suspect. Our culture, and many different cultures, promote alcohol consumption in entertainment, art, sports, vacations, and business. It is often regarded as a reward and incentive for recreation, enjoyment, and pleasure, providing an escape from the challenges and pressures of life. Consequently, it is used and abused by a large number of citizens, including those who are underage. It is readily available because it is legal and socially accepted. It is also very affordable as a drug, while other drugs are not as affordable, legal, or available.
Unfortunately, people don’t think of alcohol the way we now think of smoking. Not long ago, smoking was socially accepted and widely promoted, just like alcohol is today. We often focus on illegal drugs or the misuse of prescription drugs, which is clearly essential to address. However, alcohol is more dangerous and should be socially discouraged like smoking. Why isn’t it? Because it’s a massive source of revenue and the drug of choice for millions.
One in seven or eight Americans has an alcohol use problem, according to Google searches that I conducted. That is 12.5% to 14.3% of the population, or about 41 to 47 million people. That assumes a population base of 330 million. 12 to 14 % of the total population doesn’t seem like much. But consider that the number is inflated because it includes young children and pre-teens who most likely don’t drink. The real denominator is much less than 330 million; therefore, the % of the population that has a problem is probably closer to 16-18%, if my math is correct. Therefore, 41 to 47 million “adults” with an alcohol use problem is very significant. Think of all the adverse impacts on personal health, children, marriages, business, and the inevitable increase in violent behavior and deaths due to the abuse of alcohol, including drunk driving. We give ourselves the liberty to take the legal drug alcohol despite the many harmful and deadly effects. One might say that we value this freedom more than the lives it destroys. That is not how an honest Christian should look at this, or is it?
An estimated 95k people die from alcohol related causes annually. And alcohol use causes health problems such as cancer, liver damage, hypertension, heart disease, and fetal damage. Alcohol abuse increases the risk of suicide, violence of all kinds, and motor accidents. Life expectancy is much reduced with the use of alcohol. Financially speaking, the abuse of alcohol hurts families, individuals, cities, and states, all of which would be much better off if alcohol use were significantly reduced.
Drug use and abuse in the United States
If 41 to 47 million people have a drinking problem, and if 37 million people currently use and misuse the other drugs listed above, that is a total of 78 to 84 million people ages 12 and older who have a problem with drugs. The totals probably include duplications because people use both illicit drugs and alcohol at the same time. Nonetheless, the number is staggering. Only God knows the real damage done by the use of drugs in our society. We live in troubling times, and many people find “temporary relief” in drugs and not in God. For the honest Christian, God alone is sufficient for all the trials of life, and these drugs are not needed or used as a substitute for God.
Is there a connection between rampant drug abuse and the societal problems that are out of control in our country? Obviously, there is a direct connection. Some of us believe that our culture is morally bankrupt and that our leaders are nearly insane on most issues. The abuse of drugs relates directly to the insanity we see all around us. Isn’t it interesting that another word for alcohol is “spirits.” People who take drugs, including alcohol, often act like demonic spirits inhabit them. Isn’t that interesting?
How do most Christians view the use of alcohol?
Most Christians that I know do not see anything wrong with drinking wine, beer, or even hard liquor. However, most would agree that getting drunk is sinful. Unfortunately, their standard for being drunk varies greatly. How tipsy, buzzed, and intoxicated they can become before it is immoral is very liberal. The expression, “buzzed driving is drunk driving,” comes to mind. I wonder how many of these Christians would agree that buzzed driving is drunk driving and that getting buzzed is getting drunk, which is a sin.
This topic is personally important to me. Many years ago, I struggled with alcohol, so I know a little about this subject. By God’s grace, I haven’t had a drink in over 40 years. Over these years, I assumed that drinking in moderation, whatever that means, was not sinful. After all, didn’t Jesus and the apostles drink wine? Didn’t Jesus, at a wedding feast, turn water into wine? Until now, I haven’t taken the time to thoroughly study all the relevant Scripture passages to gain a deeper understanding of what the Bible teaches about this topic. I recently woke up in the middle of the night with this question on my mind: “What does the Bible really teach about drinking alcohol?”
You may know that in the Greek language, there are at least four words for our word “love.” Each of these Greek words describes a particular kind of love. There is a word for the love between family members, a different word for love between friends, and yet another word for love between a husband and a wife. We use the single word “love” to describe all these types of affection. We love our house, car, pet, friends, our family, and our spouse. I have learned that there is basically one word for the fruit of the vine, that is the word “wine”. That can be either a fermented drink or nonfermented grape juice. Some Christians believe that Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding celebration, a nonalcoholic grape juice. These folks make the point that God would never change water into alcoholic wine, for the express purpose or result of getting people inebriated. The folks at the wedding feast had already drunk “wine.” The host was complimented for serving the best wine at the end of the evening. Think about it for a moment. Would Jesus give alcoholic wine to participants at a wedding feast, realizing that they have already been drinking wine most of the evening? Seems highly unlikely to me. In any case, we will never know definitively how strong the wine was, even if it was alcoholic. If it were new wine, which is likely, then it was not alcoholic.
Wine in Jesus’ day and up until recently was used to purify water and kill the harmful bacteria. Finding good drinking water has been a challenge for man over the centuries until recently. This is crucial to understanding why alcohol was so important before the advent of modern sanitation. Wine was diluted with water at a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part fermented wine, with an outer range of 20 parts water to 1 part wine. That significantly reduced the percentage of alcohol in a glass of “wine”. They also boiled wine into a paste and then reconstituted it without alcohol. They had no refrigeration. Drinking wine, not diluted with water, in Jesus’s day was viewed as barbaric. Wine in Jesus’ day was 2-4% alcohol and possibly much higher in the Gentile world. The wine the Jews drank was much different than the wine we think of today, which is around 12% alcohol ABV. (Taken from a sermon by John MacArthur.) Beer today typically ranges from 5% to 7% ABV, and 1.5 ounces of hard liquor (such as gin, rum, whiskey, or vodka) is 40% ABV (alcohol by volume)—Google search.
In a YouTube video by Dr. David Nutt of Great Britain, he mentioned that not long ago, people, both young and old, used to drink “small” beer with an alcohol content of about 1-2% because the water was so unhealthy and tasted so bad. The fermentation process killed the harmful bacteria and produced water with a better taste. It makes sense that cultures with poor water quality would purify the water in this way. In Biblical times, this might help explain why there is such confusion today over the use of the word “wine”. Maybe wine in Jesus’s day was only 1-2% alcohol, like the “small beer” David Nutt referenced. Dr. Nutt believes that almost all families in Great Britain have been hurt by the abuse of alcohol going back 2 to 3 generations. This is the curse of alcohol in the hands of sinful man. However, this curse extends not just a few generations, but to the days of Noah and before.
Dr. Nutt wants everyone to know that if you have a problem with alcohol, “it is not your fault” because the government and society generally support the use of this drug. I strongly disagree with him at that point. Of course, it is your fault. No one forces another person to drink, steal, fornicate, or lie. At the same time, Jesus spoke harsh words to those who would lead others astray into sin. They are partly responsible for the sin, but ultimately, the individual is the one who is accountable. Adam and Eve tried to blame the serpent, each other, and even God for their sin, but God held them all responsible.
Dr. Andrew Huberman is also a good resource on the science behind what alcohol does to the brain and body. It’s shocking to know how harmful and addictive it is. Some of the effects of alcohol are long-lasting and change how our body, including our mind, actually works.
I suspect that each person has a different tolerance level when it comes to alcohol. Frequent drinkers can drink more than those who do not drink before they become drunk. Habitual drinkers build up a tolerance for alcohol. What can we learn from the Bible about this subject? Not all references to wine are negative.
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oil to make his face to shine and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. Psalm 104:15 KJV
In this passage and elsewhere, wine is often cited as a blessing rather than a curse. Also, wine could be used as an offering to God. But we do not know if this wine was alcoholic, and if it was alcoholic, we don’t see or know the % of alcohol. In the New Testament, Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach problems. Alcohol for medicinal purposes is not the issue. Today we have many non-alcoholic ways to remedy stomach or other health problems.
The New Testament also makes it clear that nothing created by God is inherently bad for us if used without causing harm, tempting others into sin, or destroying ourselves in the process. This paper focuses on alcohol used for recreation. Social drinking is the main issue discussed. There is no medical reason to drink alcohol, no sanitary reason to add alcohol to our water, and no other justification for drinking alcohol except for recreational and social purposes. I can imagine someone saying they enjoy the taste of wine, beer, or hard liquor. All of these are acquired tastes resulting from frequent consumption. However, I suspect the real reason they drink is to experience the drug-induced effects of alcohol. Clearly, many other nonalcoholic drinks taste delicious and are actually beneficial, not harmful, to health, like alcohol. Fruit juice, for example, is a healthy, drug-free alternative. There are many flavors of fruit juice, along with other non-toxic options.
Now read the following, which makes it clear that strong drink and wine are not good and are sinful.
Wine is a mocker: strong drink is raging: and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Proverbs 20:1
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rages. Proverb 23:21
Getting drunk is considered sinful. Most Christians would agree with that. Clearly, consuming strong drinks or drinking too much alcoholic wine makes a person foolish and unwise. Their life can become miserable, and they may live in poverty if they drink alcohol habitually. This serves as a clear warning about the danger of alcohol.
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine: they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me shalt thou say, and I was not sick, they have beaten me and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. Proverbs 23:29-35.
This passage above is one of the most direct assaults on drinking alcoholic drinks in the Bible. This drug will cause the drinker to say and do things they would never say or do because those things are sinful and or inappropriate. Those who have had too much to drink know firsthand how true that is. Does the use of alcohol sound like something a holy God would encourage in His children? In this passage, God issued a stern warning about the drug alcohol.
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine; and men of strength to mingle strong drink. Isaiah 5:22.
This passage in Isaiah 28:1-8 addresses the drunkards of Ephraim, saying, “the crown of pride shall be trodden under foot.” This tribe was singled out and rebuked for its abuse of alcohol. “They have also erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way, the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine; they are out of the way through strong drink: they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. Isaiah 28:7-8
What a disgusting picture of a party where alcohol is abused. This scene is repeated daily all over the world. Strong drink is different from plain wine in that it contains a higher percentage of alcohol. There is no place in the Bible that I can find that doesn’t condemn drinking strong drink. Today’s equivalent would certainly include what we call hard liquor, such as whiskey and vodka. We are examining the question of whether a Christian can drink wine, not strong drink, in moderation. A Christian should never drink strong drink. Yet I know many who profess to be Christian who do in fact drink strong drink. Perhaps they don’t know what the Bible truly says about the subject, or they have been misled by others, causing them to look up to those who have deceived them.
Hosea 4:6 and 7 reads, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore, will I change their glory into shame.” This is a description of God’s people rejecting the knowledge of God and His law despite His many blessings. Consequently, God will shame them and punish them for their backsliding. God reminds them that sexual immorality and wine will continue to turn their heart away from Him. “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” Hosea 4:11. Drinking alcohol ingests into the brain a drug that frees us from inhibitions. When a person drinks, they say and do things that they would never do or say otherwise. Sexual immorality and drinking go hand in hand. And when people drink, violence often erupts. Look at the statistics.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:15-18. Drinking wine makes a person a fool, not wise. We are to understand that God expects us to be in control of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The lack of self-control is a fruit of the “spirit” of alcohol. It is clearly not the same spirit, but rather the opposite of the Spirit of God. We are to walk circumspectly, guardedly, with wisdom and self-control. That demands that we never drink to excess. What is drinking to excess? Is it when we are so drunk that we fall, and when we can’t remember what we did when we sober up? Or is drinking to excess meant to convey that if we have impaired our thinking and our physical abilities, we have drunk to excess? Clearly, if a person is falling-down drunk, they are drinking to excess. Does drinking in moderation mean that we can drink and impair ourselves mentally and physically, yet this is okay and not sinful? Or does the fact that we have had enough alcohol to impair our thinking and our physical abilities enough to say that we have had an excess and have sinned? If buzzed driving is drunk driving, then getting buzzed with alcohol is a sin. How much alcohol can we drink without getting buzzed or tipsy? That would vary based on a person’s weight, age, sex, percentage of alcohol in the drink, and other genetic conditions. Some statistics I have read suggest that one glass of wine (or two at most) can cause impairment. But again, there is no medical need or water purification necessity to drink alcohol.
Why would a Christian want to drink poison? There are plenty of delicious nonalcoholic drinks available for our enjoyment. There is only one reason that Christians would like to drink alcohol, and that is to get tipsy, buzzed, or high. In other words, to get a bit drunk. Can you think of another reason that would justify using the drug alcohol? I know that someone will fire back at me and say that they love the taste of it. Really? Many excellent-tasting non-alcoholic drinks are good for your health, so why not enjoy them? As a former drinker, I know the real reason why people refuse to give up drinking alcohol. People like the effects of the drug alcohol. There was a brief time in my life when I, too, wanted to feel the effects of the drug.
In 1 Timothy chapter 3, we are told that it is good to desire the office of bishop. The bishop is to be a godly person, blameless, sober, of good behavior, apt to teach, not given to wine, and so on. In the same book, chapter 5:23, Paul tells Timothy, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” Paul believes wine will help Timothy with his stomach problems. This could be because the water was impure. In any case, drinking wine disqualifies a person from the office of bishop except in the case of an aliment, as in the case of Timothy. How many of us have taken cold or flu medicine to sleep at night when we are sick? See also Titus 1:7 and Luke 21:34. I am not addressing the use of alcohol for medicinal purposes. It was once a medicinal aid. Today we have other options.
“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such an one no not to eat”. I Corinthians 5:11. Paul tells us to disassociate with anyone who continues to sin and claim at the same time to be a brother. We are addressing the consumption of alcohol and the act of getting drunk in this passage. How many times do Christians, at social gatherings, drink to excess, where almost everyone is drunk, tipsy, high, buzzed, or impaired? The apostle commands us to stay away from anyone who drinks in excess.
Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:13-14.
Drinking alcohol for recreation and socially is all about “fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.” In this passage, we are explicitly told not to “make provision for the flesh.”The command is to refrain from drinking alcohol because it is lust of the flesh.
“Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate, of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. I Thessalonians 5:6-8”
Another passage that commands us to be sober and not drunk. Isn’t it interesting that most drinking, not all, occurs at night and not during daylight? Why is that? Darkness hides the debauchery that results from alcohol use; the light of day would expose it for all to see.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:9-11.
In this passage and many others, we are told that the unrighteous will not, under any circumstances, inherit the kingdom of God. Drunkards are unrighteous, and they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Who is a drunkard? The one who gets drunk is a drunkard, and the person who refrains from drinking but lusts after it is a drunkard in heart. Drunkenness is not limited to those who get so drunk that they forget what they have done or fall. Anyone who drinks alcohol to excess is a drunkard—drinking to excess means that your mental and physical capabilities are impaired and that you do things and say things that you would not do or would not say if you had not had any alcohol to drink. Drinking to excess includes getting buzzed, high, tipsy, and intoxicated. That means most people should never drink more than one glass of wine or two at most. However, if drinking one or two glasses of wine impairs you, then you can’t even drink that much without sinning. I can come to no other conclusion. Can you? I am sure I will get much pushback on this article.
Some passages describe wine as a gift, a blessing, and even an offering to God. It appears that these references may refer to new wine with little or no alcohol content. Given what we have just reviewed from scriptures, which clearly warn believers of the peril of drunkenness, do you honestly believe it is a wise decision to drink any wine (alcohol) at all?
Do you think God is pleased when professing Christians drink alcohol for recreational and social purposes? Drinking water mixed with alcohol to purify water makes sense. In Jesus’ day, John MacArthur stated that drinking strong wine (undiluted wine) was considered barbaric. If God is okay with the recreational use of the drug alcohol, is He okay with the recreational use of other illicit drugs, some of which are legal depending on the state you live in? My opinions and recommendations follow.
Reasons why a Christian should never drink alcohol
- Alcohol is intoxicating. It is harmful to health and relationships. It is a drug and a poison. It impairs your judgment, motor skills, and health.
Even if a Christian can drink wine without sinning, the real question is, should a Christian drink alcohol? A Christian should never drink strong drink such as whiskey, even in moderation. A Christian should never drink wine because it takes only a small amount to impair judgment. Why take the risk to yourself and others who witness you drinking? There are plenty of other good-tasting drinks that don’t contain any alcohol, and weaker Christians will not stumble because you abused liberty to drink alcohol.
- Alcohol is addictive.
Alcohol is especially addictive in young people aged 10-14 years old. Many millions of people living today have a problem with alcohol. Around 95K people die each year as a result of alcohol abuse.
There are lots of Biblical examples of being impaired after getting intoxicated on wine. Noah, Lot, Aaron, and his two sons. Lev 10:8-11. In the New Testament, I think of King Herod’s party, for he was likely drunk, and he allowed himself to be seduced by his wife’s daughter when she danced, then asked for the head of John the Baptist.
Alcohol is very addictive, like many other drugs. It enslaves many souls, and Christians should be concerned about that. Not drinking alcohol socially or recreationally shows genuine concern for others who may be weaker than you. Some look up to you, and if they see you drink, they might stumble into sin and bondage. Jesus will also hold you accountable for your abuse of liberty and lack of love.
- Alcohol is unhealthy.
Alcohol was at one time thought to be suitable for heart disease, and a small amount may be ideal for that. However, at the same time, the risk of other health problems increases with the use of alcohol. Alcohol is a poison and a drug. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Alcohol has toxic effects on the body, including the mind. It is a carcinogenic agent. Lots of people die or get sick each year because of alcohol. No amount of alcohol is safe, according to many, not all, doctors today.
- It can cause a person to go to hell 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Proverbs 20:1, and 23:29
Drunkenness is a sin that, if not repented of, will keep you out of heaven and could destroy your life here on earth and ruin your family, children, and marriage. I can think of many examples of the destruction of families and marriages because of drug and alcohol abuse. Can you? The number of stories is vast, like the sands on the beach.
- Drinking around others is a bad example.
Jesus said, If you cause one of these little ones to stumble, who believe in Him, it would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were buried in the depth of the sea. Think of the influence drinking will have on your children, grandchildren, and your close friends. It is not a good influence. When you drink in front of other people, you explicitly encourage them to drink. And they, by their actions, inspire others within their influence to drink. Many of these stories end in tragedy, which you may have contributed to. Do you think God will understand, or do you think He will hold you partly responsible?
There are countless stories of young people witnessing adults drinking and following their example, drinking themselves into trouble, even death.
- We as Christians are to come out from among them and be separate.
Real Christians are in the world but not of it. Christians are called to be holy, just as God is holy. The unsaved should see in us something very different, better, and honorable. If we do all the things the unsaved do, especially drinking alcohol, why would they believe they need God? Drinking alcohol may well ruin your Christian witness and disgrace the name of Jesus Christ. If that is important to you, then you must consider not drinking alcohol. And if it is not essential to you, should you stop calling yourself a follower of Jesus Christ?
Conclusion and summary
Christians don’t agree on the use of alcohol today. Some think the moderate use of alcohol is not a problem and not sinful. A few Christians say it is always immoral. After this study, I am in that later group. I can’t think of any good reason to drink alcohol at any time for any reason. The risks are just not worth the reward. Anyone who really loves God will not put themselves and others at risk just because they want to drink a drug socially and recreationally.
Why do they want to drink alcohol? There is only one reason I can honestly think of, and that is to get buzzed, tipsy, or high. If there is another reason to drink alcohol, please tell me what it is. If it is a Biblical and compelling argument, I might change my mind. As I mentioned, there are plenty of good-tasting nonalcoholic drinks available to satisfy our tastes. Knowing the harmful side effects of drinking alcohol should also prompt you to stop drinking alcohol.
One of the most influential theologians in my life believed that all alcohol was sinful for two reasons: 1) it is a harmful drug to you personally and harmful to all relationships, and 2) spending God’s money on a harmful drug is itself wrong. Until I did this study myself, I disagreed with him, but now I am much more inclined to agree with him. I pray that I will always continue to learn and remain teachable. How about you?
