A LITTLE IS OKAY

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

1 Timothy 5:23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I’ve got a confession to make and it may be one that surprises, or at least that’s the usual reaction I get.

I am a ripe old 63 years of age and served in the United States Navy for twenty eight and a half of those but that’s not the confession. It’s that through all this time and that service, I have never had a drop of alcohol.

It’s true.

Now, I say this not to boast or anything. The choice to drink is up to the person and it certainly isn’t unbiblical if someone chooses to imbibe. They only need to keep in mind this one principle from the scriptures:

A little bit is okay.

Go through the Bible and the drinking of wine was part of the culture. Jesus drank wine and even miraculously created some out of water to satisfy a wedding feast and its host (John 2:1-11). If drinking was something God opposed, His Son certainly would never have done that.

So it’s okay to drink...but just a little...and that last part is important. Because what isn’t alright biblically is overindulging and getting drunk.

Need some examples?

Consider these passages and let me preface this by saying that debauchery is simply immoral behavior carried out by someone after drinking too much.

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 1 Peter 4:3

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Ephesians 5:18

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

The message here is clear. Overdrinking goes against the direction of the word and is in contrast to the behavior expected of someone associated with the kingdom of God. It leads a person away from righteousness and into sin.

Now, here are some verses that show us that a little drinking with careful moderation is okay with the Lord.

He (God) makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. Psalm 104:14-15

The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.” Isaiah 62:8-9

If God didn’t want His people to drink, He wouldn’t have encouraged it, providing the grapes that produced wine to “gladden human hearts”...and as we see in our scripture verse from 1 Timothy 5, even serves some medicinal purposes.

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. v. 23

It’s obvious here that Timothy, the ministry partner of Paul and pastor of the Ephesian church, was having some gastrointestinal and other issues. And so Paul, who we see provided medical advice on top of his Gospel sharing, suggests that Timothy add “a little wine” to his diet in addition to the water he was drinking. Maybe they weren’t aware why wine was good for the gut in New Testament days but today we know red wine, the predominant wine in the days of Paul, contains probiotics that help promote a healthier digestive system. Again, the key here is that it only was to be a little.

One more thing to say on this subject of drinking alcohol. If you don’t use it correctly, it will end up using you. Consider these words of wisdom from the Book of Proverbs:

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. Proverbs 20:1

A person can drink a little and there will be no impairment. They are still well in control of their actions and words.

Conversely, when a person drinks to excess, their judgment can become completely compromised and any inhibitions that would have normally stopped them from acting on impulse become rendered powerless. Be prepared to be led down the road of behavior that will be regrettable, sometimes for the very long term. Ask any person who chose to drive under the influence and ended up killing another person in an accident. There’s simply too much at stake to over indulge when it comes to alcohol.

And yet...so many people do, Christian or not.

This is why I believe this message is of critical importance for all of us. As believers, we simply need to know what is and isn’t permissible when it comes to the matter of drinking alcohol, wine or any other intoxicating substance.

You don’t have to completely abstain as I do but remember the message from the Word of God:

A little is okay.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.