One of the most common questions from Christians, especially newer Christians, is whether followers of Christ can drink alcohol or not. While it is true that the Bible doesn’t explicitly state that light alcohol consumption is forbidden, there are various Biblical reasons why a Christian should not consume alcohol. Let’s explore.
1) Excessive Drinking is Forbidden
Throughout the Bible, Christians are commanded not to drink alcohol in excess, as alcohol encourages indecent and sinful behavior. Examples include 1 Peter 4:3, Ephesians 5:8, Proverbs 20:1, and Romans 13:13.
In Ephesians 5:8, we are warned that drinking “leads to debauchery [/corruption]”. In Proverbs 20:1, we are warned that “[w]ine is a mocker and beer is a brawler”. Lastly, Romans 13:13 commands us to “behave decently…. not in carousing and drunkenness.”
2) Leaders Are Not to Drink Alcohol
In Proverbs 31:4-5, King Lemuel is told “It is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.”
Furthermore, in 1 Timothy 3:2-3, elders/overseers are commanded to be “sober-minded… [and] not a drunkard.” Likewise, a little further down in the chapter, deacons are to “not [be] addicted to much wine… but sober-minded.” Would you want your leaders to be drunk when making life-or-death decisions for your country or life-or-death spiritual decisions for your church? I would hope not.
3) Alcohol Has Caused a Drug Epidemic
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 141,000 Americans die from the effects of alcohol each year. Shockingly, 1 in every 10 Americans (10%) over the age of 12 have Alcohol Use Disorder.
Alcohol is a poison to our bodies as well. As for the causes of alcohol-related deaths in 2022, 31% were due to liver disease, 15% from alcohol poisoning, 9% from heart disease, 8% from other chronic causes, and 5% from neurological diseases. In addition, about 10% of alcohol-related deaths were from suicide. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul tells us to “honor God with our bodies.” Does this sound like honoring God with our bodies?
Not only does alcohol affect the drinker, but it also affects others around you. According to the United States Department of Transportation, “About 31% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In 2021, there were 13,384 people killed in these preventable crashes. In fact, on average over the 10-year period from 2012-2021, about 10,850 people died every year in drunk-driving crashes.”
So many lives are lost due to alcohol intoxication, yet people still try to justify the use of alcohol. For those who drink/support others drinking, imagine this being you or someone you love. Would you still support this behavior after such a preventable tragedy?
4) Does Drinking Give Off Christian Vibes?
Let me ask you this. When you go to a restaurant and see a man or woman at the bar, do you automatically think of them as a Christian? Do they give off Christian vibes? Be honest with yourself.
In Colossians 1:10-11, Paul tells us “[L]ive lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way.” Furthermore, in Matthew 5:16, we are told to “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Is drinking alcohol really “Letting your light shine before others”? I think not.
5) If You Never Take the First Sip, You Don’t Have to Worry About the Above Consequences
Lastly, if you never take the first sip of alcohol, then you don’t have to worry about being addicted, losing control, or worrying about being in sin. Just don’t start (James 4:17).
Verdict (TL;DR)
While the Bible doesn’t directly state that light alcohol consumption is sinful, many Bible verses tell us to take care of our bodies, not lose self-control, and not be drunk. Simply put, it is best to not drink alcohol under any circumstances so we are not threading the needle between being in sin and not being in sin.
