To consume or not to consume?

[InsideWoman]

The first miracle Jesus did at the Wedding in Canaan was to make good wine.

Jesus was called a drunk and a glutton (Matthew 11:19) and yet He warns against drunkenness ( Luke 21:34)

The question is can Christians drink alcohol and still operate in the power of the Holy Spirit? And why was Jesus called a drunk?

Edited October 17, 2012 by InsideWoman

[The_Patriot21]

it would be nice if you would increase the font on the small text of your post, I can barely read it on my 23 inch Hi def monitor, and believe me, I have excellent eye sight.

The Bible actually, doesnt say not to drink, what it says is not to get drunk. Yes, Jesus first miracle was to change water to wine, and he had wine at the last supper. Its debated how much alcohol content there was (in those days there was 2 kinds of wine-new wine, which had little to no fermentation, and old wine, which is fermented and like what we have today) but In all honesty, theres some things to think about.

Why are you drinking? if its because you want to be cool, or to get your mind off a problem, help you think, etc. then chances are you probably shouldnt even have one, because often one can lead for more-especially if its to help solve a problem.

How much are you drinking? people say they have different alchohol tolerances. This is true, however, for the average person the tolerance isnt much difference-those people who can drink 6 beers without any adverse affects, can only do so by drinking to much beer to long, and building up the tolerance. The key word here is moderation

Are you being a stumbling block? This is a very big one. Do I drink occasionally? yes, keyword is occasionally-and usually with my wife in a fancy restaurant. But each situation is different-if say, Im around someone who has a drinking problem, then by me having one drink, may create a stumbling block. If any member of your family or close friends has or has had a drinking problem, it would be a good idea not to drink at all-just the knowledge that you do could create a stumbling block. If youve had a drinking problem in the past, dont drink.

Thats my take on it anyway. Its not necesarily a sin to have an occasional glass of wine-but it is a sin, to get drunk, to let it take priority in your life, and to create a stumbling block for others. So there you have it, theres my opinion, professional or otherwise.

[Guest LadyC]

The question is can Christians drink alcohol and still operate in the power of the Holy Spirit? And why was Jesus called a drunk?

Jesus was called a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of tax collectors (which today would be about the equivalent of saying he hung out with unsavory characters of ill repute) by pharisees.

they were false accusations designed to get people NOT to follow Christ.

and yes, people can drink alcohol and still operate in the power of the Spirit.

[InsideWoman]

@the_patriot2012 thanks - I have increased the font. I don't know how that happened.

Still with @the_patriot2012, thanks that answer was from a loving heart - not to cause others to stumble. Coming from a family who has issues with alcohol, I've personally never understood the role of alcohol in our society.

And @ Lady C - I get that! Thanks.

[The_Patriot21]

I can see it much better now thanks.

[j102]

i think that alcohol is o.k up to a point and we need to listen to god when we start to get close to that line in the sand. some things can be a stummbling block to others, so we should keep that in mind. on the other side of the coin are those who condemn people just for having a taste of wine or holding a beer in your hand so it can be a hard balancing act. i've learnd this the hard way but mine isn't to do with alcohol, but with cannabis a.k.a. marijuana which is prescribed to me. the doctors gave me the f.d.a. approvied pills called marinol which cost $12,250 a month which i cant afford so i take it in it natural plant form that jesus created (he made everything right?) everything in moderation, it's not like i'm walking into the church with a pipe in my mouth lol. sorry if i got off topic

[gdemoss]

Scriptures are pretty plain on alcohol. It is OK to drink but one must understand that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Not a line I am willing to even come close to crossing and choose to err on the side of caution.

Garu

[angels4u]

The question is can Christians drink alcohol and still operate in the power of the Holy Spirit? And why was Jesus called a drunk?

Jesus was called a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of tax collectors (which today would be about the equivalent of saying he hung out with unsavory characters of ill repute) by pharisees.

they were false accusations designed to get people NOT to follow Christ.

and yes, people can drink alcohol and still operate in the power of the Spirit.

I agree:)

[Willa]

I am terribly aware of the prevelance of alcoholism in our society and of what it does to marriages and families. I am also aware of the fact that alcohol lowers our ability to used good judgement, including our ability to drive and our ability to know when to stop drinking.

So no, it is not a sin to have a drink according to Scripture. But the Jews were careful to water down their wine. People normally drank wine because their water was bad.

I find it amusing that I have heard mostly alcoholics accuse Christianity as being a crutch.