Is it okay for a Christian to drink alcohol?

Most people do not know all the miracles performed by Jesus but they know his first one. You can never forget your first, can you? No! The first impression matters.  More if it is changing water into wine. A lot of wine. That was Jesus’ first miracle.

We are told that it was such good wine that at the end of this wedding feast, the guest came to the master of the feast and said, " Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." (John 2:10 | NIV) There is no doubt here that it was the alcoholic wine not grape juice.

Today if you are to enter a bar or a club and ask any drunkard to recite a memory verse for a free beer, I bet the first verse you will hear would be “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” (1Timothy 5:23 | NIV) Everyone knows this verse and wear it like amour before embarking on a drinking spree. This verse has caused a civil war in the Christian world. Most believers battle with the issue of alcohol, whether to drink or not drink.

Saint Paul is the guy who was sent to relieve believers from most burdens that they had placed on themselves in the name of Christianity. He addressed and resolved complicated issues such as speaking in tongues, marriage etc. Unfortunately for most, the issue of alcohol was not made any easier.

Saint Paul instructs the believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit not wine. (Ephesians 5:18 | NIV) This implies that the Holy Spirit and alcohol cannot co-exist in one body.

Have you ever wondered why a drunk person always make decisions that he/she will regret? It is lack of wisdom. The Holy Spirit is the “the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2-3 | NIV) Yet “wine is a Mocker and beer a Brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." (Proverbs 20:1 | NIV) A person cannot be drunk and act wise. Hence there is no place in heaven for drunkards because of their deceitful nature. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 | NIV)

It appears that there are both verses for, and verses against, the issue of consuming alcohol. So does the Bible contradict itself? The Father is condemning alcohol and the Son on the other hand is blessing people with wine at the wedding at Cana? Did Jesus sin? No! Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22 | NIV) In him there is no sin. (1 John 3:5 |NIV)

I believe that there is no contradiction in the Bible regarding alcohol. God himself says that he makes “wine that gladdens human hearts.” (Psalms 104:15 | NIV) Then, what is the position on this issue?

The issue merely requires a deeper understanding. It seems the Bible is not against consumption of alcohol but the abuse of it. The Bible does not condemn people who drink wine but drunkards. A drunkard is a person who is habitually drunk. When a person is habitually drunk there is no time for God. There is no place for the Holy Spirit.  

We all agree that marriage is a blessing from God right? Here is what Saint Paul tells the believers about marriage. “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 Corinthians 7:8-9 | NIV)

It seems the teachings of Saint Paul are about control. It is from this perspective that I believe one may drink alcohol if they can control their drinking. The point is, if you cannot control your drinking habit, it is better for you to refrain from consuming alcohol at all. I guess that is why Paul did not condemn drinking alcohol but advised that, “it is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.” (Romans 14:21 | NIV)

A very important point to note is faithfulness. The Bible tells us that “a faithful person will be richly blessed.” (Proverbs 28:2 | NIV) You have to be faithful to the church that you have joined. If the doctrines of your church do not allow consumption of alcohol, you owe the church your faithfulness. Do not drink because you might end up missing your blessings not because you have drank alcohol but because you have been unfaithful to your church.  Join a church that you agree with its doctrines and stay faithful.

Above all, one ought to know that whether you drink or not, your righteousness comes through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21|NIV)