Why I Don’t Drink Any Alcohol (Part 2) Series

Intro

Last week I began sharing with you nine reasons “Why I Don’t Drink Any Alcohol.” In that message we addressed the first three:

1. Drinking a little alcohol easily leads to drinking too much alcohol. It can easily lead to drunkenness which is clearly condemned in Scripture. If you drink a little alcohol, I don’t condemn you for that, and I don’t think the Bible condemns it. But the Bible warns of the dangers involved. “Wine is a mocker” (Prov. 20:1).i It can make a mockery of your life. It can fool you and take you down a road of destruction. It can be a very slippery slope.

2. Alcohol has the potential of becoming addictive and dominating my life. It can potentially cost you your eternal salvation. First Corinthians 6: 6:9-12 warns Christians:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Too often people play around with alcohol only to discover too late that they have come under its power: they are addicted to it. The process leading up to that addiction was filled with rationalizations that justified just a little more. Listed among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God are “drunkards.”

3. I have found a better source of joy and peace. Ephesians 5:18 commands Christians: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (NIV). God has given us a far better source of joy and peace. Regardless of what they say, people drink alcoholic beverages for the buzz. If you are just looking for taste, there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks that taste just as good. The contrast in Ephesians 5:18 is between something that is infinitely profitable against something that is extremely destructive.

Now we continue where we left off.

Reason #4: I have a better use for my money.

I will give an account of the stewardship of every penny in my bank account. Studies by the CDC estimated the cost of excessive use of alcohol in the U.S. to be “almost a quarter trillion dollars in 2010.”ii I wonder how many souls could be saved if all that were given to missions. I wonder how much more God would bless the Christians in America if they would just give the money they spend on alcohol to the work of the Lord.iii When you sit down in a restaurant, the first thing they often do is try to sell you alcoholic beverages. Why? They know the tab will be much higher when all is said and done. For me, abstinence is a stewardship issue.

Reason #5: Alcohol is detrimental to my health.

This is another stewardship issue. “Even low or moderate consumption is damaging to brain cells.” Of course, large quantities can cause major health problems. Most people are aware of the connection between alcohol consumption and liver disease. But other cells are damaged as well.iv Many are not aware of increased dangers of cancer, heart disease, etc. The breweries work hard to keep those dangers out of the public eye.

Put simply, alcohol is toxic to the human body.v It carries no nutritional value.vi There is a reason why doctors ask about the patient’s alcohol consumption. It affects the long-term health. Both beer and wine contain a lot of calories and can therefore contribute to excess weight which carries all kinds of health issues.vii

Some people argue for drinking wine in moderation as a health benefit.viii It does reduce inflammation, not because of the alcohol, but because of the grapes. The alcohol carries no nutritional value. These benefits can be gained through non-alcoholic products without the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

We have already seen in our discussion of Paul’s admonition to Timothy that alcohol could be used for medical purposes.ix Under the supervision of a physician, it could be used the way prescription drugs are used. Of course, those must be managed carefully lest the patient becomes addicted to the prescribed drug. It is tricky to use any substance for medical purposes because an addiction can easily develop. A person falling into addiction has an amazing capacity to rationalized increased use of the drug. That’s why a responsible doctor won’t just give a patient all the opioids he requests.