Taboo Gift

                Walk into just about any traditional church in America and you will get just about the same response from every congregation when the subject of alcohol is brought up.  Drinking alcohol is a sin and you should abstain from taking a drink.  One of the most often things said when it’s pointed out that Jesus drank wine is the wine back then is like grape juice today.  These statements are not only false but they are not even Biblical. 

           

     So what is the truth about drinking alcohol?  David says it best in Psalms 104:13-15.  It reads, “13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.  14You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for the people to use.  You allow them to produce food from the earth—15wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.”  God provided us with the fruits to be able to enjoy His gifts.  Ecclesiastes 9:5-8 tells us that God approves of drinking of wine for enjoyment.  The NLT translation reads, “5The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing.  They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.  6Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all gone.  They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.  7So go ahead.  Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!  8Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!”  Clearly drinking wine is not a sin nor should it be seen as taboo in the church.   

                When we dig a little deeper on the subject, we find that Jesus drank wine in celebration.  The first miracle Jesus performed in front of disciples was to turn water into wine at a wedding celebration.  This miracle was recorded by John (John 2:1-12) and caused the disciples to believe more in Jesus.  But if wine was a sin, then why would Jesus choose turning water into wine as His first miracle?  Wine has always been used in celebrations and other gatherings throughout the Bible.  The last super that Jesus shared with the disciples, Jesus took a glass of wine and passed it around as a symbol of the blood He would shed for our sins. 

                These are just a couple of examples of wine being consumed in the Bible.  But does that mean we are free to drink without consequences?  Just as with any gift that God gives us, Satan can take that gift and turn it into a sinful act very quickly.  And the Bible warns us not to become drunkards.  Ephesians 5:18 says, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because it will ruin your life.  Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”   So there is a fine line in enjoying the gifts of God and allowing that gift to become a sin.

                God gave us the gift of wine for our enjoyment and to be consumed in moderation.  It is completely up to us individually to choose whether or not to have a drink of alcohol.  And if God convicts you about consuming wine, that does not mean that it is a sin for others to have a drink.  We have to be very conscious of the message that we are telling others when we judge them for their choices on alcohol.  Wine is a gift from God and needs to be treated as such. 

                Lord, thank you for providing all the gifts You want us to have.  I pray for the Christians that judge others because they feel alcohol is a sin.  Lord only You have the power to judge us for our choices.  Lord, I also pray for the brothers and sisters that struggle with alcohol.  In Your name I pray, amen.