“Minus any argumentation to the contrary or any quibbling by way of countering plain truth, the consuming of alcoholic beverages is one of the greatest, gravest evils of our era. It is a rampaging evil of iniquitous proportions. Its victims are now numbered among multiplied millions. More and more it is extended socializing grace and entertaining approval. To offer a person an alcoholic beverage upon entering one’s house or at a planned party is now considered by the masses to be ‘thoughtful hospitality’, More and more alcoholic consumption is being accepted as a way of life.” From: Social Drinking: Unjustified, Unsocial, Unwise, Unscriptural by Garland Elkins and Robert R. Taylor Jr. (Tract)

The words quoted above from these Gospel preachers are as true today as when they were penned in 1986. Many today accept social drinking of alcoholic beverages as a normal part of everyday life. Religious people, and even some in the Lord’s church, have accepted this idea and even joined in the practice. In this article, let us examine a few passages from the Bible regarding social drinking.

Many people see the word “wine” in the Bible and automatically associate the word with its modern usage denoting an alcoholic beverage. While wine is used specifically today, originally it was a generic term used to refer to either fermented or unfermented juice of the grape. The word “wine” is used in the Bible generically as well and the context must determine whether fermented or unfermented is being referred to. For example, Jeremiah 48:33, “And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.” Wine does not come from winepresses, so the “wine” referred to here is clearly unfermented (nonalcoholic).

Some would say “Drunkenness is what is condemned, not the moderate use of alcoholic beverages.” Notice a couple passages of Scripture:

1. Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Most would agree this passage speaks of intoxicating beverages. Note: mocker…raging (a brawler – ASV) …unwise. Question: Where is reference made in this passage to excessive drinking? God’s indictment here is not on excessive drinking, but on the beverages itself. Regardless of the quantity used alcoholic wine is a “mocker”.
2. 1 Peter 4:3-4, “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.” This “excess of riot” (flood of reprehensible behavior) of their past life included 1) “excess of wine” – drunkenness, 2) “revellings” – a nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches and music in honour of Bacchus (Roman god of wine) or some other deity, and 3) “banquetings” – this is defined as “a drinking bout” or a drinking party, the same as what today is called “happy hour”. So, this verse refers to the sinful practices of drunkenness, being half drunk, as well as social drinking.

Clearly, social drinking is unjustified, unsocial, unwise, and unscriptural. Alcohol destroys internally, externally and eternally.

-Jerry D. Sturgill

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). We would do well to learn a lesson from the deception of Eve. While Satan is not appearing to us in the form of a serpent, he is still seeking to delude the minds of men from following the simple truth of God’s word (2 Cor. 4:4).

Eve was created from Adam’s rib as a companion for him (Gen. 2:20-24). She was in a beautiful paradise and with her husband who was given the work of tending to the garden (Gen. 2:15).  How perfect their situation must have been.  She and Adam were only given one simple restriction: do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17).

Satan came in the form of a serpent and said to Eve, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).  The word “yea” in this question means truly or really.  Satan tempts people to ask whether clear spiritual truths are really so.  Is there really a God?  Will there really be a judgment?  Do heaven and hell really exist?  Many people skeptically ask these questions today.  Their denial of these facts displays their willingness to follow the father of lies (John 8:44).  Eve answered the serpent with the simple, plain rule God had mandated and then added, “neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Gen. 3:3).  Perhaps she was highlighting how restrictive God was being in this whole ordeal; if so, Satan’s question was already working by impugning God’s goodness and motives.  The serpent immediately told Eve a lie, saying, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5).  Eve would die the day she ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree.  She and Adam were separated from God that day they ate, sinning and dying spiritually (Isa. 59:2; Rom. 5:12).  As a consequence they would no longer be among the tree of life, which would lead to their eventual physical death (Gen. 3:22).

Eve knew the clear rule of God.  The devil told her a lie.  So why did she eat?  She was not listening to reason when she ate.  She “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise” (Gen. 3:6).  Since God made such a perfect paradise for her, it would stand to reason that He loved her and wanted what was best for her; He did not want her to die.  But she abandoned reason and let her feelings take over.  Many today claim that Bible believers do not listen to the voice of reason, insinuating that they, instead, do listen to the voice of reason.  However, just as it was in the beginning of the world, so it is today – those who deny God and his plain laws are giving into their feelings and selfish desires rather than listening to reason (Rom. 1:22-28).  The fool has said in his heart there is no God (Psa. 14:1; 53:1).  Nature all around us testifies to God’s existence, power and goodness (Psa. 19:1-4; Mt. 5:45; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:20).  It is Christians who listen to the voice of reason and embrace true and sober thinking when they follow God (Acts 26:25).

So the next time you are tempted to question plain truths clearly set forth in God’s word and creation all around, remember Eve.  Be honest and consider whether there is a selfish, sinful desire that is driving you to abandon clear thinking.

-Mark Day

Prayers of giving thanks to God will be uttered this week.  This is good; we do not want to be unthankful people who take God’s blessings for granted.  The United States is so blessed with material wealth that we should acknowledge the source of it all (Deut. 8:18).  Many fall into the same trap as the rich Israelites in the days of Amos who were “at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1).  As long as they could enjoy themselves relaxing on their ivory couches, listening to music, eating the finest steak and drinking their wine, they could not have cared less for the affliction of God’s people (Amos 6:3-6).  Ingratitude leads to a whole host of other sins (Rom. 1:21ff).

This brings us to another component that should also be included in our prayers: confession of sin (Neh. 1:6; Jer. 14:20; Dan. 9:3-15).  Our founding fathers and some of our past presidents thought it necessary to set aside a day not merely for giving thanks, but for confessing the sins of the nation. While the threat of terrorist attacks and the mounting national debt are real concerns for the citizens of this nation, we must realize it is not the strength and cunning of our enemies nor the fiscal woes of our federal government that should be our chief concern. By far the sins of our nation pose the most serious threat to our peace and prosperity (Prov. 14:34).  The sins of murder and fornication are described in God’s word as defiling a land; when God dealt with the particular nation of Israel in the Old Testament, He gave these two sins as reasons for why that nations of Canaan were taken off the land and why Israel herself would lose the land if she allowed such (Lev. 18:24-28; Num. 35:31-34).  God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Prov. 6:17), and the 58 million children who have been slaughtered in their mothers’ wombs with the legal consent of our highest court since 1973 is a debt that is far more serious than the $20 trillion of national debt that has so many people talking.  Sooner or later the bill comes due.  When nations refuse to make murderers pay for their crimes, as our nation has since the legalization of abortion, God will require payment sooner or later (Gen. 9:6; 2 Kings 21:16; 24:2-4).  The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah stand as a testament to God’s judgment upon fornication and perversion (Jude 7; cf. Rom. 1:26-27; Heb. 13:4).  A land that is filled with fornication and remains impenitent should be most terrified by a coming judgment from God.

This brings us to a third component that should be in our prayers: requests for deliverance.  Faithful children of God who are troubled every day by the wickedness that surrounds them should pray to God for deliverance (Mt. 6:13; cf. 1 Cor. 10:13).  Just as God would have spared Sodom for the sake of ten righteous souls (Gen. 18:32), so He is mindful of the Christians who are living righteously in our nation.  We should recognize that God, “delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Pet. 2:7-9).  We should pray for our nation and its leaders so that we can lead a quiet and peaceable life of godliness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:2).

-Mark Day

The Bible, if false, is of very little importance, but if true, is of greatest importance.  Those who really recognize the veracity of the Scriptures stake their lives and eternal souls on the claims therein.  Obviously, not everyone believes the Bible, but what about those who claim to believe it is God’s word, yet do not give priority or effort to learning its contents?

The Bible claims to be the Word of God.  Over two thousand times in the Old Testament the Bible asserts that the Lord God is speaking (Ex. 24:4; Deut. 4:2; 2 Sam. 23:2; Jer. 26:2; et. al.).  The New Testament uses the phrase “the word of God” over forty times to speak of its contents.  The Bible claims that it was written by men who were inspired: under guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).  These men who were guided by the Spirit acknowledged when the Holy Spirit guided the other writers and called their writings scripture (1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Pet. 3:15-16).  Further, the Bible claims that its message is true because its Author, God, cannot lie (Jn. 17:17; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).

God’s word welcomes those who are spiritually thirsty to come and drink of these deep reservoirs of inspiration and be satisfied (Deut. 8:3; Mt. 5:6; Jn. 4:10-14; 6:35; 7:37).  If one will come to God’s word with a sincere heart, humbly desiring God’s will, they will not leave empty-handed (Isa. 55:6-11).

The word of God is able to save our souls if we will make it a part of us (Jas. 1:21).  When we teach it to others, it will save their souls as well (1 Tim. 4:16).  When we are born again by the Word of God, we must continue to return to it for spiritual nourishment (1 Pet. 1:23; 2:2-3). Those who imbibe of the teachings of the Bible find it sweet as honey, accomplishing what God intended (Psa. 19:7-11).

The Bible gives us the proper worldview.  It explains the order we see in the universe around us (Psa. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:20).  Our universe is not a “multiverse” created by several competing gods.  It displays unity and harmony of the one true, good God who has provided for us (Acts 14:15; Mt. 5:45).  Man is the crown of God’s creation, above the animals (Gen. 1:26).  God desires a personal relationship with each human, and places Himself at the right distance away that we can turn from Him or choose to seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:27).  God gives us a choice to serve Him or to be self-serving in this temporal physical world (Deut. 30:18; Josh. 24:15; Heb. 11:24-25).

One day the physical world will come to an end (2 Pet. 3:10-11).  The Bible will judge us on that final day (Jn. 12:48; Rev. 20:12).  Those who have not obeyed the Gospel will be punished with eternal fire, while those who have obeyed will be at rest and glorify the Lord (2 Thess. 1:6-11).  If we acknowledge these things as true, why in the world would we let studying the Bible take a back seat to so many other efforts?

– Mark Day

In a conversation with the chief priests and the elders, Jesus said:

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him (Mt. 21:28-32).

Repentance is not easy.  It begins with remorse over our sins.  We consider how good God is even though we sin against Him (Rom. 2:4).  This remorse is not just feeling sorry for ourselves or sorry we got caught, rather it is a “godly sorrow” that produces a change of our will (2 Cor. 7:8-11).   This change in the will is repentance.  It is turning to God and it results in a change of conduct.  John required the Pharisees and Sadducees to bear the fruit of repentance (Mt. 3:8).  The apostle Paul told those to whom he preached, “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20).  He wrote to the Ephesians, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Eph. 4:28). Thus, a “repentance” that does not result in a forsaking of sin, a change in behavior, is not a genuine repentance.  The one who stole cannot keep on stealing, nor can he keep that which he has stolen if he is to genuinely repent.  As much as possible, he should attempt to make restitution.  Zacchaeus understood this principle of restitution in his repentance (Lk.19:8).

Because of the difficulty of repentance, many choose not to earnestly attempt it.  Some retreat to a cheapening of God’s grace wherein they assure themselves that they can willfully persist in sin and God will forgive them merely because they acknowledge Him, but God’s grace only goes with those who are willing to be taught and led out of ungodliness (Heb. 10:26-27; Titus 2:11-12).

In God’s eyes, repentance is a gift to us.  Peter and the apostles said to those Jewish leaders that were responsible for Christ’s death, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:30-31).  When the church at Jerusalem heard of the Gentiles’ obedience to the Gospel they said, “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:17).  The proclaimer of God’s message must be one who is “in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25). In repentance God is giving us the opportunity to change our relationship with Him, and when we do so there is great rejoicing in heaven (Lk. 15:7).  Will you repent?

– Mark Day