The Tails of Ales Pt II

by Aaron

Element is a church that longs be about God's business of REDEEMING culture and looking at life through a scriptural lens and not a cultural one. The simple truth is EVERYTHING GOD HAS MADE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US AS A GIFT.

Over the next few weeks we will be blogging about what a proper view on alcohol entails. Alcohol was created as a good thing by God for His people. My own grandfather on my mom‘s side was an alcoholic and I have heard more than a few stories about how alcohol has destroyed lives – But I submit to you that it is NOT the alcohol but the decisions people MAKE with the alcohol that destroy lives.

Like most kids I partied in High School, became a Christian, got indoctrinated into Christian culture and believed drinking was a sin...I taught messages on how it was WRONG…then I read my Bible and repented and today I drink. Not drinking in the sense that I fall over and cannot speak, but occasionally with friends, and I don’t drink alone; NEVER HAVE.

The worst thing that could ever happen from reading this blog would be for you to close your web browser and say, "Aaron says we can get drunk in Jesus name." That is the furthest thing from what I am saying.

Wine is a gift of God and is spoken of 214 times throughout the scriptures. Alcohol is used in celebration, worship, and marital intimacy in scripture. (Genesis 14:18, Ex 29:40, Deut 7:12-13, Ruth 2:14, 1 Chron 12:40, Ezra 6:9, Ps 104:14-15, Song of Songs 5:1, 7:8-9). In Ephesians 5:18 we are reminded to not get drunk with wine; simply put, "don’t loose control."

ECCLESIASTES 7:16-18 Don’t be over righteous, don’t be over wicked…The man who fears God will avoid all extremes – life is lived in this tension. Some people have said, on the subject of alcohol, "I’m free, I can drink as much as I want, whenever I want." The biblical response to this position is: "No you can’t."

Others will say, "Never touch alcohol. Ever." The biblical response is, "You cannot say that either."

Christians are to be a people of wisdom and temperance centered around the gospel of Christ. CS LEWIS once said, “Heresy is the truth taken too far.” Something that could be right taken so far it becomes wrong.

  • Is it OK to drink? YES.
  • Can we go too far? YES.
  • Is it a sin to be a drunkard? YES
  • Can we say everyone who has ever drank alcohol offended God? NO.

God gives bookends: Don’t get drunk – Don’t judge those who abstain.