Should Christians Drink at the Holidays?

Pastor Robert Hammond

For many, the Christmas season is an occasion for drinking alcohol. Let’s examine some biblical reasons why Christians should re-consider that choice.

  1. We are called to yield control to the Holy Spirit rather than to alcohol. Ephesians 5:18 states, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." That verse highlights the truth that God desires Christians to yield control of their lives to Him alone;

  2. The Bible explicitly states that drinking is unwise. Proverbs 20:1 states, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

  3. The Bible states that drunkenness is sinful. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, the Bible lists drunkenness among sins that condemn the lost to hell: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." The best way to avoid being a drunkard is to avoid drinking alcohol!

  4. The Bible reveals that wine causes spiritual harm. In Hosea 4:11, the Lord reveals that “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” One Bible commentator explains that, in the Bible, the heart pictures both our understanding and our affections. Here, we are warned that alcohol tends to both pervert our understanding and cause our affections to turn away from Godly things.

  5. The Lord calls us to demonstrate love to others. In 1 John 4:7, we read, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God." Engaging in behaviors such as smoking or drinking around others is arguably unloving, as it has potential to encourage them to partake in something that is physically and spiritually dangerous.

  6. The Bible commands us to refrain from even looking upon alcoholic wine. In Proverbs 23:31-32, the Lord commands, "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." The language of this verse seems to allude to the fermentation process that produces alcohol. That process causes the color of grape juice to change. And it releases carbon dioxide bubbles that cause the wine to “move.”

In summary, we observe that the Bible teaches that drinking is unwise. Drinking leads to intoxication, which is inherently sinful — and necessarily involves yielding control to a substance rather than to the Spirit. Further, alcohol tends to cause our hearts to turn to ungodly thoughts and actions. Lastly, drinking in the presence of others is arguably unloving — as it may encourage others to engage in a practice that is contrary to the words of God. Lord, give us grace to abstain — for your honor and glory.

If you are struggling with alcohol, consider these suggestions:

  1. Pray and confess the sin;

  2. Ask God for strength to stop drinking. And ask him to help you seek comfort from him. Praise God for his grace and comfort!

  3. Get support from your pastor or someone else in your church.

If your’re not certain that you know Christ as your Savior, please learn more here.

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