Can Christians Drink? | A Biblical Perspective On Alcohol | Ed Young

About this sermon

Can Christians drink alcohol? The Bible gives believers liberty on this — but it is absolutely clear that drunkenness and excessive drinking are sins. Alcohol appears over 200 times in Scripture, and there are roughly four warnings for every freedom. The real question isn't "can I drink?" It's "what is actually controlling my life?" 📖 Read the full article: https://www.edyoung.com/article/what-does-the-bible-say-about-drinking-alcohol Most churches avoid this conversation entirely. That's a problem, because the Bible doesn't. In this message, Pastor Ed Young walks straight into one of the most debated topics in the Christian life and handles it with more nuance — and more warning — than most people expect. WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY PERMITS You cannot look at Scripture and say Christians cannot drink. Jesus turned water into wine at Cana. The disciples drank wine. Psalm 104:15 says wine gladdens the heart. And 1 Timothy 4:4-5 says everything created by God is good when received with thanksgiving and prayer. WHERE THE BIBLE DRAWS THE LINE "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18. Paul isn't just giving a rule — he's making a parallel. Just as a drunk person is controlled by alcohol, every believer is called to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 lists drunkenness alongside sexual immorality and idolatry. And the fruit of the Spirit produces exactly what alcohol destroys: self-control. "WINE IS A MOCKER" — WHAT PROVERBS SAYS Proverbs 20:1. The alcohol industry spends $1.7 billion a year on marketing that shows you community, laughter, and the beach. It never shows you that one in ten people who drink become problem drinkers, that 40% of violent crimes involve alcohol, or that 32% of traffic fatalities trace back to it. If an airline crashed one flight in ten, nobody would buy a ticket. THE PATTERN: DECISION, DIRECTION, DECLINE, DISASTER Alcohol never declares itself. It shows up smooth and seductive. You drink a beer to take the edge off — and eventually the beer sends you over the edge. Proverbs 23:32 says it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. IF YOU CHOOSE TO DRINK — THREE BIBLICAL STANDARDS 1. Make it a PRAYERFUL decision — have you actually taken this to God? 2. Make it a PERSONAL decision that considers others — 1 Corinthians 8:9. Someone younger is watching. 3. Make it a PERIODIC decision, not a daily habit — if you can't go a month without it, that's information. WHAT YOU WERE MADE TO BE FILLED WITH People drink because they're looking for something — to feel good, to escape, to belong, to not feel what they're feeling. But you always come back to your issues. Jesus said He came so we could have life, and have it abundantly. Overflowing. A friend who'd struggled with addiction told me why he quit: "There just aren't enough wins in drinking." Whatever's been spilled in your marriage, your career, your relationships — the cross was a mess too. Jesus spilled His blood there for your sins and mine, and He will take anyone and revolutionize their life. The question isn't just about alcohol. It's this: what is filling your life right now? — RESOURCES — 📖 Full article — What Does the Bible Say About Drinking Alcohol?: https://www.edyoung.com/article/what-does-the-bible-say-about-drinking-alcohol ✝️ Daily devotionals from Ed Young: https://www.edyoung.com/devotionals ⛪ Join us at Fellowship Church in person or online: https://www.fellowshipchurch.com Pastor Ed Young, Fellowship Church Can Christians Drink? A Biblical Perspective on Alcohol #alcohol #christianliving #fellowshipchurch

Topics

• Bible Study
• Overcoming Obstacles