I want to talk about something that is a particular point of frustration for me, and that is Christians who drink socially. I call them "sipping saints." And what is even more appalling is when I hear so-called ministers standing in the pulpit telling the congregation, "The Bible doesn't say you can't drink. It just says don't drink too much."

Most of these Christians excuse their behavior by pointing to certain scriptures from the Bible. I'm going to be flat-out honest with you: Either they are making that statement out of utter ignorance of the Word, or they are trying to excuse their own indulgence. Let me reassure you, there is no basis in Scripture for any kind of social drinking.

Let's Use Our Common Sense
First of all, before we study the Word on this subject, let's apply a little common sense to this rationale. As Christians, we are to live our lives after the example of Jesus. Frankly, I find it impossible to picture Jesus flopped back in His easy chair sipping beer and watching a ball game. That's not my Jesus.

Let's use some common sense. Alcohol is a mind-altering substance. It has a negative affect on you intellectually, emotionally and physically. Do you really think God is going to suggest it's okay to partake of something that has literally destroyed the lives of countless millions of people down through the centuries? If you really think it's okay to drink a little wine with your dinner or sip a little beer on the weekend, friend, you are deceived and you have a door wide open for the devil to destroy your life. It's that plain and simple.

Alcohol is no different than any other mind-altering substance like cocaine, heroin, angel dust, or LSD. Do you think if they had these drugs in Jesus' day that He would say it was okay to use it in moderation? "It's okay to use a little cocaine, just don't overindulge yourself." This is no different than saying it's okay to use a little alcohol. Do you really think God is that dumb?

What God Says About Alcohol
Every time I teach on this subject, there are always Christians who ask me about the verse in 1 Timothy 3:8 that says the deacon, "must not be given to much wine." They say, "Doesn't this indicate that it's okay to drink alcohol in moderation?"

I'll say it again: God is not going to give His blessing on a behavior that has the capacity to utterly destroy your life. Let's examine this subject in light of all the Word. Let's look at Proverbs 20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (KJV).

It says whoever is deceived by strong drink is not wise. There are many Christians who are, indeed, deceived in this area. Also, notice this verse doesn't say, "Anything less than three glasses of wine is a mocker." It says wine - period - is a mocker. Now let's look at what it says in Proverbs 23:29-30: "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."

Many "sipping saints" stop reading right there and say, "See it says 'they that tarry long at the wine.' Doesn't that mean it's okay to drink in moderation?" But I tell them, "Keep reading...." The following verses makes it clear moderation is not what this scripture is talking about.

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. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again (vv. 31-34, KJV).

Clearly this is talking about fermented wine. It bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Fermented wine causes you to behave in a way that is promiscuous and vulgar and you're not always aware of what is happening to you. In other words, it will mess up your life.

Let's get real, man! Do you really think it's okay to drink in moderation? Verse 31 says not to even look at it. It doesn't say just have one or two glasses. It says not to even look at it.

But I want you to see what is the most pathetic thing about alcohol. It says, "I will seek it yet again." That's the nature of alcohol. It is addictive.

Saints, God makes it clear what He thinks about alcohol. And please don't give me any of this stuff about "We're in the New Testament now." God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Rest assured God is not going to contradict Himself and change His mind a few centuries down the road.

So how do we interpret the "so called" controversial New Testament verses in light of what we just read? First of all, the word "wine" doesn't always necessarily mean it's an alcoholic beverage. For instance, in the Old Testament the words "new wine" comes from the Hebrew word tiyrowsh and it refers to fresh unfermented grape juice. But in the New Testament, the words "new wine" comes from the Greek word glukus and it means a very sweet wine that is highly inebriating.

The word "wine" can mean it is fermented as well as unfermented. Often, you determine whether it's an alcoholic beverage or not by the context in which it is used.

Contradictory Scriptures?
One of the controversial scriptures that has confused a lot of people is in 1 Tim 3:8: "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine..." (KJV).

Obviously, this passage is talking about an alcoholic beverage otherwise it wouldn't matter how much wine the deacon drank. So does this mean that it's okay to drink a little wine? Absolutely not. There is something you need to understand about what is being said here.

First of all, the word "deacon" is the Greek word diakonos and it means an "attendant" or "waiter." It is someone who serves. For instance, in our church a deacon would be somebody who is an usher, a greeter or a parking attendant. These are all positions where someone serves.

Now let's look at verse one in this same chapter where it is talking about the office of the bishop. First Timothy 3:1-3: "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine..." (KJV).

The Greek word for bishop is the word episkope and it is someone who supervises. A bishop is a mature believer with oversight responsibility in the body of Christ. Did you notice one of the qualifications for bishop is that he must not be "given to wine."

Wait a minute! So is God saying it's okay for the deacon to drink wine but it's not okay for the bishop? Of course not. The deacon doesn't have any more capacity to drink wine than the bishop does. The seeming contradiction is not a contradiction at all. These "lists" of qualifications are earmarks of maturity in which the church uses in order to determine whether someone is qualified to hold a certain position in the body of Christ.

Spiritual growth is a process that occurs over time. A lot of a new believer's behavior will reflect the world's value system simply because he doesn't know any better. As a new believer begins to grow in his relationship with the Lord, he will become mature in the things of God. He'll drop off carnal ways and adopt a more godly lifestyle.

The issue is not a matter of whether it's okay to drink wine moderately. The issue is a matter of spiritual growth and maturity. It is assumed that new believers will drop off the carnal habit of drinking as they grow in their relationship with God. When they do, they will have met one of the qualifications for a position of leadership.

Drinking Is an Open Door for the Devil
Do you see how important it is to interpret the Word in the light of the whole Bible? God is not about to suggest it's okay to partake of the devil's brew. God is not going to tell you it's okay to partake of something that has the potential to destroy your mind, destroy your personality, destroy your marriage...your job...your life!

Christians who drink are convinced the Word says it's okay to drink alcohol in moderation. They don't realize they have an open door for the enemy to gain entrance into their life. It might not be next week, next year or even five years from now, but some time down the road, the enemy will wait for an opportunity in which he can tempt you. Before you know it, you're getting drunk on a regular basis. It's an open door, folks! I've seen it happen all too many times. I know what I'm talking about.

And be aware of this truth. If you drink in front of another Christian who has a problem with alcohol, you indicate to him that it is okay to drink. If he starts drinking again, you have become a stumbling block to his Christianity. God will hold you responsible for his outcome.

Please don't be deceived about alcohol. The liquor companies promote their product with advertisements of glamorous-looking people dressed in evening gowns and tuxedos sipping from crystal glasses. They imply it's the way to climb the ladder of success.

They never tell you what it does to your liver or your mind. They never show you the homeless drunk sleeping in the back of an alley. They never show you the little children dressed in rags and are hungry because Daddy drank his whole paycheck again.

I know too many godly Christian women who have had to help their husbands into bed for years because they were too drunk to do it themselves. They've watched alcohol destroy their husband's body and mind. They've watched alcohol destroy their careers and relationships. And finally, they've watched alcohol destroy even their self-respect as a human being.

Alcohol has demonstrated time and again that it is one of the enemy's primary tools to wreak havoc among Christian families. Let's wise up. Let's wake up to the lie that alcohol in "moderation" is okay. Let's do without it.

If you're a sipping saint, I encourage you to see the truth of God's Word. Make a decision to grow up in the things of God and put away carnal ways. Eliminate alcohol from your life altogether and close that door the enemy has in your life. You'll not regret it.

Source: The Hog Pen Trail and Doorways to Deception, IV by Mac Hammond
Excerpt permission granted by Mac Hammond Ministries