jrdnoland
Puritan Board Freshman
Bill,
If people act like fools, whether they've a beer in hand when doing so or not, people will think them fools. On the other hand, if people act godly and respectably, and this with beer in hand, is it any right of others to judge them over a matter of liberty? Surely not. The Pharisees themselves accused Jesus of being a winebibber and glutton. Do you think he stopped drinking wine or eating because of their false accusations? Yes, we should be careful not to cause our brother to stumble, but we should also be careful not to think that a brother can continually say, "I'm offended! I'm offended!" once he has been shown that things such as this are matters of liberty and even gifts from God. For himself, he ought to refrain, but to press that charge to others is unfounded, and to judge a brother as sinning inherently when he takes a drink is the epitome of the Pharisaical mindset (i.e. making commandments out of the doctrines of men).
Like I said, I am not condemning my brethren. I just ask my brethren to consider the testimony of the believers in all they say and do.
Bill - I agree with you, and I for one will not associate with anyone who drinks, goes to bars or has anything to do with alcohol. My father was an alcoholic, my sister and brother are alcoholics.
Let those who care only about themselves drink, God tells us to be considerate of all men and aware of how even our unsinful actions may lead others astray.
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak
Now while as a matter of one's own conscience, Christians have a good deal of freedom. But in the name of love Christians should restrict themselves from activities which bother the conscience of other Christians. It's written,
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. Rom 14:13-20
This includes the consumption of alcohol. There are some who struggle against an addiction to alcholism. But while others don't have such an addiction or are not tempted along those lines, yet their free exercise of their right to partake of alcohol may lead those who are weak into temptation and into addiction.
Therefore it is best if Christians abstain from alcohol. And while they have the freedom to drink, they certainly don't have the right to get drunk. And, in the name of love for others, they should be careful that the exercise of their rights does not embolden the weak to fall into the sin of drunkenness.