Reading for Today:
Proverb Chapter 23
Gold Nugget
Verse 20: “Do not mix with winebibbers or with
gluttonous eaters of meat;”
Commentary
Christians across the country are divided on whether the
consumption of alcohol is a sin or not. Many mainstream American churches
consider it sin. Even of those churches that hold to that belief, many of their
congregations dabble in wine or alcohol of some sort. So, is drinking alcohol a
sin? Only those that feel free to identify things as sin without any biblical support
would call wine a sin. The enemy loves to call things that are guilty of
offense - "pure" and call those things that are pure -
"sin". Now, that being said, there are some things that are declared
in Scripture that relate to wine that are very important. All through the
scriptures, overindulgence of wine is continually warned about. Overindulgence of
anything can be dangerous both spiritually and physically. As in today’s “gold
nugget”, overindulgence is not even something to be associated with. “Do not mix with winebibbers or with
gluttonous eaters of meat;” If overindulgence is sin, than just like any
other sin, the bible teaches us to avoid the association of either.
All across
America you will find one side of the church that condemns those who are
winebibbers on Saturday night and “Christians” on Sunday morning. This part of
the church that condemns those Saturday night “winebibbers” are often Sunday
afternoon “gluttons”. The point I’m trying to make is not one of keeping our
mouth shut because we all have issues, but more about the need to conform to scriptures
and not to each other. Also, we should expect each other to conform to the
scriptures rather than conform to our position on the scriptures. I hope you
see the difference.
So again, is wine a sin? Well, I say no more than meat is a
sin. Is overindulgence a sin? Continually overindulging in anything will be
harmful. Is there something else to consider? Yes, the old “appearance
of evil”. The bible warns us to not only withstand evil, but to avoid the
appearance of evil. That is to say, even if it isn't evil in itself, but is
often interpreted as sin, you may need to avoid it to protect your Christian
reputation. For that reason I don’t drink, despite how innocent it is in
itself. That being said, I believe gluttony and the appearance thereof is also
detrimental to your Christian reputation. As someone who struggles with being
over-weight, I know that I need to do better in practicing self-control if I want
to be a good witness. Today’s devotion may be harsh, but overindulgence of
anything is an issue Christians should be concerned with.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for
the challenge you put before us today. Help us to avoid being offended, but
encourage us to be interested in conforming to all of The Scriptures and not
just the portions we deem relevant. Amen
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