I completely abstained from any consumption of alcohol for the first 26 years of my Christian walk. I’ve been a believer for 28. There were a host of reasons for my deciding to abstain during that time (including, frankly, pride about my “holiness”) but spelling them all out isn’t the theme of this piece. Rather I want to express a sense of vindication I felt during Pastor Chris’s sermon this past Sunday when he wrapped up the “Fighting for Rest” series by tackling, among other things, the controversial subject of Biblical Christians consuming alcohol.

During the entire period of my abstinence I made it clear, when the subject came up, that I was in no way advocating my stance for every believer. Why? Well, first and foremost there was the testimony of the first miracle Jesus ever performed: turning the water into wine at the wedding he attended in Cana. Through the years a few books and people (including a previous pastor of mine who I otherwise highly respected) tried to convince me that the wine in question was somehow much weaker than the wine of today. The idea was that Christ basically turned the water into barely fermented grape juice! This struck me as being a ludicrously untenable position as the people went to the master of the feast in that account and complimented him on bringing out the best wine last, since everyone else gave their wedding guests watered-down wine “after the guests have had too much to drink” (John 2:10)

But there were other passages in the Old Testament that also reinforced the idea that God was not against human use of alcohol for other than medicinal purposes. The sermon brought up two that seem to have slipped under the radar of those who tell us no Christ-follower should ever have a drink (and certainly never enjoy it if they do!) One is the verse declaring that God gave wine to “gladden the heart of man” (Psalm 104:15). This is particularly interesting in that it implies God knew and was OK with the fact that alcoholic beverages would actually have a pleasant effect! Then Chris mentioned Deuteronomy 14:26 in which the Israelites are told by God, on a special occasion, not only to enjoy wine but also “strong drink.” This verse is even more shocking for the “Christian teetotaler” as it not only sanctions wine, but apparently also beverages with even greater alcohol content!

Now here the same caveat must be inserted by me that Chris did on Sunday. If you have become addicted to alcohol by its overuse than almost certainly you should abstain from any kind of imbibing on a permanent basis. I have a dearly loved relative who is an alcoholic who has not touched a drop in nearly 40 years. I applaud both that decision and the self-control that has been required for her to live it out. Also, we are clearly told by Scripture that, even if we are not addicted ourselves, we should never become drunk on wine, or anything else, and also that if drinking in front of someone who is an alcoholic will tempt that person to drink we should always abstain in their presence (I would even go so far as to say that drinking in front of someone who is uncomfortable with the practice should at least cause us to inquire with them about it before picking up our glass).

That said the Bible clearly teaches that, as a non-intrinsically sinful practice, the consumption of alcohol in true moderation, and with the aforementioned caveats, is in no way wrong. It also implies that such drinking may induce a pleasant feeling that does not impair our faculties to the point of drunkenness, and that is OK too. For someone who has once again had an occasional drink over the past two years, Chris’s message was one I was very pleased to hear. It was the first time I’ve heard a pastor have the guts to publically explore the verses he did, and I’m glad for it.

It’s nice to feel vindicated, whether I drink a toast to that vindication or not!