For Christians, the reason for not doing drugs or smoking is that you are damaging the dwelling place of God’s Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.) We would add modern versions of alcohol to the list of drugs that contaminate our bodies. In Jesus’ day, wine involved adding alcohol from grapes to water, avoiding water-borne pathogens. The distillation process was many years away, but today, distilled alcoholic drinks (whiskey, etc.) are recreational drugs that lead to alcohol addiction.
Modern medical research shows that alcohol, like smoking, stimulates the release of endorphins, the “feel good” chemicals that generate sensations of pleasure. People who want instant gratification use alcohol as a crutch, but it can lead to the point where we can’t live without it. Stopping its use results in withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, tremors, and poor sleep. Alcohol is as addictive as nicotine.
Proverbs 23:31-35 graphically describes the effects of alcohol: “Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around; At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, And you will say absurd things. You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast. ‘They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I didn’t know it. When will I wake up? I’ll look for another drink.’”
If you realize that you have a problem with alcohol addiction, there are Christian organizations that can help, as well as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous.
— John N. Clayton © 2024
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