Results 1 - 6 of 6
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Kill your brother and drink strong drink | James 2:10 | petedavis6263 | 211080 | ||
Dear WOS, Thank you for your welcome words. Yes I will continue to study God's word as it has already freed me from unwarranted guilt. It is a wonderful feeling. When one embraces and follows a command from God, don't you think it is the ultimate glorification of His majesty? After a hard day's work I come home and enjoy my drink with my dinner, I gaze out at the sunset and I remember what God says in Ecc 9:7, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God accepteth thy works." How much better can I glorify my God? I can't help but feel God's blessings all around me. Remember, God says not to change what He has commanded. If I subscribe to your way of thinking then I will be guilty of ignoring His wisdom. Yes you are correct regarding the evil of excess, but that applies to practically everything. If you drink too much water it is bad for you, if you eat too much food it is bad for you, if you overwork your body it is bad for you, if you focus too much on the acquisition of money it is bad for you. From all indications God does not forbid strong drink, He just forbids the overindulgence of it. I'm not sure what your meaning is with 1 Cor 6:12, but isn't there a verse in the NT that says "let no man judge you in meat or drink?" Aren't you guilty of not only going against God's command to drink strong drink, but judging those who do? Pete |
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2 | Kill your brother and drink strong drink | James 2:10 | Wild Olive Shoot | 211104 | ||
Dear Pete, Keep in mind my friend that God’s wisdom is not confined to the Old Testament. If you think that, you miss Him revealing His Son to us and the salvation He offers. God’s wisdom extends into the New Testament as well and neither contradicts the other rather the opposite, complete harmony. You have to take everything you study in context Pete. My caution to you is not the “strong drink” you drink, nor the feelings you say it causes you have, I’ve been down that path and know what you are feeling. My contention is this, does what you do glorify God when you are also instructed through His Word to offer yourself as a living sacrifice? (Romans 12:1) Losing the slightest bit of your faculties, which is exactly what your buzz is, is also not upholding Ephesians 5:18. The point of 1 Corinthians 6:12 that I was hoping to convey is this: We have freedom in Christ. That which once may have or possibly could enslave us has been defeated. In Christ, we have freedom and liberty and we risk throwing that away sometimes because we look to the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law through grace. And we try to rationalize what we do to appease our own conscience. I’m not accusing you of doing that, but I can’t help but wonder since you asked the question to begin with, that you yourself have doubts. If that is the case my friend, abstaining is a good thing and you questioning it is a very good thing. If you are feeling uneasy in your defense in any way, maybe that is the Spirit nudging you. We risk becoming enslaved when we overindulge or do things in excess. And Pete, it really is excess when you feel that buzz. “for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” (2 Peter 2:19) I’m not judging you either friend. But we have an obligation to speak the truth in love. Please continue to look into this subject. Meditate on all God’s Word has to say and most of all pray for an answer and guidance to again, do what we are meant to do in all we do, bring glory to God. Yes, we are not to change what God commands, but we need be careful not to ignore what God in His wisdom has revealed to us throughout scripture, even to the point it makes us feel uneasy. We can’t pick and choose that which supports a particular position of ours and disregard that which doesn’t. It’s all God’s Word friend and every bit of it is to be taken into consideration. I’m praying for Pete, for you to come to the correct conclusion in a manner pleasing to God. And I’m sure others on this forum are doing the same. Stand in His grace, WOS |
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3 | Kill your brother and drink strong drink | James 2:10 | petedavis6263 | 211109 | ||
Dear WOS, I promised Hank and Brad that I would discontinue the circular banter on drinking, but let me just say again, I do not nor am I promoting excess or overindulgence. Drinking a little wine or strong drink no more makes a person a drunkard than kinky sex with one's wife makes that person a sexual deviant. Both are gifts from God and if I subscribe to your way of thinking simply because of the way you feel about your previous drinking habits, then I must stop having fun with my wife for it may drive me to become a pervert. Anyway, that's my last thought on drinking since I did agree to quit that banter. However, I do have something to ask you as I am reading the book of Matthew. With regards to your question, "My contention is this, does what you do glorify God when you are also instructed through His Word to offer yourself as a living sacrifice? (Romans 12:1)", I ask are you glorifying God as Jesus commanded in Matthew 19:21, "...If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven..." On that same subject I found similar instructions in Mark 10:21-23, Luke 12:33 and 18:22. Sell all that you have and give to the poor. Are you, Mr. WOS offering yourself as a living sacrifice? In your own words, "Yes, we are not to change what God commands, but we need be careful not to ignore what God in His wisdom has revealed to us throughout scripture, even to the point it makes us feel uneasy. We can’t pick and choose that which supports a particular position of ours and disregard that which doesn’t. It’s all God’s Word friend and every bit of it is to be taken into consideration." Mr. WOS, if you haven't sold everything you own, given to the poor, taken up your cross and followed Jesus then your are guilty of the very thing you accuse me of. As I judge no one but myself, I believe the perfect will of God is to enjoy the gifts He created for us. Speaking the truth in love, Pete ps I don't mean to sound harsh or disrespectful, please forgive if I have, but please help me to understand where I am wrong. |
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4 | Kill your brother and drink strong drink | James 2:10 | Wild Olive Shoot | 211117 | ||
Dear Pete, Of course we can spin and compare apples to oranges all day long and find numerous comparisons that we can stretch to make our point. Still at the end of the day, we haven’t really addressed the concern now have we? You’ve mentioned a few times now, “subscribing to my way of thinking”. Pete, if I’m pulling the info directly from Scripture, whose thinking is it, really. Be honest with yourself. My old or current habits have nothing to do with the point scripture makes my friend. I allow myself to divulge that info to help the conversation along, just so you know, I’m not perfect either. Speaking of not being perfect, you ask am I offering myself as a living sacrifice? Not even close to how I should be. But as time goes on I realize, through the conviction of the Spirit, something else, some new deplorable and repulsive thing about myself and then pray that God will vanquish it. But the first thing that happens in any of those cases is that I’m informed in some manner that it needs to be relinquished. We grow Pete. We continually grow in Christ. To become stagnant is as deadly as regressing, you see where I’m going with that. Pete, would it make a difference to you if I did sell everything I own? Because brother, if I KNEW it would have an effect on you, that it would secure you and bring you closer to God, I would more than likely consider it. But since I’m just a “nobody” and have no strength accept through Christ, what good would it do? I think it would simply leave me and my family out in the cold. Is that what needs to be done for you to see? Would you really wish that upon me? However, you have one who actually has already given up everything for you, even His life. And in Him there is great power and security. Now let’s be clear Pete, of what have I accused you? If I point out specific scripture that is relevant to the very question you yourself have posed and shows something other than the position you currently hold, who is actually accusing you of anything? If you think it is me, you render me far too much credit. I’m in this as you are. Scripture accuses me every time I study. It shows me that I can’t live for the Law. I’m put on trial, convicted and sentenced to death every time. However, we have a great advocate in Jesus who sees to it that the pardon we truly don’t deserve is granted. All you have to do is put your faith and trust in Him. Pete, none of us are perfect. We all need the grace of God. I’ll end participation to this thread at your wish and offer you the last word if you desire. Please remember, I’m not accusing you of anything and my concern is not the strong drink or the feeling it brings or even why you think it is appropriate. The only thing I’ve tried to point out is why? Why do you do it? For your own self satisfaction or for the glory of God and that you study the subject in depth through the Word of God. God’s grace is a wonderful thing Pete, and I pray this day, you find yourself standing in it. WOS |
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5 | Kill your brother and drink strong drink | James 2:10 | petedavis6263 | 211138 | ||
Dear WOS, Thank you for your long dissertation. I'm beginning to see the pattern with most people. They will read something they like and take it word for word, but then when they read something they don't like, they find a way to spin it to mean something other than what it says. I would venture to speculate that this is the reason why we have an inordinate amount of differnt religions. God has given each and every one of us our own level of reasoning and rationale and I am beginning to realize that I shouldn't be trying to convince anyone one way or the other. Oh well, it was nice chatting with you WOS. One last thought though, as I was laying in bed last night trying to sleep, I wondered why God had issued hundreds of rules, commands and laws of which many were misdemeanor at best. In the first five books of the bible God laid down a host of principles. For example a woman shall not wear the clothes of a man, death to a homosexual, death for breaking the sabbath, death to one who comits adultery, a woman is unclean for two weeks after giving birth to a girl, a list of clean and unclean foods, eating pork is an abomination as well as many others, all of which have very little impact on anyone if violated. YET, on one of the most serious of all social evils when abused, nowhere does God say, THOU SHALT NOT DRINK STRONG DRINK! It seems fruitless to continue because I will never see it from your point of view and I know you will never see it from my point of view. There are many situations in life that destroy innocent lives but we keep doing it, why, because we want to. Tsunamis kill thousands, yet people still choose to live near the sea, airplane crashes take many innocent lives, yet most of us still choose to fly, automobile accidents kill thousands of people each year, yet we still choose to own our vehicles, why, because we want to. The abuse of alcohol destroys many many lives yet we still choose to drink, why, because we want to. There is no command from God not to. I will not put words into God's mouth to make it appear that He said something He did not. God gave us the vineyards for wine and the grain fields for beer and strong drink. I will exercise and promote prudence and responsibility as I enjoy what God has given. Thank WOS for your kind banter with me on this. I wish you well. God bless you. Pete |
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6 | Kill your brother and drink strong drink | James 2:10 | Wild Olive Shoot | 211153 | ||
I wish you well too pete. One last thought... As I was lying in bed trying to sleep last night... I was praying for you. Stand in His grace, WOS |
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