Subject: making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. |
Bible Note: Dear Tim, I appreciate the diffulties that must face a pastor dealing with a wine bibber. But it is no different than any other sin. If the man is in the habit of overindulging, I would remind him that drunkards will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. I would also tell him to examine himself to see if he really is of the faith. Perhaps church discipline may have to be used. You asked "Is alcohol God given or the product of decay? Is the drinking of fermented liquids the proper use?" Our steaks are a product of killing an animal and then subjecting it's flesh to fire wich produces chemical changes which make us go mmumm good! :-) If wine was fine with Our Lord, it is fine with me as well. The Bible is not explicit regarding at what point a person crosses the line into intoxication. But believe me, the individual does. We have the common sense God gave to all mankind and we have the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. When do we cross the line when admireing a beautiful woman? We both know when admiration begins to turn to lust and we look away lest we sin against God. A mature person with any experience can tell when they have had enough. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Drunkards also tend to be habitual liars. I know this is true because I was a drunk until God called me. How can one get around the fact that Jesus spoke of His precious blood as wine (I do not say this lightly)? God the Father commanded drink offerings of wine. You can't get around these facts. John |