“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (Prov. 23:29-35).
However, in spite of inspired wisdom that descends from above, many men in their “great” worldly wisdom believe that alcohol is perfectly acceptable and controllable. They are puffed up in their mind and go contrary to all reason in the matter. They love to indulge in their fleshly desires despite God’s will in the matter.
Some may object to the above, but we ask you to consider the marriages that have gone bad because of one or both spouses being on the bottle, the children which have either been neglected or outright abused because of the drinking of one or both parents, and all the fights and car accidents which have occured as a result of intoxication?
Some believe in “social drinking.” They believe as long as it is done in “moderation” there is nothing wrong. Is that what the Bible says? Notice 1 Peter 4:3-4, “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in…EXCESS OF WINE, REVELLINGS, BANQUETINGS…Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.” This passage condemns three levels of drinking: 1. excess of wine (drunkard); 2. revellings (college frat party); and, 3. banquetings (social drink).
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). Are you deceived and mocked? We call upon you to leave it, turn from drunkenness to sobriety and serve the living God by having faith in His Son Jesus, repenting of all your sins, confessing Christ, and being baptized to have your sins washed away (Jn. 3:16; Lk. 13:3; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 22:16).
Steven F. Deaton
