When should a Christian not drink beer?
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I could care less what a legalist thinks about my drinking habit. In fact I would go to the point of taking a shot in front of one. But I think there are definitely situations where we need to abstain from alcohol.
Drink for any amount of time (shot you don’t even have to drink) and someone is going to bring up the weaker brother. But what exactly is a weaker brother (cause most people who mention weaker brothers aren’t one and have never seen one). Paul talks to the Corinthians about not eating meat sacrificed to idols. There were brothers who just came out of the world where they sacrificed that meat to false Gods. Paul says there is nothing wrong with the meat, but understands that these brothers are still new to their faith and can’t easily separate the meat from the idols. They can’t eat the meat without stumbling back into their old lifestyle.
So where does the weaker brother come into play with alcohol. If we use Paul’s conversation with the Corinthians as our basis, a weaker brother in the world of alcohol is someone for whom alcohol is more than alcohol. A beer is more than just a beer. It is a gateway into a world were they worship something other than God. I’ll talk about this more at another time.
But the main idea is that alcohol has power over them and not the other way around. It leads them away from God and not towards a closer understanding of who He is. Beer disconnects them Jesus. It doesn’t give them a greater understanding of the glory of God. For those of us that alcohol doesn’t have any hold on us, Paul warns us that we aren’t to tempt our weaker brother. We aren’t to put them in a position where they would be tempted.
I have several friends that I don’t drink around because they struggle with drinking alcohol. But that is the case, they struggle with drinking it. They don’t struggle with the concept of drinking alcohol. They actually struggle with being able to control how many drinks they have.  They use alcohol to escape pain (emotional and physical), to gain approval of friends, to pump up their egos, to do all these at one time.  So I don’t tempt them by drinking around them.
I do have some other friends that are new in their faith and are still trying to figure out where their freedoms lie. I don’t drink in front of them either, but I do help them to understand that drinking in itself is not a sin. I try to help them realize that not only is alcohol in itself just a drink, but that it can actually be used to bring glory to God. I help them to see the thing they think is a sin…is actually a gift from God.
How about you guys? Are there any times when you won’t enjoy a beer?
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Comments
I would tend to agree with you especially when it comes to drinking in front of a known recovering alcoholic. However, we don’t always know who we’re drinking in front of. Additionally, as I believe we should all be drinking wine in our churches and not grape juice for Communion, we need to encourage those around us who are struggling to study this issue in depth. Its a delicate issue but it nevertheless has far reaching ramifications when get into other “liberties.”
Russs last blog post..What’s on Tap?
Not a beer drinker…….don’t like it. 
But I link to your site for those who do. Several of my older sons like a good beer. We come from a right wing Fundamentalist background. While we are now the resident family liberals……..we have extended family members who still think drinking beer (and 400 other things) are sin. So……we are “beer free” when family visits. We do not want to offend them.
I can’t drink at all…….I take narcotic pain meds daily…….not a good mix
I enjoy your blog. 20 years ago I would have probably been preaching about your evil blog………but it is good to see a level headed approach to the alcohol issue. Keep up the good work.
Bruce
Bruce Gerencsers last blog post..What High Ground is Left?
I definitely won’t drink beer when my only choices are clear enough to see through. There is not bad time to enjoy a porter or stout though!
@ Brad - I would agree that beer and pain meds don’t mix (although Dr. House would disagree).
@ Matt - I think I’ll have to add a rule simular to that to my list. Although I don’t have to go to the degree of a porter or stout (although those would be on the list).
Ah yes, Dr House. I take Vicodin too but if I ate them like House I would be in permanent outer space. I laugh when I see him swallow a handful of pills. Not real life but I do love the show.
Bruce
Bruce Gerencsers last blog post..What High Ground is Left?
Brotha, just a great post. I hope these are the type of discussions we’ll see on this blog as we balance legalism, wisdom and freedom. In the words of Putty..highfive…
Thanks CJ and Clayton. I only write about these things because I’ve had to struggle with them. It just annoys me when I hear people passing judgement that have never even been aroun someone with a drinking problem.
GregQuallss last blog post..Beer Tip of the Week - Episode 8 - To Chill or Not to Chill
Some of the most balanced views I’ve heard about our spiritual “liberties” or “rights” came from the book “Velvet Elvis” by Rob Bell.
What it really boils down to is you as an individual connecting with God and praying about what He would have YOU do. The problem with legalism comes when people take what they feel God has told THEM to do and try to make other people conform to that.
Obviously things come into play like discernment (when you should and shouldn’t have a beer), responsibility (the right time and place) and situations (probably not a good idea to have a beer in front of a struggling alcoholic).
That’s my two cents.
Brad Ruggless last blog post..I used to Be