BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
Do you indulge in a glass of wine every now and then? You are not alone, according to a newsletter for a medical group: "More than 85% of adults report drinking alcohol at some point. In 2020, alcohol consumption in the U.S. spiked, with heavy drinking increasing by 41% among women. Among other factors, this rise in numbers could be attributed to COVID.
Alcohol affects your
body quickly. It is absorbed through the lining of your stomach into your
bloodstream. Once there, it spreads into tissues throughout your body. Alcohol
reaches your brain in only five minutes and starts to affect you within 10
minutes.
After 20 minutes,
your liver starts processing alcohol. On average, the liver can metabolize 1
ounce of alcohol every hour. A blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit for
drinking, takes around five and a half hours to leave your system. Alcohol will
stay in urine for up to 80 hours and in hair follicles for up to three months.
Drivers with a BAC of 0.08 or more are 11 times more likely to be killed in a
single-vehicle crash than non-drinking drivers.[1]
If you don't want to
get killed and possibly kill others, don't drive your car under the influence.
In our series on "A Pathway to Christian Living," the passage in
Ephesians 5:14-20 gives us, the followers of Christ, a warning and a command on
how to conduct our lives. It also contrasts worldly or fleshly behavior and the
Spirit-filled behavior of believers in Christ.
1.
Devastating
Dangers of Drunkenness.
Paul
encouraged the Ephesian believers that they were the light in the Lord. Because
the days were evil as the children of the light, they were to live with utmost
care. While using their best judgment, they were to make the most of every
chance they got and ensure they understood what their Master wanted. He warned
them not to get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Similar
warnings and instructions apply to all of us, too. Is it a sin to drink alcohol,
according to the Bible? Can Christians drink? Although
the Bible does not explicitly mention that drinking alcohol itself is sinful.
Christians can drink, but remember, do not drink excessively to the point where
you get drunk. The Bible does say several times that drunkenness is sinful.
For that
reason, God condemns drunkenness over and over throughout the Bible. Over the
centuries, the church has debated whether Christians should drink alcohol and
wine, what amount is acceptable, and so on. Some believe Christians must stay
away from alcohol altogether, and others feel a moderate drink once in a while
is okay.
There is nothing wrong with wine. In the Bible it was
given to gladden human hearts (Ps 104:15). Jesus turned water into wine at the
wedding of Cana. Jesus hinted that in heaven, He will drink wine with us. (Matt
26:29). Sinful people abuse
what is not inherently sinful. Let's see the
spiritual and physical ramifications of drunkenness. Prov 20:1, "Wine is a
mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise."
Isaiah 5:11, "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after
their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine."
In the NT, we read severe warnings against drunkenness, as it is associated with other sins. Gal 5:19-21The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
The context of why Paul commanded the Ephesians believers not to get drunk on
wine, which leads to debauchery, was "Bacchus, the God of wine. His
worship had extended centuries before the Christian era over the Greek and
Roman world. It had degenerated into an orgy of drunkenness and unnamable
immoralities."[2]
Drinking too much wine leads one to debauchery. The
meaning of debauchery is extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures and,
especially, sexual pleasures involving sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. Here is a
graphic explanation of how a drunken person behaves. Proverbs 23:29-35. "Who are the people who are always crying the
blues? Who do you know who
reeks of self-pity?
Who keeps getting beaten up for no reason at all? Whose eyes are tired and
bloodshot? It's those who spend the night
with a bottle for whom drinking is
serious business. Don't judge wine by its
label, or its bouquet, or its full-bodied
flavor. Judge it rather by the hangover
it leaves you with the splitting headache, the queasy stomach.
Do you really prefer seeing double, with your speech all slurred,
Reeling and seasick, drunk as a sailor? "They hit me," you'll say, "but it didn't hurt; they beat on me, but I didn't feel a thing. When I'm sober enough to manage it, bring me another drink!" (The Message). I am not
being self-righteous here when I say I never drank alcohol out of personal
conviction except for some occasional wine. I don't know what it is to get
drunk, but it does sound pathetic.
I've seen how many lives have been destroyed due to alcohol addiction. When there are so many adverse effects on our health and relationships, is it worth getting drunk on alcohol? As God's children, we must be filled with the Spirit instead of getting drunk on wine.
2. Be Filled With The Spirit
Paul lays out a contrast between a life that is
influenced by alcohol and a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit. They are
vastly different. A life that is addicted to alcohol, in the end, leads to
death. In contrast, a life filled with the Holy Spirit leads to eternal life. Here
are a few characteristics of those filled with the Holy Spirit. First,
the Spirit testifies to our Spirit that we are God's children. Rom 8:16. As
God's children, the Spirit empowers us to live fulfilled lives.
Second, the
Spirit-filled Christian is joy-filled. When we come together during our Sunday
service, that joy can become contagious as we encourage one another with
Psalms, hymns, and songs as the Spirit enables us. You can sing songs of praise to the Lord not only in public worship but also privately. When I am on my
own, driving, cleaning the house, or in the shower, I often sing to the Lord
from my heart. Some of you can sing to the Lord through music.
Third, the
Spirit-filled Christian is grateful. He gives thanks in all circumstances. When
we thank God our Father in Jesus' name for everything we have, we have no time
to complain and grumble over what we don't have. What do we do if you, your
loved one, and your grown-up children are addicted to alcohol? If you are
struggling with this addiction, repent of the sin of drunkenness and ask God to
forgive, fill you with His Spirit and set you free from this bondage.
If it is your spouse or children, confrontation may further alienate you from them. Instead, take the approach of a father in the OT named Job. He offered early morning sacrifices for his ten children, who feasted, drank, and partied at night. It was his custom. He did that thinking, "Perhaps his children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." (Job 1:4-6).
In this case, we earnestly pray that God would have mercy
on our loved ones and children and lead them to repentance. In closing, we have
looked at the devastating dangers of drunkenness and also saw the contrast
between a life that was addicted to alcohol and a life that was filled with the
Holy Spirit. I want to ask you, where is your life today? Is it under the
influence of alcohol? Or is it filled with the Holy Spirit? If anyone is here
addicted to alcohol, please see me or write to me. I will pray with you and
offer you some resources.
