Yes, you can, but should you?
You can do whatever you want with your life, with your body, with your heart—but why would you ask to be part of what God is doing if you want to live for yourself?
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 10:23)
I don’t drink alcohol.
It’s a conversation I’ve had with many people over the years, both believers and non-believers, and what I find fascinating is that both groups assume they know the reason why I’ve chosen not to drink. They both believe it’s “a religious thing.”
Guess what? It’s not.
I actually love having this conversation with people because it gives me an opportunity to talk about who God really is and what He truly expects from His people. I use this verse all the time, because most people don’t even realize it’s there.
In God’s Word, He neither commands us to avoid or indulge in alcohol. Culturally, wine was part of everyday life in Bible times. It had to be. There were no refrigeration options, so any kind of juice that was pressed would begin fermenting almost immediately. And grapes ferment particularly rapidly.
Everyone drank wine. Jesus drank wine. Sorry to burst the bubble of anyone who is strictly anti-alcoholic for “biblical” reasons, but that’s not an argument you can use realistically. There is no command in Scripture that says you can’t drink alcohol.
What God’s Word commands is that you not be drunk. That’s the limit. That’s the boundary. You can drink alcohol. Fine. But if you drink too much, you’re in trouble.
Of course, that line is different for everyone based on a lot of factors. But if you are drinking alcohol to get drunk, there’s a problem. And, frankly, it’s the same problem with over-eating or doom-scrolling or spending excessive amounts of money. Indulging is a symptom of a much deeper spiritual issue.
So why don’t I drink? I know myself. I have discipline issues when it comes to food and drink, and I drink water and tea and coffee and Coke Zero like a fish anyway. I don’t even think about it. So if I get started on something alcoholic, I’m not sure I can stop. It has nothing to do with what I believe about God and everything to do with what I know about myself.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve tried wine and beer and ciders (when you’re in Ireland, you’ve got to have a Guinness, right?). But it’s not something I have in my lifestyle. I could, but because I don’t believe it will be beneficial in my life, I don’t include it.
As Christ-followers, there is nothing we cannot do. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation in the first place, so how can anything we do affect our salvation? It can’t. So we are legitimately free to do anything. This is why there are so many verses about using our salvation as license to sin—that’s not the point. We have been set free to live a life that honors and exalts God, so why would we choose to waste that liberty in pursuing only earthly pleasures that don’t actually benefit us?
Everything is allowed, but not everything is beneficial. You can do whatever you want with your life, with your body, with your heart—but why would you ask to be part of what God is doing if you only intend to live for yourself?
If hell insurance is enough for you, you might need to double-check the state of your soul. And that is between you and Jesus.
Questions for Reflection
Why do you think the Church gets so hung up on legalistic issues?
How can you tell the difference between something that is a preference and something that is a conviction?
Why do you think God has allowed us to have choices that can possible damage us?
Weekly Memory Verse
