Comments on: Remix – #34. Subtly finding out if you drink beer too.

By: 165 – “Beer is proof that God Loves us… « danger.danger.danger.

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:20:52 +0000

[...] messages within Scripture. This guy I really like, Jon Acuff, talks about it in a funny way here on his site, Stuff Christians Like, about how to find out if your Christian friends drink. And [...]

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:13:29 +0000

Well, there are many Greek/Hebrew words that are all translated as ‘wine’ in English. Some mean literally what we know of as wine while others mean nothing more than the juice of grapes, and there are many in betweens.

To go along with that Jesus turned water into ‘wine’. Now he was at a party and it says that there were drunk people there. We know it is a sin to give a drunk person more alcohol. If Jesus gave a bunch of people ‘wine’ at a party where they were already drunk, he could not have given them alcohol because Jesus is without sin. Therefore the word used in that verse must mean grape juice. In fact, if you look throughout the Bible I believe that almost every positive reference to wine actually uses that word.

Now that all being said, I will occasionally have a glass of wine with my wife or with some friends. However I will generally avoid alcohol while out in public or with people I don’t know. I would rather err on the side of caution than to cause a brother (or a non-Christian) to stumble.

By: SKod

SKod — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:27:11 +0000

Don't know if anyone will see this but the last question Jonathan wrote on the initial post was, "Is this something International Chrisitans argue about?" Yes, it is. I was a full time missionary for four years and my husband is from India. There are major "discussions", disagreements in other countries that run the gammet just like here (as evidenced by this blog). From my observations and friends who live there–devoted Christians in most third world countries are very strict about not drinking alcohol, if you go there and drink they will pretty much write you off as insincere about your faith in Christ. Many European countries are very permissive, even to overlooking raging alcoholics as "that's just part of being (insert country name here). I think we can all agree that moderation is key but we can also apply the scripture from I Corinthians 8:13, "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:19:41 +0000

It's one thing to politely decline a drink, and another to be offended at being offered.

By: Cookiejar1022

Cookiejar1022 — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:30:33 +0000

Really a great explanation of the freedom we can have in Christ vs. The fear based, legalistic stance that so many Christians live trapped in, one of them being my own mother! Thanks for posting. I will refer back to this post.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:55:14 +0000

Anon,
I think that you have your answer right there. In your circumstance, it seems that you have a feeling of what is right for you. If you feel that strongly at 21, that your witness would be harmed by that image amongst those who may not be ready to see beyond the act itself and get to know you, then you are definitely right in deciding it is better not to drink. Even at nearly 30, there are times when I think it better not to drink around certain people. I don't go hide the beer in my fridge or anything of that nature, but I don't pull it out, either. My wife makes a pitcher of good ole sweet tea, and I offer Juice, tea, milk or water, and that's what we all have. Sometimes we need to set our personal preferences aside in order to be a better witness. It isn't hypocritical, we aren't condemning drinking, we just aren't going to cause those around us, who we know have a problem, to stumble. I have even had a conversation with one of my friendscfrom church as to why I wouldn't drink with him. It was more because of an issue he had, which he shared with me. I told him I cared enpough about him not to be a bad influence.

By: roadtoemmaushomeschool

roadtoemmaushomeschool — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:31:48 +0000

This is the best thing I have EVER read about legalism. Ever. I hope you don't mind that I have shared this (with your name as author, of course) on a Christian moms forum I frequent. THANK YOU for summing up the difference between legalism and grace so well!

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:48:17 +0000

I am just now reading this and nobody will ever see this comment becasue of the age of the blog, but I will go ahead and say it. I feel from the depths of my heart that everyone on here is wrong about this. I feel it so deeply that I must not believe in the same grace and forgiveness that you all do, or maybe the Holy Spirit does not speak to me as He does you, I perhaps am incapable of interpreting the Scriptures because of my blindness to the importance of your cause of "freedom" in beer, but I have seen the ravages of alcohol, I have seen it take lives and steal souls that never got the chance to seek Him becasue of their own comfort being the importance of thier lives. So even though you will never read this, and you would all just bash me if you did, I still must stand on my conviction in Christ that you are all wrong about this.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:41:32 +0000

And what book of the Bible did he write again?

By: Rhonda

Rhonda — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:21:04 +0000

That's really too bad. You are missing out on some good relationships I'd say. Not having anything to do with a non drinker is as narrow minded as one who won't ever put a drink to their lips. I'm just sayin.