Lock-In Q&A: Is Drinking a Sin?

OK, so I've taken some time off from blogging. I had a kid, made a move and all sorts of other boring life change stuff... so sue me. But hey, I'm back and with a fun one.

I want to pick up where I left off with the Q&A session I did with some other minister friends at a Lock-In at my last church, and someone asked about ... shall we say... 'adult beverages'.

So often we want to guard so severely against sin that in our zeal for righteousness we can drift into the realm of legalism. Especially when it comes to teaching young people we err on the side of caution and teach “No, Never.” However, in our zealousness to keep people safe we stop there and do not explain WHY “No, Never.”








In fairness, again we didn’t quite directly address the question … the student asking the question quoted 1 Corinthians 6:19 which says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own”
If you check out the context, the overall passage is talking about sexual immorality. BUT, often we see the “temple of the Holy Spirit” verse used for everything from diet and exercise to drinking to smoking, etc. I will admit that a loose claim can be made for the idea that we are God’s and just as we should take care of the money He gave us we should be good stewards of everything else He gave us, including our bodies. Verse 20 in the same passage goes on to say, “you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

But still, I’m uneasy about using the passage this way, especially because it seems Paul is making the point that sexual immorality is pretty much in a class of it’s own (v18 “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”). So, since the point here is to set sexual immorality apart, I think we make a mistake if we then try to force other things into this “temple of the Holy Spirit” idea.
Again, when it comes down the issues that are not specifically commanded in scripture we HAVE TO take in to consideration the glory of God, how we affect other people. And if our actions are selfishly motivated or motivated by a desire to serve Christ, and to show people His love.

I Corinthians 10 says, “ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. … So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”