Articles
Alcohol & Christian Influence
Influence is a two-edged sword. On one hand, a good influence can be one of the most powerful weapons at our disposal to lead another to Christ (Matt 5:16). But a bad influence can cause another to stumble and even lose their soul. It is for this reason that Jesus uses some of the strongest language in the gospels to talk about stumbling blocks. Matt 18:6-7 – “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” What does our influence have to do with our decision of whether or not to consume modern day alcoholic beverages?
First, it is inevitable that we will influence others by our actions whether we intend to or not. Sometimes professional athletes or celebrities will get in trouble and then when they’re chastised by others for the fact that people look up to them, they will say, “I never asked to be anyone’s hero or role model.” But that’s irrelevant. They chose to step into the lime light and have their face plastered all over the media and therefore cannot ignore the fact that people are watching them and looking up to them. In many ways, Christians are in the same boat. When we choose to put on Christ, people start watching us and, in many cases, look up to us. Therefore every decision we make must be guided by our potential to influence another individual, even if that decision falls into the realm of a perceived liberty. The painful truth about influence is that it is hard to correct a bad one and the consequences can be severe.
Second, when we consider the torrential damage that alcohol has created throughout society, I am deeply disturbed by those who develop a cavalier attitude surrounding their so-called right to drink. How am I possibly influencing anyone for good when I parade around my alleged liberty to consume a depressant and narcotic that has led so many of God’s creation to violence, misery, and self-destruction? Rom 14:21 – “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” Even if I privately believed that consuming modern day alcoholic beverages was a liberty, I would never tell someone that I thought so not knowing whether I could be causing that person’s future downfall. Christians cannot afford to be so haughty regarding alcohol with the millions of lives that have been destroyed in its wake.
Third, there are a multitude of scenarios that we need to consider in regards to Christian influence. Even if a Christian only consumes a “moderate” amount of strong drink, what about the example you set for potential alcoholics? Dr. A.C. Ivy said, “When a person starts to drink occasionally, he or she takes a 1 in 9 chance of becoming a heavy or addicted drinker and chronic alcoholic. There is no way of telling in advance which drinker will become an alcoholic.” These are very dangerous odds. Social drinkers never make it their purpose to become alcoholics, and yet it happens every day. If you become the facilitator for another person’s drunkenness, could you then in good conscience reprove that same individual while continuing to defend your right to drink socially? If your neighbor learns that you consume alcohol socially, will that enhance or diminish your godliness in their sight? What about nonChristians who see the dangers in even moderate alcohol consumption? Will your insistence on the legitimacy of moderate alcohol consumption increase or decrease your chances of converting them? The scenarios are endless. Christians are stewards who must be found faithful (1 Cor 4:2). Let us strive to be godly influences, not “under the influence”.
