"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (Prov. 20:1). To say that alcoholic beverages can be consumed in moderation sounds reasonable, but few drunks have ever set out to become drunks. It is irrefutable that a man that does not drink at all will never get drunk and will never become a drunk. As the late Bruce Lackey said: "How is alcoholic wine deceptive? In the very way that people are advocating today, by saying that drinking a little bit will not hurt. Everyone admits that drinking too much is bad. Even the liquor companies tell us not to drink and drive, but they insist that a small amount is all right. However, that is the very thing that is deceptive. Who knows how little to drink? Experts tell us that each person is different. It takes an ounce to affect one, while more is necessary for another. The same person will react to alcohol differently in different situations. So the idea that 'a little bit won't hurt' is deceptive, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise!" I doubt Noah planned to get drunk, but wine is a mocker, and the consequence was far-reaching. The individual can never know if he will control the alcohol or it will control him. The instruction in Proverbs 20:1 tells me that the wise man leaves it entirely alone. Even the emerging church crowd admits that the Bible forbids drunkenness, but can they guarantee that they and their drinking buddies will never get drunk? Can they guarantee that they will not tempt someone to become an "alcoholic," or tempt a former "alcoholic" to get "off the wagon" and destroy himself? No, they cannot, because "wine is a mocker." (Friday Church News Notes, October 4, 2013, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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