Drugs

[felix102]

What do you think the bible has to say about it?

I have some thoughts on this but would like someone else to first give some input.

[Kris777]

Ephesians 5:18 " And do not be drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. KJV

We went over this verse in Bible Study and the pastors wife said this is because the alcohol changes you and makes you into someone you wouldn't normally be and normally act.  You do stupid things.  So with this understanding I would think that any kind of drug that alters your mind would be bad.  Two things come to mind.  Your body is a temple for God, if you take drugs you would be harming that temple. And if you are at an altered state of mind it would be easier to falter and sin then if you were thinking clearly.  I also think that smoking is a sin.  It harms the body and people that smoke get cranky when they can't light up.

[felix102]

Thanks kris

Sorry I could not reply sooner. I agree with what you have said.

[Shammu]

There is no Eleventh Commandment saying 'Thou shalt not drink.'

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

1 Peter 4:1-6 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Proverbs 31:1-9 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Hope this helps you out, felix.

Resting with the Lord.
Bob

[2nd Timothy]

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The greek used for sorcerers in this verse is pharmakeus, taken from...

pharmakon (a drug, that is, spell giving potion); a druggist (“pharmacist”) or poisoner, that is, (by extension) a magician: - sorcerer.

I believe it is here that we get the word pharmacy from.   Not in the sense that your pharmacy is doomed or sinful, but rather those that use or sell drugs for the purpose of getting high, or a spell giving manner.   Not spoken too highly of by the Lord.

Just thought I would throw this out as food for thought.

Grace and Peace!

[Kris777]

I thought that I should make this statment.  It is ok to drink, but if you drink to get drunk, that is a sin.

[Jemidon2004]

And I'll just put out this too. As we all know Alcohol is an inhibitor...it will inhibit a person's ability to rationally thing. Although Scripture doesn't specify that drinking alcohol is wrong, It clearly says that it's wrong to get drunk as we've seen before...but I'll pose this. Suppose you have a drink or two and you have a low tolerance from it, even though you have a low tolerance of it, your body says that it's ok...that a little more won't hurt...that's how people become addicted. Having just one drink may not get you drunk, but the temptation is there. I wish people could see it as what it is, a temptation for sin. I'm 17 and i don't drink at all, because i do not know how it will affect me...and I've seen the effects it has had on people who thought, "Hey, i'll only have one drink" and it ends up getting them drunk because their mind told them it was ok to have a little more...because it was a temporary pleasure...and escape. I i'm neither condemning, nor condoning it. It is up to the individual person as to what they choose to do with it, but it is clearly a temptation that satan uses to get people to sin. Stay away from the temptation and you stay away from the possible sin...it's that simple. Just a few thoughts.

Joshua

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to add 2 cents worth here. I would first like to thank those who have posted what the Bible has to say about this topic that represents a plague of destruction and an obvious tool of the devil.

The debate rages on by many Christians about alcohol, but no so much when the subject is drugs. BUT, alcohol is a drug, a very destructive one. Some would remind others that Paul told Timothy to take a little bit of wine for his stomach problems. Wine does have some medicinal qualities and values. In fact, small quantities of wine are still prescribed by doctors for a variety of physical illnesses. Paul did not tell Timothy to get drunk, and many other portions of Paul's ministry make it exceptionally clear that being sober in the things of the LORD is the ONLY right and Biblical thing.

Brother Joshua, you already made an excellent point that deserves a lot of attention. Many people think that a little bit in moderation is OK, but many of those same people get sucked into the devil's snare and become slaves to substances. It then becomes a tool to destroy by the devil.

I would like to tell you what I think, from the perspective of 25 years in law enforcement. Alcohol and drugs are the scourge and plague of mankind. Death, torment, suffering, and destruction are visited upon just about all families in some degree. For many families, the degree is high, unbearable, and represents an evil tool to torment people, punish them, and destroy them. It does many times begin with just a sip or an experiment. One of the biggest lies anyone can tell is "I can handle my alcohol or drug use." NO, YOU CAN'T! Drugs and/or alcohol may already be your master when you make that statement. In fact, your family may already be suffering from the evil effects of substance abuse when you make that statement.

Some people use other excuses for the use of alcohol that might have been true to some extent 2,000 years ago and in many backward places today. Water is not safe to drink, and the fermentation process in wine with the alcohol content makes it safe to drink. This statement opens a can of worms that is hard to close, but there are many questions involving this issue that we probably don't have the answers for. What was the percent alcohol content of the wine talked about in the Bible? Was it anywhere near the extremely strong wines that are made today?

There are other questions that must be considered in the debate over alcohol. This is a raging debate in many churches this minute for many reasons. Real wine instead of just grape juice is used by many churches in the taking of communion. Many churches have replaced the real wine with grape juice for many reasons. First, most of us no longer have the excuse that the water is unsafe to drink. Second, there are Biblical concerns to consider about what any alcohol use might lead to. Third, there are concerns of testimony to consider. The debate rages on.

Let me quickly address testimony of a Christian. Does a Christian want his or her children to see them drinking alcohol or using drugs? Do we want our children to think it is OK to use alcohol and/or drugs for recreational purposes. "Recreational purposes" is really an interesting term, and it is filled with potential problems. What does this mean? Well, some say it means to relax, but how does it make them relax? I'll tell you - you are no longer sober, you start losing your inhibitions of right and wrong, and you actually turn off and impair portions of your brain. "BUT, I know when to quit" is another big lie that you tell yourself and your family. Maybe you are telling yourself that you are OK because you haven't beaten your wife and children or wrecked your car YET. Are you interested in your testimony before your family and other people in CHRIST? Ask yourself what it means to others when they see you buying or consuming alcohol and/or drugs. If you say "NOTHING", you are lying to yourself again. It does mean something, and that something is negative.

PLEASE, don't think that I'm trying to condemn all people who use alcohol. BUT, you know that there are valid issues to consider when you use even light wine. Those issues are real, and they won't go away.

Soapbox mode off. Come dog pile me now and give me a good beating.  

Love In Christ,
Tom

Proverbs 15:3  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

[Shammu]

Which size would you like beeps?


I have to agree with you, brother. Drugs and booze are getting worse in the United States.

[felix102]

The posts were very helpful to me.

[nChrist]

Dreamweaver,

Brother Bob, I like the

JUST SAY NO!

approach. I'll just take some plain black coffee please.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

[Shammu]

Dreamweaver,

Brother Bob, I like the

JUST SAY NO!

approach. I'll just take some plain black coffee please.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

How did you know I was drinking coffee?
Hope you like it black, cause thats how I drink it.

http://www.lioncrest.com/coffee/cup1.jpg

Looking Up
Bob

[2nd Timothy]

Dreamweaver,

Brother Bob, I like the

JUST SAY NO!

approach. I'll just take some plain black coffee please.

Now hold on a second....we know that coffee use and abuse leads some of our brothers into strange brew (pun intended  )

For e.g., have a look at our dear Brother Allinall...



As you can plainly see, he is under the spell of Foldgers  Mountain Roast blend, and appears to have lost all sense of reality...lol   Thinking he can do the backstroke, in a cup, the size of my living room in this caffeinated elixir!  

Flee from such, before you too are brought into this percolated pit of dispair!!!!!....Run MAN..........RUN!!!!!


(sorry Kevin, I couldn't resist...lol  )

[Jemidon2004]

I just knoticed that the guy never sinks....is it because his midsection is acting as a floatation device? besides he never goes anywhere...i'm suprised he hasn't had to go to the doctor for 3rd degree burns...say...is that coffee hot or cold? lol

Joshua

[Bern]

How long did you watch him to find out that he never sinks? hehe

Good book dealing with alcohol and substance abuse is the "Cross and the Switchblade" by David Wilkerson. Gives a good example of the effects of drugs and how God can deal with addiction.