LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 8: Alcohol steals the abundant life God proffers_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 8

Alcohol steals the abundant life God proffers

Proverb 23

By John Duncan

Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury

The kingdom of God produces righteousness, peace and joy because of the Holy Spirit. Paul accounts for two areas of consideration with regard to a Christian's conscience: (1) The Christian's personal conscience in relation to himself or herself in living and making choices; (2) the consequences of personal choices and how they affect the conscience of another person. A Christian should never violate his or her conscience guided by Christ. A Christian always should consider the impact of his or her actions on another (Romans 14:1-23). Christianity is not practiced in an isolated bubble.

This week's lesson discusses conscience not for conscience's sake, but for the building up of Christ's body, the church, in spiritual qualities of righteousness, peace and joy. Godly wisdom through these spiritual qualities inspires right choices. The Spirit of God leads a Christian's conscience to make right choices. Proverbs addresses those choices.

As Proverbs addresses these choices, it speaks to the pressures of addictions, alcoholism, drunkenness and the pain associated with such choices.

Addictions

The writer of Proverbs warns against addictions and destructive life-choices–alcohol consumption, gluttony and a combination of such that leads to a lazy drowsiness (23:19-21). Addictions destroy. Alcohol consumption decays the mind. Gluttony destroys the body. Drowsiness in combination with the two leads to a life of poverty. It clothes a person with rags both inside and out (v. 21).

Specifically, the writer of Proverbs has much to say about alcohol consumption and drunkenness. The person who pursues alcohol should know that it rages and deceives (20:1). Alcohol cries out continually, “More!” It generates an internal war. It produces moaning. It rages within like a storm building, yet never resting. Alcohol is personified as an angry person that never lets go of its victim.

Alcohol also deceives. It offers more than it can deliver. It tricks the senses. It creates an uncertainty surrounding the people in its circle of influence. Proverbial wisdom invites those tempted to such addictions to be wise. Ask God to help guard the heart and to guide the heart in its path. Flee temptation. Ask God for a way to escape the influences of such addictions. It might even be wise to seek assistance or professional help for such an addiction.

A relationship with God molds the conscience which, in turn, expects choices fitting for both God's kingdom and Christian witness.

Destroy

Drunkenness was a problem in Solomon's day, in Jesus' day and in the Apostle Paul's day. Paul warned against drunkenness, anticipating instead a clear conscience toward God both in action and witness that the Holy Spirit generated daily (Ephesians 5:18-20). Paul pleaded for Christians who would use time wisely, seek God's will and joyfully serve God and others (5:15-33). Drunkenness detours from God's plan for building up the spiritual life of yourself and others, not to mention the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, drunkenness tears down or destroys the person, relationships and families.

Drunkenness produces both physical woes and daily sorrows (Proverbs 23:29). Drunkenness spins life out of control. Contentious and strained relationships result from drunkenness (v. 29). Drunkenness produces wild and warring words, even empty words that amount to vain babbling about absolutely nothing (v. 29).

The contention and warring words act like a soldier who shoots arrows that wound. Deep are the wounds of a person or family who have been scarred by the painful effects of drunkenness. It even destroys the body, creating bloodshot eyes seldom alert to the daily responsibilities and tasks of life (vv. 19-21). Again, poverty often stalks the drowsy drunkard (v. 21).

Wounds

Alcohol consumption wounds others, but it also wounds the one who consumes it (v. 32). The writer of Proverbs likens alcohol consumption to the sudden, shocking, painful, sharp sting of a poisonous snake (v. 32). Drunkenness has the ability to strike quickly and destroy the individual.

The wounds affect others. Drunkenness is rarely done in isolation. It seeks to gather a host of friends and subtly works silently to destroy one and all. The destruction could lead to a disregard for law and distortion of the truth that could land the drunkard in jail. Drunkenness often causes deceit. The person addicted to alcohol often lives in a world of trouble and untruth and spends life running from himself, herself and others.

While drunkenness and the drunkard may seek to isolate himself or herself, addictive alcohol deadens the senses to God, to the inner self, to others and to the common realities and responsibilities of life. A drunk cannot remember his or her financial condition, wallows in constant misery and speaks loose words of personal destruction (30:7-9).

Drunkenness distorts, confuses, casts darkness and diminishes Christ's abundant life. Wise is the person who rejects alcohol and addiction and departs from the destructive forces of drunkenness.

God's plan is a life of peace, joy and healthy relationships. He offers abundance for which good choices must be made. Wise is the person who embraces God's abundance.

Question for discussion

Is alcoholism a disease or a symptom?