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Hi:
Happy Lord's Day! Congratulations!
Anyway, I've been up for the last couple of hours (it's
now 7:30 a.m.) looking again at what the Bible has to say
about alcohol - with an open mind. I read every verse - 212
of them - that has the word "wine" in it. I've also been reading
and evaluating several articles.
(All this "Christian" drinking at weddings just drove me
back to Scripture to evaluate my position. If I'm wrong, I'm
open to correction by Scripture and its wisdom.)
As I'm thinking out loud and putting down my thoughts for
my own evaluation, I thought of you, since we dialogued in
the past about this. So, I thought I'd let you in on my personal
morning reflections:
I think the most compelling Scripture of the morning has
been a study of Romans 14. A great quote that I read was,
"Our greatest right as Christians is to give up our rights
... this is the mark of (true) love."
On freedom, a verse that has been striking me this week
is Gal. 5:13: "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only
do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love, serve one another."
That's it! We were redeemed by Christ to be free! Free to
do what? Exercise our "Christian liberties"? Indulge in non-moral,
possibly permissible pleasures of the flesh (say that 5 times
fast)? No. I was not redeemed to turn my freedom into an opportunity
for my flesh to participate in things now; I was redeemed
so that I could LOVE and SERVE others, no longer a SLAVE to
do what my flesh may desire.
I am free to love others! I am free to give my life to them.
I am free to subdue my rights for them (a la Christ in Phil.
2). I am free to put others concerns before my own. I am free
to choose what's best - not be forced to "go with the flow"
because everyone else is doing what may be allowable, though
not necessarily righteous. I am free to give liberally what
I used to be tight-fisted about. I am free to give another
the benefit of the doubt. I am free to no longer guard my
ego but to look honestly at myself. I am free to actually
devote my whole self to His best without fear of not "making
it" in this world and with its people. I am free to ... well,
I guess the list will continue as I journey on, won't it?
Oh yeah, I'm also free to actually enjoy and delight in this
freedom.
One thing I'm not free to do is serve my flesh and its appetites
and desires. That's what I was freed from.
So, after all this, nearly three hours later I find myself
back at the same conclusion: it is most wise and most loving,
and therefore, it is best not to drink.
The trick is to not look down on people who do, as far as
their worth in Christ goes, but to gently offer another way
and a "possibly" better choice.
Back to you, I've attached an article by John Piper on abstinence
from drinking.
Got to get ready to worship our Lord!
Blessings,
Arthur
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