Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities [1Timothy_ 5:23]. I have to smile when I read this verse. It has certainly been abused in its many interpretations. Obviously the wine is not being used as a beverage but as a medicine. (J. Vernon McGee) Many a worldly Christian has fled to 1Timothy_5:23 to support his or her bad habits. While the Bible does not demand total abstinence, it does encourage restraint; in any event, this verse applies to a special situation. To begin with, Paul was urging Timothy to take care of his body; and by no stretch of the imagination can we believe that by drinking alcohol, we will better our bodies. The drinker is often the person with the sickest body. The wine that Paul prescribed was to help Timothy’s stomach; it was medicine, not a social beverage. (Some have suggested that Timothy’s problems with his church officers had given him ulcers!) It is not wrong for Christians to use available means to help God answer their prayers for healing. Paul prayed for Timothy, but he also suggested a practical remedy for his needs. Perhaps Timothy was being swayed by the false teachers who emphasized bodily discipline and asceticism and this had affected his health. (Wiersbe’s Commentary) The justification of poor habits is particularly evident in men and women of worldly habits. We could spend out time today studying scripture about drinking. There are many. What and how people use to justify themselves is enlightening. It is a good indicator of the condition of their soul. Here is the proof text for everything in a Christian’s life: 1Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
One particularly stubborn man I spoke with defended his use of alcohol and used scripture like: Proverbs 31:6 “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” He went on to try to justify his alcohol consumption as being a man with a heavy heart. I sat a few minutes in silence, then asked a question. “Can you go to your bar and pray aloud over your beer? Could you feel comfortable asking God’s blessing on your drinking?” Then I quoted 1 Corinthians 10:31 to him. The anger was immediate. He remained a drunk until his death, but now he had no excuse. He knew the truth of Scripture about his habit.
Man’s mind can justify almost any of his actions. He is especially creative when it comes to skipping church. The writer of Hebrews spoke prophetically of this day and age: Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” In laymen’s terms (simply worded) this verse means … go to church, especially “as ye see the day approaching”. What does that last mean, you ask?
2Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” Again, in simplest terms, when everyone else is falling away from church, it is a good indicator that you should be in church. The son of perdition is likely the devil himself in some human form. This person will be a wonder of perfection. A person others will believe and follow, yet those in a good church will be able to see the evil of this man as he beginstodenyGodinsmallwaysatfirst. Afterhe has totally been accepted by the majority, he will sit on the earthly throne of God, saying that he is God.
The teenage excuse of “everyone else is doing it or going, why can’t I?” is another justification for sin. My mother was blunt. “You aren’t everyone! You are MY son!” Well, that settled that!
By the way, when I speak of rationalization, excuses, and trying to justify my position, I am not making up stuff to sound spiritual. I asked Christ to save me at age 15. At that time I needed him badly for the life I was already living. For the next ten years, I made excuses for everything my conscience told me was wrong and I still did it. At 25, God brought me to a place that I surrendered my life to Him. Now as I look back over time I can see all the excuses, lies, and things I used to justify my poor life’s choices. I still am not sinless. No man is, but I see through the lies of the devil much more quickly than before. I listen to the Spirit as He tries to guide me through the devil’s minefield in this life. I need times of prayer, I needs times of study and I need the fellowship of God’s people to keep from drifting away from the truth. Remember this, Satan is a convincing liar.
1John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
Come join us on Sunday as we compare scripture with scripture to provide a glimpse of the mind of God.
