Total Abstinence
Sermon by Pastor J. D. Simmons
I want to talk to you today about the subject total abstinence. And I think it is a very needful subject and I think it is a very worthy subject. As we were praying this morning, I was so touched in me heart when I heard the senior ministers and retired pastors pray. And as they were praying I heard them pray for those of us who are still in the pastorate, I heard them cry for us. I heard them ask God to encourage us and sustain us, I heard them pray and ask God for those who are thinking of quitting to give them strength. And I thought here these dear and precious men who served God in Pentecost when Pentecost was not popular, when Pentecost wasn't polished. And I thought how much of time that they had to battle opposition to their ministry, and then for them to be in these years of their lives and be tender in their spirit and gentle in their spirit, and loving in their spirit, and I said "Oh God that is the way I want to end up, that is the way I want to be". When they were serving the Lord during the very outset of our church, they developed a teaching. A teaching on total abstinence. They didn't know all of the elements that were involved in beveraged alcohol, but I believe that the Holy Ghost new and the spirit of God led them to develop a teaching. And that teaching still stands today. I want you to open your Bibles with me if you will and we are going to look and I realize that I have thirty-five minutes to preach ninety minutes of manuscript, and I hope I can get through. You help me and listen fast OK. Someone asked me what in the world are you going to say about total abstinence, when you open the Bible it is full of things about abstinence.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Let me at the very outset this morning share with you that abstinence does not make you holy. Just simply not doing something does not make you holy. But abstinence to the Christian is the result of an already abiding holiness. It is because of what the Lord has already done. I look in the scripture and all through the scripture that Bible tells us that we have a responsibility to nurture this holiness that God put within us. In 1 John Chapter three he says to us 1Jo 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. And in 2 Corinthians 7:1 he says 2 Co 7:1......let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,..... And in Romans chapter 12:9 he says Ro12:9 ......Abhor that which is evil;..... And in 1 John chapter 2:15,16 1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. In 1 Peter 2:11 he says 1Pe 2:11......abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;.... and this is just a few, but all through the scripture we are given some responsibility in our walk with Christ. And what the scripture teaches us is this that abstinence is necessary to sustain the state of holiness in the believer. We must abstain from certain things. Now let me share something with you, this is just introductory this morning. Every person who is born again, is born again a holiness Christian. There is no such thing as a Baptist version, or a Methodist version, or ac Church of God version, or an Assembly of God version, every person who comes to Christ comes and is developed by the spirit as a holiness Christian. 2 Co 5:17 says 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. It doesn't matter what kind of religious background we have, and when we are born again as a holiness Christian, we receive the mind of Christ. He says Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: And the mind of Christ, listen the mind of Christ sees holiness. The mind of Christ can see the plan of God for us. Now watch in Romans 12:1,2 and if you would I want you turn there, we are going to tarry for just a moment, and we are going to move right along. But I want you to see something in Romans 12:1,2 I feel like I am teaching a nice Sunday School class. We start at quarter till ten at safety harbor, for any of you that want to be there next Sunday. In Romans 12:1,2 Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore.., Paul said I beseech you, that is a word that means I implore you, I beg you. In Philemon verses 5 through 7 the apostle Paul says [paraphrased] hey Philemon I have the authority to command you, but I am not going to command you I am going to beg you, He said I am going to beseech you. You know something God really does have the authority to command us. Isn't it wonderful that even though he does he puts this word in there and says I beg you. Now watch this Ro 12:1 I beseech [BEG] you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, Now these mercies of God, they are what we have already experienced. Romans the 4,5,6,7, and 8th chapters tells us that he has bestowed upon us wonderful mercies. He has given us the mercy of justification. We have a pardon from sins, our sins are gone. He has given us the mercy of identification, the mercy that we are under grace and not law, the mercy that the spirit dwells within us Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. These are mercies of God. We have the mercy of his coming glory, and we purify ourselves. We have the mercy of no separation Ro 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Ro 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. And gave himself for us, we see the mercies of God. And let me tell you what Paul is saying, Paul is saying brothers don't let me split theological hairs with you, look at what God has done for you, look at the mercies he has bestowed upon you. And on the basis of his mercy you willingly give your bodies a living sacrifice holy, and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service, hallelujah! Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. It is a willful sacrifice. Only one problem with a living sacrifice, listen you see the Jews understood dead sacrifices, but Paul said I want a living sacrifice. Here is the problem with a living sacrifice, a living sacrifice can crawl off of the altar, a living sacrifice can sing onward Christian soldiers on Sunday morning and then go AWOL on Monday morning. (AWOL= Absent Without Leave - Military term reference to Christian Soldier) And he says I want you to present yourselves a living sacrifice. If we coerce people, if we coerce people and are legalistic to the point that we force it down their throats, they are going to listen to us, but it is not going to be part of their inner being. But if somehow we can show them God, and show them that God is holy, and that God is love, and that God loves them, then somehow they'll say "I want to serve a God like that and be holy in him", Hallelujah, Hallelujah!!
There is the principal of consecration, the principal of consecration based on his mercy. There is the principle of insulation, look in Romans 12:2 he says And be not conformed to this world: and be not conformed to this world, be insulated from this world. Let me submit something to you, the holiness of God in us insulates us from the world. Now watch this, he does not tell us to isolate ourselves from the world, as a matter fact if we are isolated we can not reach the world. We cannot go over in a corner and not interact with the world, he didn't say don't love the people of the world, he said don't love the system of this world. Now watch this he says, he says to us, he says don't isolate yourselves but he says don't be conformed, don't allow yourself to be fashioned by the world. He says don't imitate the world, don't imitate them, don't try to be like they are. Now I don't know about you, but I love seafood, I love seafood. But I have noticed that you can take a fish, born in salt water, lived in salt water, you can take him out, fillet him and cook him, and you still have to put salt on him to eat him. Now he has lived in salt water all of his life, but the salt didn't penetrate his flesh. God says or Jesus prayed in John 17 he said father I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil that is in the world Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. What he is saying to us is the holiness of God, will keep us from the evil of the world. And the holiness is sustained by our determination to abstain, hallelujah! Let me take you to one more quick portion, and then I have to get over to the other part, which is what we are here for. And that is Hebrews Chapter 12:1,2 Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, (Watch this) let us lay aside every weight, (let us lay aside every weight) and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,..Our responsibility, the word weight there in the Greek means that which is crooked, literally it means that which is hooked. And what the writers of Hebrews is saying, he is saying as you realize that you are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, take the hooks off of you that the devil can hang these sins. And when we take them off, guess what, that's called holiness, that is called abstaining from the very appearance of evil, let me show you one more thing before I go on Look in verse two Romans 12: 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. I don't know about you, but when I get a taste of the glory of God, I don't see the cross that I pick up everyday as a burden, because I realize that with the cross on the other side of Calvary is the joy of the Lord. I don't really look at it as though that my abstaining from something is a great sacrifice, because I have seen on the the other side of Calvary. And watch this, on the other side of Calvary is the presence of the Lord, And the Bible says in his presence there is fullness of joy, and so for the joy that is set before us we're going on the other side of the cross, hallelujah! Let me go on.1Chronicles 16:26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. 28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Abstinence has been around a long time. As a matter of fact it has been around since August 1, 1910 for the Church of God, because in that issue of the evangel, abstinence was mentioned and in 1910 is was mentioned as a guideline for ministers who wanted to be a part of the Church of God. It was repeated in 1912 as a list of teachings at the seventh annual assembly and then in 1912 it was used for the entire denomination. Total abstinence was number twenty two, some of you remember that. Number twenty two, total abstinence from all liquor or strong drinks. And now we have an amplified version that we adopted at the sixty second general assembly, in 1988. And it also teaches total abstinence. So lets talk just a few minutes about total abstinence, understanding that this is something we willfully and joyfully do.
Look with me in Proverbs 23:31 We are going to stay in proverbs for a little while so just turn over there. In proverbs 23 the Bible says Pr 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Now the word look here means to lust after, it means to desire beveraged alcohol. Now I've have checked, rechecked, and rechecked, and I know that the information that I am going to give you here is accurate information. Let me tell you what I mean when I say beveraged alcohol, because the reason that some today in our society are confused and think that the Bible teaches, or aids, or abeds social drinking, is because we don't understand how the Bible uses the word wine. W I N E the word wine is used in the (English) Bible as a generic term. That is it is a general term, now watch this, it could mean intoxicating or it could mean not intoxicating. A common generic in our English language would be drink. If we say lets top and get a drink, well it would depend on what you mean. If we stop at a tavern and say lets get a drink, most likely you would think it would be alcoholic, but if you stop at a little children's lemonade stand and say lets get a drink, you are thinking of something that is not alcoholic. So drink in our language is generic, wine is generic in the Bible. Now lets study the Hebrew words in the Old Testament and see what they mean.
First in Proverbs 31:6 the Bible says Pr 31:6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Now circle strong drink, that is from the Hebrew word SHEKAR, now that is where we get our English word sugar or cider. 7941. shekar, shay-kawr'; from H7937; an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor:--strong drink, + drunkard, strong wine. And shekar is translated strong drink, I must tell you that strong is supplied and is not in the original text, but most of the time shekar means intoxicating, but it doesn't always mean intoxicating. It is a comprehensive term it speaks of fermented and non-fermented drinks. Whenever the Bible uses the term strong drink, it always condemns the use of strong drink with one exception. And that one exception is when it is used as a narcotic for physical suffering or for mental distress. Doctors do the same thing today for someone who is having a physical malady they will give them a shot with a hypodermic needle or give them a prescription and they do it to ease pain and ease suffering. So give strong drink to those who are ready to perish, and give wine unto those that have heavy hearts. Now lest you think what he is saying is an encouragement to drink read verses 3,4 and 5 Pr 31:3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. So in death bed anguish or in a mental state, or medicinal use it is permitted in the old testament. But this has absolutely nothing to do with social drinking. It has nothing to do with today's liquor industry.
A second word is the word in Isaiah 65:8 Isa 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster,.... And the word there is the Hebrew word TIYROWSH and this refers to grape juice, so here is a cluster of grapes hanging on the vine. 8492. tiyrowsh, tee-roshe'; or tiyrosh, tee-roshe'; from H3423 in the sense of expulsion; must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by impl. (rarely) fermented wine:--(new, sweet) wine. And the Bible says what's inside the grape is without fermentation, without even being pressed out it is called new wine in the cluster, and that word is tiyrowsh.
And then there is a third Hebrew word and that word is YAYIN and that may refer to that which is intoxicating or that which is not intoxicating. 3196. yayin, yah'-yin; from an unused root mean. to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by impl. intoxication:--banqueting, wine, wine [-bibber]. And he says when the people press the grape what explodes out of the grape is called wine. Now we know this, fresh pressed grape juice won't make anybody drunk, Amen. Isaiah 16:10 says ....the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses;.... and the word is yayin. Now in Proverbs 20:1 we have this verse of scripture Pr 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Now circle the first word wine, that is Yayin, and circle strong drink that is shekar. When Yayin and Shekar are put together in that context it means that which is intoxicating. It would be the same way today, If I say lets get a drink you have to look at the context. If I say lets get a drink and we go belly up to a bar somewhere, you are going to think that is alcoholic. But if I say lets get a drink and we go to a soda shop you are going to think that is not alcoholic. And that is the same way that wine is used in the Old Testament.
Lets go to the New Testament, in the New Testament there is a
Greek word called OINOS and that is the Greek word for wine. 3631.
oinos, oy'-nos; a prim. word (or perh. of Heb. or. [H3196]); "wine"
(lit. or fig.):--wine. And if they were
translating from the Old to the New Testament they would rather it be tiyrowsh or
Yayin they would use the word oinos, but listen they would never translate the
word shikair with the word oinos, because oinos may mean intoxicating or not
intoxicating. Now the Bible always condemns the use of fermented wine, look back
at Proverbs 23:31
Pr 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
What he is saying is, when the fermentation is there, when the carbon
dioxide is bubbling, because the action of fermentation, the bacteria, the
breakdown of the sugars in the grape juice when it is moving itself aright. Now
listen we've got good minds, if there is a time when it is fermented, then there
is a time when it is not fermented. When he says don't look upon it when it
moves itself aright, don't desire it then, then obviously there is a different
time and that way we can use that kind of wine. So what he's simply saying is ,
don't look at it when it is fermented or leave it alone. Now there are some
folks that say Jesus turned the water into wine, and that the wine was an alcoholic
beverage. He did not, Jesus turned water into oinos a drink made of grape juice.
It was not intoxicating, I want to ask you a question, Do you think Jesus would
manifest his glory by making people drunk, it is just common since, Jesus would
not do it, when the Bible firmly commands against strong drink. Well you are
going to say in John Chapter 2 didn't it say when men got drunk? No it didn't
say when men got drunk it says. ....and when men have well drunk,.... And
that simply means when their appetite was sated. That's exactly what is means,
and linguists will tell you, it did not mean that they were intoxicated. But it
means they had drunk their fill, like if I had a glass of water here this
morning, a large glass of water and I drank, drank, drank, and there was about
that much left in it (an inch of water) and I put it back down and I said I have
drunk all I want. What I am saying is my appetite is sated I don't need
any other drink and that is exactly what it meant.
Well you are going to say what about the Lords Supper didn't Jesus drink wine. Yes he drank wine, yes they drank wine, but I want you to notice, it is not even called wine in the Bible, in Luke 22:18 it is called the fruit of the vine. Lu 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And we know that it wasn't fermented because that the Last Supper was the counterpart of what feast? It was the feast of Passover, and what was forbidden to be used at the feast of Passover? Levin or yeast, and what is necessary for wine to become fermented or alcoholic? Yeast or Levin, we know that it wasn't, we can you know put on our thinking caps and understand that what the world is wanting to do. They are wanting to walk the way of opinion regarding it and there are people saying "well in my opinion, I just don't think drinking is wrong" Well dear friend let me ask you a question, what year did God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost meet and give us an opinion. The way that I see it here He has not given any of us an opinion, he has said live this way and be holy this way and I will bless you this way, Amen, Amen.
Let me move on, Lets take a look at the destruction. We looked at the definition, let's look at the destruction of intoxicating wine. Have you found Proverbs 23 and we are going to go quickly through this he says Pr 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
1. He is talking here about the sorrow factor, folks I have been a Pastor for 27 years, and I can't tell you the heartache I have seen that alcohol has brought into homes. I have been with wives that were beaten, I have been with children that were abused, I have seen them go without food and without clothes, I have seen men ruin their carrier, I have seen them loose their job, loose their house, loose their car, loose their respect. I have seen a loss and I have seen it from the mouth of a bottle, so there is a sorrow factor.
2. Then there is a contention factor. Look back at verse 29 who hath contentions. You want a good recipe for a fight, for a divorce, for argument, for violence it comes out of the mouth of a bottle, the contention factor.
3. The foolishness factor, look again in verse 29. Who hath babbling, have you ever listened to a drunk babble? We have handicams today it would be nice just to make a video of it while they are that way and show them a video of when they sober up. No wonder that Shakespeare said " Oh that man would put an enemy in their mouth to steal their brains away. One man said when I drink, I drink Vodka because you can't smell it on your breath, they don't know your drinking. His friend said if I were you I would drink something else, it would be better for them to know you were drunk than to think you are stupid.
4. Then there is the mutilation and destruction factor look again in verse 29. Who hath wounds without cause, People are saying what are we going to do about AIDS and cancer and all of this? What are we going to do about the people that are dying as the result of alcohol? Did you know on our highways 332 people every week die in alcohol related car crashes. 332 a week, what if we put that many on a commercial airline and every week we crashed it, and 332 people died? Don't you think the FAA would do something? Don't you think the politicians would do something? But now listen, when they die one at a time, one over here, and one over there, and three over here, and two over here, and one over here, it seems like they just fall through the cracks. It is a national problem dear friends, it really is. And the beer barons, and the whisky dealers and the politicians do a job on us with our consent.
5. Then there is the mental anguish factor in verse 29 he says who has redness of eyes. When you have red eyes it means that you have been weeping, it speaks of a hangover. What does alcohol offer? it offers red eyes, a white liver, dark brown breath, a yellow streak, and blue outlook. Who hath redness of eyes? You see the sad thing is that people drink for joy, and that is the one thing ultimately they don't have, and if they do have it they don't remember it. Friend if I have a good time I want to remember it. The Bible says the Pr 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
6. Then there is the health factor look at verse 31 and 32 Pr 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Now watch this 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. What is in the bite of a serpent? Poison, you know alcohol is poison pure and simple. The Bible says Hab 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! The word bottle here could easily be translated into poison. Poison from alcohol affects the system of our body. Why is when a person drinks and gets drunk they have a tendency to vomit? I will tell you why because they have more since in their stomach then they do in their head. Because alcohol is poison. You say no, no Pastor Simmons it isn't poison, I want to ask you a question. When a man is drunk what so they call it? They say he is intoxicated, do you know what a toxic is? It is a poison, a drunk man is a man that has poisoned himself. That is what he says it bites like a serpent it stings like an adder. The liver damage, the brain damage, the susceptibility to cancer, to other diseases, and alcohol itself is a sickness. Now stay with me, I don't know if you could call it a disease, because a disease has an idea of something that you catch, you don't catch this. If it is a disease it is the only disease that we advertise, it is the only disease that we promote, the liquor dealers spend $900,000,000 a year to tell you to drink and your children to drink. It is a sickness but it is a sickness of a man or woman that has poisoned himself, or poisoned herself.
7. Then there is the immorality factor look in Proverbs 23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Circle the word strange, that word strange doesn't mean funny looking, that word strange there means a foreigner, somebody that is not your wife. Look at Pr 23:27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. 28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. Do you know what he is talking about, he is talking about a woman that is immoral. He is talking about someone who is immoral, and there is something about alcohol that brings people together into illicit relationships, and why is that? I am going to tell you why, science has proven that alcohol attacks the portion of your brain that God has put into you to keep you from having your inhabitations taken away. When you drink your restraint is broken down, your virtue is broken down. That is why he says thine eyes shall behold a strange woman.
8. Then there is the instability factor look in verse 34 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. Can you imagine laying down on the top of a mast in a rough see. What this pictures is the tottering staggering drunk, he can't walk straight, he can't talk straight, he can't think straight. And in some circles he is called the man of distinction.
9. Then there is the insensibility factor, look in verse 35 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. What do people say today? Feelin no pain, feelin no pain, that is right friend because a persons sensibility are deadened by king alcohol.
10. And then the tenth thing that I want to share is the addiction factor look again in verse 35 when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. All of the sorrow that it brought me, all of the heartache that it brought me, all of the woe that it brought me , all of the fight that it brought me, all of the argument that it brought me, I lay my head down and say at night "I don't know why am doing this, I don't know why I am putting myself through this". And you say that night "I am not going to do this again" but you awaken and desire it again, because you are addicted to it my friend. The Japanese have a proverb, "First the man takes the drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man".
And then the deception of intoxicating wine. Let me look at verse 1 of Proverbs Chapter 20 turn over there. This verse says Pr 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. someone wrote these words, we drank for happiness and became unhappy, we drank for joy and became miserable, we drank for sociability and became argumentative, we drank for sophistication and became obnoxious, we drank for friendship and made enemies, we drank for sleep and woke without rest, we drank fro strength and felt weak, we drank medicinally and acquired health problems, we drank for relaxation and got the shakes, we drank for bravery and became afraid, we drank fro confidence and became doubtful, we drank to make our conversation easier and we slurred our speech, we drank to feel heavenly and ended up feeling hellish, we drank to forget and were forever haunted, we drank fro freedom and we became slaves, we drank to erase problems and saw them multiply, we drank to cope with life and we invited death.
What he is saying is that drinking alcoholic beverage is a mockery to your life. What it offers behind it there is a bite that brings destruction. Then there is abstinence, I want you turn to Proverbs 23:31 look at what he says here Pr 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Now what I have been talking with you about, I have been talking to you about the man that is drunk. Now in Proverbs 23:30 the Bible says who has woe, who hath sorrow, who hath contentions and babbling, wounds without cause and redness of eyes, now here is the answer in verse 30. Pr 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; (those that get drunk) they that go to seek mixed wine (Those that continue to seek for wine). Now watch this he says since that is what happens when you get drunk, don't look upon it when it is moving, when it is fermented, when it will intoxicate you. There are people that say well Pastor Simmons I won't get addicted to it, and I won't become an alcoholic, and it won't bother me that way. The Lord says that this is the result of being a drunk so I don't want my holy children to be drunks, so just stay away from it, just say NO! Proverbs Chapter 23:20 listen to this Pr 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: You know what that is telling us very simply? It is saying stay away from beveraged alcohol and don't run with a drinking crowd. It makes sense dear friends, abstinence makes since. Because there is no harmful affect by not drinking, if you don't drink it is not going to harm innocent people. If you don't drink it is not going to destroy your family, if you don't drink there will be no loss of health by not drinking, if you don't drink. Now I know when you teach a doctrinal message like this that there are some that do these little mental gymnastics and say, but you didn't mention this, and you forgot this, and you forgot this and we are experts at splitting theological hairs to justify a lack of abstinence in our life, di you know that? We will find a reason to do it, but I want you to notice he says in Romans Chapter 14:21 Ro 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. He says if you can handle it stay away from it because you love your brother. Even if you can handle it, don't participate in it because it might offend someone who might fall. The law of love. I would hate for one of the little children in Sunday school to grow up and be an alcoholic and say well my Pastor, Pastor Simmons, he didn't see anything wrong with drinking. And you know my mom and dad would say he would drink, and he is a good man, and if he is a holy man and he can drink then surely I can do it to. And they grow up to be an alcoholic and ruin their life and look back and say Pastor Simmons who was supposed to be leading me in a Holy life, in a Godly life, in a life of abundance, he led an example that told me this was ok and now look at me. Friend I don't know about you, but I don't want to stand before God having been someone who made a little child stumble or a dad stumble, or a mom stumble somewhere along the way. It is a holy way, it is a godly way and I want you to know dear friend I know this with all of my heart, that when he said abstain from all appearance of evil. Now let me just ask you in what I have shared with you in very hurried way, but in a way that I believe the Holy Spirit has touched your heart. Let me just ask you a question, in what you have heard this morning, would you say that there is the possibility, the potential that there might be just a little bit of an appearance of evil with drinking, just a little bit? I believe this is why he put this in the scripture, because he knew there were some that would say "well I want to deal with it theologically" dear friend he wants us to deal with it in love, he wants us to look at what he has done for us and say if you have done that for me than Oh my God I am going to get away from the world, I am not going to see how close I can get, I am going to see how close to you I can get. Listen dear friend when you make up your mind and decide that you are going to abstain from the world and get close to him you are going to rise to another level that you never realized was there. And the power of the Holy Ghost is going to move in you, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Let me give you one more verse of scripture Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; I like the Philips translation a little better it says, "don't get your stimulation from wine, for there is always the danger of excessive drinking, but let the spirit stimulate your soul". Thanks be unto God.
This sermon given by Pastor J.D. Simmons, was preached at a Church of God Summer Camp meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 1997. Transposed here for the glory of God by Perry Hill. Remember TOTAL ABSTINENCE is not for any particular church denomination, but required by Almighty God Himself for every born again child who has been bought through the sacrifice Jesus Christ paid on the cross of Calvary.
Additional notes written by Perry Hill
Many will fight against this teaching especially a person that
will tell you that once you are saved, you are saved by grace and you can just
sit back and enjoy that. These same people would take this teaching of abstinence,
which is the Arminian teachings, and tell you that abstaining from such things
that are clearly not good for you means that you are working for your salvation.
Abstinence is a not the same thing as legalism, but many feel that a church that
holds Arminian theology is legalistic with there list of don'ts, but in fact
that "don't do" list is exactly how God expects us to be
obedient through the strength of Christ and by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And anyone that tells you, you can live like you did before you were saved, well
that person has a demon right out of the pits of hell teaching them to tell you
these things, don' believe it. I want to share a few more scriptures with you.
But don't take my word for it, read your Bible and and let the Holy Spirit speak
to your heart, but do it before it is too late.
Lev 10:8-10 KJV And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do
not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go
into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for
ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put
difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
Alcohol is the difference between holy and unholy in the Old Testament.
Numbers 6:1-4 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children
of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves
to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves
unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and
strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong
drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or
dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the
vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. Alcohol is the difference
between holy and unholy in the Old Testament.
Luke 1:13-16 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer
is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his
name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his
birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall
drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost,
even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he
turn to the Lord their God. Alcohol is the difference between holy and
unholy in the New Testament, almost to the point of implying that the Holy Ghost
can't live where alcohol can be found.
1 Cor 6:9-20 KJV Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. God is telling us we are the temple and that we must glorify God with our body, do you see it? If we are the temple then we are also the keepers of the temple, aren't we?
1 Cor 3:13-18 KJV Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall
try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath
built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned,
he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 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. Let no man deceive himself. If any
man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he
may be wise. Again God telling us not to be deceived, but that God is holy
and if we don't keep the temple then he shall destroy us. Is it works or the obedience
of abstinence?
Rev 3:4 KJV Thou hast a few names even in Sardis
which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in
white: for they are worthy. We must keep our garments undefiled
in order to walk with Him in white, is this by works or the obedience of abstinence?
Rev 16:15 KJV Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed
is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see
his shame. Here again, watch and keep our garments, is this by works
or the obedience or abstinence?
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