I'm not sure there is such a thing, Robert. That's why God wrote the entire Bible with 66 books (many more, actually) and not just a single list of Commands.
Every verse can be debated and disputed, and often are. Even the 10 Commandments.
Thou shalt not murder? Ok, well, ... can we beat a man to within an inch of his life? Long as he lives? Why not? Show me the verse!
How bout rape? Can you show me a single indisputable verse for that? I'm positive it doesn't exist.
Demanding a single indisputable verse is very much like a young person demanding somebody prove that they're not allowed to do something they really want to do, but know they maybe shouldn't.
That's why those who truly love God study the entire Bible regularly so there can be no mistaking God's Opinions. That's also where the guidance of the Holy Spirit comes in with divine discernment.
After all, as Christians, don't we all have a responsibility to maintain the Holy Temple of the Spirit that God has given us?
And is there any debate that alcohol destroys, literally kills, cells within the body? Even a small amount of alcohol.
There's no such thing as a Casual Christian just like there's no such thing as a Casual Drinker. You're either in it sincerely or you're not in it at all.
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, drinks alcohol, in any form, NOT to catch a buzz. If you're drinking to catch a buzz, you are drinking for the effects of the alcohol. And the effects of alcohol are exactly what leads to sin.
God bless.
"...is very much like a young person demanding somebody prove that they're not allowed to do something they really want to do, but know they maybe shouldn't."
And here is the crux of the matter and the stark difference between me and you as Christians and believers of Scripture as the true Word of God written in the world today:
You would say that just because it is not plainly written against as LAW, does not mean it is 'ok' with God.
And that, my dear friend and brother (though you cannot keep company with me according to your own rule), is absolutely and flat out
wrong. It is the stuff by which divisions and cults are made. If in fact what is not written against specifically by God can in fact be a sin against God, then ow any person can begin to declare sin anything that person wants to speak against. It is an open door to adding the commandments of men to the Law of Christ, which is
exactly what they did in the days of Jesus and of Paul.
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15)
I say you are worshipping the Lord in vain by your self-imposed abstinence against that which the Lord never declared to be sin in itself. You are practicing a form of will-worship that is of no profit to God. And in your pride, you propose to force it upon others of faith, because you believe yourself to be absolutely right in a law which you cannot prove, nor even show a single explicit Scripture that even hints at it.
"
Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." (Titus 1)
You are the one with the defiled mind about something that god never called defiled. You are the one who only sees evil in what others of faith are freely doing without sin.
The whole matter rests on one simple thing: if it is in fact a transgression of the law of Christ to drink any alcohol at any time:
Show it.
There are numerous plain Scriptures that declare drunkenness to be such a transgression. They can be easily quoted and firmly believed. Same with fornication and adultery and manstealing and thefts and etc...These are clearly written
points of law (James 2)defining true transgression against God's rule.
I'm not sure there is such a thing, Robert. That's why God wrote the entire Bible with 66 books (many more, actually) and not just a single list of Commands.
Every verse can be debated and disputed, and often are. Even the 10 Commandments.
Thou shalt not murder? Ok, well, ... can we beat a man to within an inch of his life? Long as he lives? Why not? Show me the verse!
How bout rape? Can you show me a single indisputable verse for that? I'm positive it doesn't exist.
Demanding a single indisputable verse is very much like a young person demanding somebody prove that they're not allowed to do something they really want to do, but know they maybe shouldn't.
That's why those who truly love God study the entire Bible regularly so there can be no mistaking God's Opinions. That's also where the guidance of the Holy Spirit comes in with divine discernment.
After all, as Christians, don't we all have a responsibility to maintain the Holy Temple of the Spirit that God has given us?
And is there any debate that alcohol destroys, literally kills, cells within the body? Even a small amount of alcohol.
There's no such thing as a Casual Christian just like there's no such thing as a Casual Drinker. You're either in it sincerely or you're not in it at all.
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, drinks alcohol, in any form, NOT to catch a buzz. If you're drinking to catch a buzz, you are drinking for the effects of the alcohol.
God bless.
"Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, drinks alcohol, in any form, NOT to catch a buzz. If you're drinking to catch a buzz, you are drinking for the effects of the alcohol. And the effects of alcohol are exactly what leads to sin."
And here we have the endgame. I certainly do enjoy alcohol to catch a buzz. I don't only drink it in order to fulfill some obligation to society or in business or socially.
And I likewise certainly do enjoy sex to catch an even bigger buzz, and not just to fulfill an obligation to produce offspring for the continuation of the species. (You must agree with them that declare sex is only for giving birth, and all other times is sinful pleasure)
And I certainly do enjoy spending money to catch a buzz of owning things, and not just to participate and promote a market economy. (Likewise you must agree with them that declare money is only to be spend on basic needs)
The liberty of the Law of Christ is to freely enjoy all things (1 Tim 6) not made transgression by that law. It is called the perfect law of liberty (James 1)
Which liberty you would destroy from others by your own weak yet
really strong conscience, and judge their liberty as transgression. (1 Cor 10)
"
And the effects of alcohol are exactly what leads to sin."
And here you have talked long enough to make our point: if alcohol in itself is a sin, then it matters not where it leads. But it is not a sin and can certainly lead to it, which is the whole point of Proverbs 20:1. because
anything can lead to sin if coupled with lust.
Money, sex, alcohol, bodily fitness, business, and especially ministry, as in
false teaching. None of these things are unclean of themselves, and all such things
will lead to sin when partaken with lust.
That is the whole lesson of life and the coming of our Lord Jesus
to deliver us from the lust of the world, and make us partakers of His divine nature, that we would no longer become ensured in the sins and transgressions of the world, because we no longer allow lust of the world to take over our hearts and lives.
All things are clean and pure of themselves, and nothing of these things that are made, were made without the intelligence of Christ lighting the human mind to make them. (John 1)
