This is a post from my archives that I thought I’d break out again in light of some recent conversations surrounding alcohol. In short: drinking alcohol isn’t a matter of Christian liberty, it’s a matter of human liberty. Because wine, beer, and liquor are gifts from our thoughtful, generous Creator.

A few weeks ago, John MacArthur gave the “Young, Restless, Reformed” peeps a whoopin for imbibing and even celebrating beer, especially for the sake of missionally engaging culture. This reminds me of the sharp condemnation the Missouri Baptist Convention brought against two church planters who planted in pubs. Here is a bit of what he wrote:

For some who self-identify as “Young, Restless, and Reformed,” it seems beer is a more popular topic for study and discussion than the doctrine of predestination. They devote whole websites to the celebration of brewed beverages. They earnestly assure one another “that most good theological discussion has historically been done in pubs and drinking places.” They therefore love to meet for “open dialog on faith and culture” wherever beer is served—or better yet, right at the brewery. The connoisseurs among them serve their own brands and even offer lessons in how to make home brew.

It’s clear that beer-loving passion is a prominent badge of identity for many in the YRR movement. Apparently beer is also an essential element in the missional strategy. Mixing booze with ministry is often touted as a necessary means of penetrating western youth culture, and conversely, abstinence is deemed a “sin” to be repented of.

After all, in a culture where cool is everything, what could be a better lubricant for one’s testimony than a frosty pint?

Of course, beer is by no means the only token of cultural savvy frequently associated with young-and-restless religion. All kinds of activities deemed vices by mothers everywhere have been adopted as badges of Calvinist identity and thus “redeemed”: tobacco, tattoos, gambling, mixed martial arts, profane language, and lots of explicit talk about sex.

MacArthur goes on to say, “without even raising the question of whether this or that specific activity is acceptable, indifferent, or out-and-out evil, we surely ought to be able to say that controlled substances and other symbols of secular society’s seamy side are not what the church of Jesus Christ ought to wish to be known for.” He then in effect urges abstinence from alcohol because it cultivates a “bad testimony” and we aren’t permitted to “flout taboos and offend conventional notions of propriety” because of Christian liberty.

MacArthur makes two critical errors in his judgment: 1) He falsely assumes the enjoyment of alcohol is placed in the category of “Christian Liberty” and 2) that consumption of alcohol fosters a “bad testimony” because “they have more in common with Lot, who pitched his tent toward Sodom, than with Jesus” and “symbols of carnal indulgence.” Both assume wine and beer (and Jack Daniels and Vodka, for that matter) are part of the Fall, rather than Creation.

I would not assume MacArthur would join the Mormons in prohibiting the consumption of coffee, which I would imagine he’d agree with me has been given to us by a loving God through Creation. Coffee, with all of it’s wonderful caffeinated effects, is a drink, we can safely assume, is the result of Creation, not the Fall. In other words, caffeine didn’t some how magically appear in coffee post-Fall, but instead was part of it at Creation. And I’d also assume that MacArthur would agree that had the Fall not happened scores of generations from Mama Eve and Papa Adam would have been able to properly and freely imbibe the Nectar of the Siren with the full permission and blessing of their Creator.

So why not wine and beer?

Does MacArthur really believe that alcohol itself—as a chemical property, process, and effect—is the result of the Fall? That the process of fermentation with hops (oh man love the hops!) and grapes sprang into existence because of the Fall? That before the Fall we wouldn’t have been able to or even given thought to combining malts and wheat and sugar into nice frothy, steamy goodness? Really?

If this is so, then why is wine consistently mentioned along-side the new Creation? Why do the Prophets themselves consistently include wine alongside their eschatological vision of a restored, renewed, re-created Creation? Look at Isaiah 25 and 55. Or Jeremiah 31.

YHWH even explicitly permits his own people, the Israelits, to “Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.” (Deut 14:26) As my friend Ben said “fermented drink” is read: something with high alcohol content. And they are to enjoy these drinks (wine and highly alcoholic drinks) freely in celebration in His very own presence! (HT: Ben Irwin)

Could it be because wine, beer, and (gasp) alcohol is actually something God Himself created?

For us to (double gasp) enjoy?

Just like the coffee I’d wager both my pipes that MacArthur consumes pretty regularly?

Like sex? Or any number of things God created, yet we abuse, dismember, flaunt, or otherwise use in downright rebellious ways?

For me drinking wine and beer and coffee isn’t a matter of Christian liberty, it’s a matter of human liberty! If God created them for his Image-Bearers to enjoy, then what gives John MacArthur or any other Christian the right to deny people the right through shame, fear, or down-right legalistic mental gymnastics to fully make, brew, toast, consume, and (TRIPLE gasp) enjoy?

Until MacArthur can prove with Scripture that wine and beer and alcohol themselves are the result of the Fall, he should really stop tying millstones around the necks of my YRR and other Christian brothers and sisters and stop preventing us from enjoying these wonderful gifts from a wonderful, thoughtful, generous Creator.

I’ll toast to that and pour us another round, on the house!