The 7 Rhythms: Honest Questions - Can Christians drink alcohol, smoke weed, and use tobacco?

I think it is wise to reframe this question before I attempt to answer it from Scripture. I think the better way to form this question is, “Can Christians use alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco?” This way of asking the question allows us to deal with the many other ways that someone can use marijuana or weed without smoking. This will allow us to cover a broader range of behaviors. With that said, I must confess that I cannot deal with all the behaviors associated with alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco. I also can’t cover all the topics that are related to this, like mushrooms and methamphetamines. Even though we can’t cover every behavior or related topic, the principles we will discover from Scripture can and should be applied to all these things. Today, our goal will be to unpack the key principles that can be applied to the many situations related to these substances. Think of it like this: we are setting the city limits but not building all the stoplights.

So, can Christians use alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco? The answer is “maybe.” We cannot say “yes” to this question because there are ways that Christians should not use these things according to Scripture. We cannot say “no” to this question because there are ways that Christians can use these things according to Scripture. We must answer the question with a “maybe” because there are scriptural principles that both prohibit and permit using alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. We must also note that we are referring to principles and not direct commands because some of these substances are not mentioned in the Scriptures. There are two biblical principles we need to keep in mind when we are considering if we should use these substances.

Big Idea: God wants us to control and care for our bodies. Controlling our bodies means not succumbing to intoxication or addiction. Caring for our bodies means not practicing destructive behaviors. If our use of these substances or any others causes us to lose control or not properly care for our bodies, we must avoid those uses. If there is a way to use these substances in a way that doesn’t cause us to lose control or compromise the care of our bodies, then we should feel permission to do so, as long as that use is legal and doesn’t cause a friend to stumble into sinful behavior. Let’s look at several Scriptures that show the importance that God places on both controlling and caring for our bodies.

Ephesians 5:18, “18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…”

Paul instructed Christians not to get drunk on wine. We see in Scripture and everyday experience that drunkenness can impair our physical and mental abilities. One example is Lot committing incest after his daughters got him drunk on wine. Drunkenness diminishes our moral judgment and can lead us to commit actions that we will later regret. Even though wine can have damaging effects, Paul does not instruct the churches to avoid it completely. In fact, he encourages one of his closest followers to drink wine.    

1 Timothy 5:23, “23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)”

Paul advised Timothy to drink wine for medicinal purposes. Paul believed that a little wine would treat his ailments. It is important to note that Paul encouraged Timothy to use “a little” wine. Paul did not tell Timothy to get drunk so he wouldn’t experience the pain of his sickness. Do the biblical writers see medical reasons as the only justifiable grounds for consuming alcohol? No.

Wine is portrayed very positively throughout the Scriptures. Many of the prophets in the Old Testament spoke of wine as a blessing from the Lord (Isaiah 55:1, Joel 2:19-24, and Amos 9:13-14). Some prophets saw a lack of wine as a sign of God’s judgment (Jeremiah 48:33 and Hosea 2:9). Wine was a part of the drink offerings under the sacrificial system. Wine also played a part in the Passover rituals, one of the most sacred festivals in the Old Testament. Jesus turned water into wine, drank with His disciples, and set up the ordinance of communion with wine. Jesus also promised to drink wine with His followers in the future kingdom of God the Father (Matthew 26:29).

The Bible permits drinking but prohibits drunkenness. It’s okay to drink as long as you don’t get drunk. The Scriptures speak directly to how one uses wine, but it doesn’t speak directly to the use of marijuana or tobacco. It is appropriate for us to apply the principles of how the Bible handles the use of wine to how we use marijuana and tobacco. We can use things that may cause intoxication as long as we don’t get intoxicated. We will apply the test of intoxication to alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco at the end of this message. Paul explains another way we can lose control of our bodies besides intoxication. He teaches that addiction is another form of losing control of our bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:12, “12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.”

You probably notice the quotations surrounding the phrase “all things are lawful for me” in this verse. Paul used this phrase twice in this verse and another time in 1 Corinthians 10. It is in quotes because Paul most likely cited a slogan the Corinthians are familiar with. The origin of this slogan is hard to pinpoint. Some scholars think it comes from a misunderstanding of Paul’s teaching, a common mantra of the Corinthians, or a popular motto of the surrounding culture. Whatever the origin, Paul restricts this expression of freedom in two ways.

First, Paul qualifies the practice of freedom with being helpful. Second, Paul qualifies the practice of freedom with not being mastered or dominated by the behavior in question. Paul believed that there were behaviors that we could participate in, which could result in us giving up some control of our lives. Instead of ruling our actions, our actions could rule over us. The word Paul used here paints the picture of allowing something to have authority over you. Paul was assigning something to an action typically assigned only to persons. This shows how powerful our choices are. They can sometimes overtake us and kick us out of the driver's seat. The Apostle Peter also wrote about being enslaved by certain behaviors.

2 Peter 2:18-19, “18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”

Peter warns his readers about the dangers of listening to false teachers. These teachers claimed to liberate their followers when, in reality, they were enslaving them to corrupt passions. Both Paul and Peter stress the importance of Christians controlling their behaviors. Combining the insights of both passages, we see that Christians can become addicted to or mastered by sinful and non-sinful behaviors.

We cannot lose control of our bodies by allowing ourselves to become intoxicated by or addicted to any substance. Intoxication and addiction are clear boundary markers that the Scriptures place around our behaviors. We should not view these boundaries as handcuffs but as seatbelts. They protect us from injury, regret, and shame. The Scriptures not only promote controlling our bodies but also caring for them.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Paul was instructing the Corinthians believers not to commit acts of sexual immorality. It appears that Paul saw one of the roots of their sexual misconduct being their improper view of their bodies. Paul sought to elevate their view of their bodies by likening them to the most sacred space in the Old Testament, the Temple. The Temple was where God decided to manifest His presence with His people in a unique way.

Under the New Covenant, our bodies have become the special place of God’s dwelling. Paul argued that this divine indwelling carried with it physical implications. God is not only portrayed as a resident of our bodies but also as the owner of our bodies. We are stewards of these sacred temples. We cannot claim that we can do with our bodies whatever we choose. We are called to steward and care for our physical bodies in a way that promotes godliness. Using substances that are destructive to our physical bodies desecrates the sacredness of our bodies and damages our pursuit of godliness.   

God wants us to control and care for our bodies. He doesn’t want us to cross the lines of intoxication, addiction, and destruction. We can apply the principles of control and care to the use of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco by asking three questions: 1. Is this specific use intoxicating? 2. Will this specific use lead to an addiction? 3. Is this specific use destructive and harmful to my body? These three questions are not like strikes in baseball. You don’t have to get all three for the behavior to be improper. One is enough.

Drinking too much alcohol at one time can lead to intoxication, which impairs one’s physical and mental abilities. Drinking frequently can lead to addiction and dependence. Drinking too much over a long period can cause damage to our bodily organs, like our livers. If one drinks in moderation and occasionally, these things will not happen. So, Christians can drink alcohol if they don’t cross the lines just mentioned.

Marijuana is similar to alcohol but slightly different. The two most significant biological chemicals of the 80 plus in marijuana are CBD and THC. THC is psychoactive, which creates the “high” or intoxicating experience one gets when consumed. THC affects the brain in many ways: it impairs learning, memory, motor skills, and judgment. A study out of Duke University showed that THC decreases frequent young users’ I.Q. by 8 points, about an 8% drop, which proved to be irreversible even when marijuana use stopped. The joints of the ’60s through the ’80s had about 1 to 2 percent THC by weight; now, the average is 17 to 25 percent. It is not clear, nor is it really practiced, that consuming THC in moderation can be done without intoxicating effects. Therefore, using THC would be prohibited for a Christian because of its intoxicating effects.

CBD is not psychoactive. CBD can have positive effects that are not linked to intoxication, such as relaxation, pain relief, and decreased nausea. I believe this shows the goodness of God’s creation. God created marijuana, and there are ways that it can be used to promote human flourishing without violating the principles of controlling and caring for our bodies.

God’s good creation can be used to promote evil. You can use sticks to build a tent for shelter or fashion a spear to murder. Just because something has a few good uses doesn’t mean all its uses are good. Marijuana may not be as addictive as other substances, but it is still proven to be addictive to some. The method of consumption is also important to consider. One primary method to consume marijuana is by smoking it. Inhaling smoke is harmful to the lungs. Vaping also causes damage to our lungs.

THC use crosses the line of intoxication and can also cross the line of addiction and destruction. Christians should avoid THC. CBD products don’t cross the line of intoxication. Still, they can potentially cross the line of addiction and destruction, especially if one primarily smokes or vapes as a means of consuming CBD. Christians should be cautious in using CBD products.   

Unlike alcohol and marijuana, tobacco is not intoxicating. The other two questions, concerning addiction and destruction, must be considered. Tobacco has been proven to be both addictive and destructive to the body. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that is found in all tobacco products because it is part of the plant itself. Other chemical compounds in tobacco are linked to several cancers, heart disease, and breathing problems. Not all tobacco products and methods of consumption carry the same level of risk, but they all come with significant risks to the health of your body. Christians must be very cautious when using tobacco products because they are addictive and destructive. If a Christian’s tobacco use has become addictive and destructive, then one must seek to stop.

If you are feeling shameful or hopeless because you are hurting your body with a habit you can’t seem to quit, I want to give you hope. One of the central messages of the Scriptures is hope. Yes, the Bible makes clear the brokenness in the world around us and the brokenness that lies within. God does not point this out to us to lead us into shame but to lead us to salvation.

2 Corinthians 5:16-18, “16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

You can become a new creation today. The journey of change won’t be completed in a moment, but it can start at this moment. Trust in Christ for your salvation and watch Him turn your life around by His power.

Life-Level Application:

Head: Read Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:11, Galatians 5:19-21, and 1 Peter 4:3. Drunkenness is listed with some pretty heinous sins. Do you think drunkenness is treated with an appropriate sense of seriousness in today’s culture? What are the harmful effects of taking this sin lightly?

Heart: Read Proverbs 23:29-35. List the consequences of drunkenness given in this passage. What is ironic about how the chapter ends?

Hand: Read Romans 14:1-4. How does this passage instruct us to treat other Christians who may act out their conscience differently than we do? Have you judged others improperly over matters of conscience? Have you been judged unfairly over matters of conscience?

Habit: Read Romans 14:13-23. What do you think Paul means by “cause to stumble?” Have your actions ever caused someone else to stumble? Have you stumbled yourself because of someone else’s actions? How have you displayed a mindfulness of Paul's instruction here when acting out your conscience?