Is drinking alcohol a sin?
Some churches say any drink is a sin. Others don’t talk about it at all. If you’re trying to figure out where God actually stands, here is what the Bible says.
Drinking alcohol is not a sin in itself, but getting drunk is. Scripture says plainly, “Do not get drunk on wine… Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), and it lists drunkenness among the sins that keep people from God’s kingdom (Galatians 5:19–21). At the same time, the Bible speaks of wine as a gift that gladdens the heart (Psalm 104:15), and Jesus turned water into real wine. Become teaches freedom with wisdom: never drunk, never controlled, and never causing someone else to stumble.
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Jesus at a wedding
Jesus’ first miracle happened at a wedding in Cana when the wine ran out. He had servants fill six stone jars with water and turned it into wine, so good that the master of the feast said most people serve the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, “but you have saved the fine wine until now” (John 2:1–10). Jesus brought joy to a celebration. He never brought drunkenness.
Was Jesus’ wine fermented?
Yes. The Greek word in John 2 is oinos, the ordinary word for wine, the same word used in “do not get drunk on wine” (Ephesians 5:18). The master of the feast’s comment about guests who have had too much to drink only makes sense with real wine. Without refrigeration, grape juice could not be kept unfermented for long. The claim that it was only grape juice doesn’t hold up.
When to say no
If you can’t stop at one, or alcohol is controlling you, it’s time to stop completely and get help. If someone with you struggles with alcohol, don’t drink in front of them (Romans 14:21). If you are under the legal age, or driving, don’t. And if you are in recovery, no drink is worth your freedom.
What the Bible says
- 01
Not drunk, but filled with the Spirit.
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:18 - 02
Wine is a mocker.
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”
Proverbs 20:1 - 03
Wine that gladdens.
“He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart.”
Psalm 104:14–15 - 04
Not causing others to stumble.
“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.”
Romans 14:21 - 05
Drunkenness and the kingdom.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19–21 - 06
The wedding at Cana.
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. “Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!” Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”
John 2:1–11
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.
Ask yourself honestly: does alcohol have any control over me? If the answer is even “a little,” take thirty days off and see what God shows you.
Common questions
How much is too much?
If it affects your judgment, your words or your self-control, you have crossed into drunkenness. Stop well before that.
Should pastors and leaders drink?
Scripture calls leaders to be “not given to drunkenness” (1 Timothy 3:3). Many leaders choose not to drink at all so they never cause anyone to stumble.
Did Jesus drink wine?
Yes. His critics called Him “a glutton and a drunkard” because He ate and drank with sinners (Matthew 11:19). The accusation was false; He was never drunk.
Bring your real question.
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