Christianity and the consumption of Alcohol, THC, Tobacco-Nicotine, and other regulated, non-regulated narcotics…

Subsequent my OP titled “Is it wise for a Christian to consume alcohol,” I’ve received some serious “push-back” and worldly inspired attempts to justify Christian compromise with mind/conscience altering behavior. Let me be clear and explain why alcohol and other such drugs are a NO GO for the Christian who sincerely seeks to please the Father through obedience to the Holy Spirit via sanctification.

Alcohol for the Christian is a compromise with the World, a fallen and evil World that hates our God and glorifies the Devil. Alcohol, a depressant, lowers inhibitions and manipulates the human conscience, the human conscience which is employed by the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant to sanctify, guide, the redeemed in Jesus in holiness, righteousness, obedience, via the daily process of sanctification as the Holy Spirit prepares the redeemed for service in the New Jerusalem; therefore, ingesting, consuming, that which alters and manipulates the conscience apart from the Spirit is negating the Father’s will for your life and mocking the suffering of Messiah who gave Himself for your redemption, a redemption that makes sanctification by the Spirit possible.

Why consume that which gives place for the Devil in your life and grieves the Holy Spirit given you as Guarantor of Covenant with the Father (Ephesians 1:13-14)? Why consume that which thwarts the eternally relevant work of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Christians have no business ingesting, smoking, consuming, alcohol, THC-cannabis, nicotine-tobacco or any illicit narcotic or drug (other than legitimate medical prescriptions) that alters the conscience and consequently wars against the Holy Spirit’s leadership, tutelage, anointing, sanctification. You injure your walk and your testimony when you seek to justify your compromise with the Devil.

Ephesians 4:27-30,

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

What are the eternal ramifications of denying the Deity of Jesus Christ? Is Jesus God – Elohim – I AM?

Christian response,

If one professes a New Covenant relationship with the Father by faith in the Son as Messiah yet they don’t see the necessity for Messiah’s deity, this individual is deceived, they are NOT in Covenant, they do not possess the indwelling Holy Spirit and they therefore remain in their sin and remain on the path to destruction in Hell. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the One who teaches the Deity of Messiah and if one denies Messiah’s Deity, they are absent the Spirit who is the Guarantor of Covenant and they are absent life (Ephesians 1:13-14; John 3).

Must one possess knowledge of Messiah’s deity as a precursor to salvation? No, but subsequent entering into New Covenant relationship with the Father by faith in the Son, Jesus Christ, as Messiah and receiving the Holy Spirit as the Guarantor of that Covenant, the one who is truly redeemed will KNOW and CONFESS that Jesus is God, Elohim, I AM and that Jesus could be nothing less than our omnipotent Creator (John 8:24; John 1; Hebrews 1; Colossians 1).

Knowledge of, confession of, Jesus as Elohim – God – Creator – Messiah is the critical differentiation between a truly redeemed Christian and every religion, sect, cult, existing in our fallen World today. If you deny the deity of Jesus, you belong to the Devil, not the Father.

Is it wise for a Christian to consume alcohol?

Christian response,

No. Alcohol has long become a social stigma, a catalyst for the sin-nature, in our Nation and around the World. Alcohol lowers inhibitions; weakens the conscience; fights against the indwelling Holy Spirit’s wisdom and discernment via the daily process of Christian sanctification; therefore, it is NOT wise that one who loves the Father, loves Jesus, possesses the Holy Spirit, consumes that which wars against the One, the Spirit, who daily, meticulously, patiently, prepares them for service in the New Jerusalem.

Furthermore, alcohol’s social stigma is equated with a World system, a fallen human nature, possessing and demonstrating a proclivity for moral compromise, a sinful nature that wars against holiness and purity; therefore, the Christian that compromises with alcohol consumption causes the weaker brethren to stumble and this offends the Father and stymies the work of the Holy Spirit as a Restrainer of evil. For these reasons it is not good that a Christian consume alcohol or engage in any behavior that causes others to stumble.

Christianity and the Trinity

A Christian believes what the Holy Spirit has clearly articulated and displayed in the Canon of Scripture. Elohim is One-God introduced in Scripture in Three-Distinct-Persons who are One-God in essence (possessing all immutable attributes of deity) yet possess individual will, individuality in eschatological responsibilities.

Father – Administrator

Son – Creator, Warrior, Messiah, Judge

Holy Spirit – Logistics

How easy and convenient it would be to believe in the false “Oneness” theology suggesting the Father is the Son and the Son is the Spirit but this is NOT what the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Father, teach.

If anyone suggests they are redeemed by faith in Jesus and in a New Covenant relationship with the Father yet they deny the Deity of the Son, Jesus Christ, they are deceived and they are headed to the “second death” in Hell in their sin (John 8:24).

It is the Holy Spirit who teaches the Triune Nature of Elohim; therefore, those redeemed by faith in the Son and subsequently possess the indwelling Holy Spirit as Guarantor of Covenant, these will KNOW Jesus as Elohim – I AM and testify of same (Ephesians 1:13-14; Hebrews 1; John 1; Colossians 1).

Though Jesus and the Father are ONE in Deity (John 10:28-30) they are two-separate Persons of the Godhead.

Can I, as a fallen human being, explain our Omniscient, Omnipotent, Elohim? No. If my three-pound brain could fathom and explain Elohim I too would be Deity; therefore, I honor what the Holy Spirit has provided by faith and make no attempt to explain the reality of the Trinity as this is how Elohim has chosen to introduce Himself to His created beings; therefore, I honor the Holy Spirit and accept those things I cannot explain or thoroughly understand; again, this by faith.

Mosaic Law v. Sinai’s Commandments?

The foundation for the Mosaic Law is Sinai, the Commandments given the Tribes by Elohim through Moses. These nine-moral laws and one-ceremonial law were given in response to Elohim’s concerns over the paganism that inundated the Tribes and surrounded them via pagan tribes serving pagan gods.

Both the Commandments and the 603-civil, ceremonial, laws provided through Moses via the Holy Spirit are captioned as the “law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2) as these laws mandated perfection in obedience (James 2:10) yet provided no form of atonement in reality (Romans 3:20; Romans 8:1-6) yet were destined for failure as they sought to transform the sin-nature void the presence of the Holy Spirit and void a redeemed conscience, a redeemed conscience only possible through the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the promised indwelling Holy Spirit as per the New Covenant (Ezekiel 36:27); therefore, the Mosaic Law is a “curse” to anyone seeking righteousness (a right standing) with the Father through obedience to same (Galatians 3:10).

Law and the Christian,

Dear Christian, if you have been redeemed (bought with a price) by faith in Jesus Christ as your Messiah (John 3), you are free from the curse of the Law of sin and death (Romans 7:6; Romans 8:1-6) as your righteousness (right standing) with the Father is NOT predicated upon your obedience to a set of rules and regulations but your righteousness-redemption-peace-eternal salvation with the Father is the resultant of IMPUTATION – a GIFT to you; that is, the righteousness of Jesus earned for YOU at Golgotha via His shed blood acceptable by the Father as complete and purified atonement for your sins – Past-Present-Future is given you in response to your faith in the Son as Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:21); this, by covenant promise (Hebrews 8:12).

In this New Covenant Age, our obedience that pleases the Father manifests through the daily process of sanctification where we walk by the Spirit not by the flesh or the law of sin and death (Galatians 5:16). Our obedience to the Holy Spirit via our redeemed conscience (2 Corinthians 5:17) does NOT involve letters but obedience to the Father’s will for our individual life via the Spirit’s intimate leadership; therefore, rest in Jesus and find peace through the Holy Spirit, not enslavement to Sinai or Moses which are failures concerning righteousness with the Father (Galatians 2:16).

A premise of confusion articulated in a religious forum:

In John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses ; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

As a matter of interest, if the law came through Moses, that means that before Moses there was no God’s law in this world.

Likewise, if Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ, that means that before Jesus came there was no God’s Grace and Truth in this world.

What do you think of that?

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Christian response,

The “written code” came through Moses but the Spiritual Law (Romans 2:14-15) has been extant as an arbiter of free will subsequent the creation of the angels. To follow your logic, Elohim’s judgment on Satan, the Adamic-Noahic generations and Elohim’s judgment of death by water, Sodom-Gomorrah’s annihilation in judgement for unconscionable sexual defilement, would have been unjust as “where there is no law there is no sin” (Romans 4:15; 5:13); therefore, we see the Spiritual Law, written upon the heart of humanity on Day-6, active long before Sinai. That same Spiritual Law remains a priority and supersedes, is superior to, Sinai, as the New Covenant is based upon the Spiritual Law written upon the human heart as arbitrated via the Holy Spirit via the redeemed conscience and NOT the written code AKA “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

Concerning “Grace and Truth,”

Elohim’s Grace and its Truth are realized through Jesus Christ but Grace and Truth were active from Adam forward as humanity has always initiated covenant-righteousness with the Father through Faith, alone (Hebrews 11). Grace is introduced to humanity first in Genesis 3:21 as Elohim demonstrates the Gospel through the shedding of innocent blood and the clothing of humanity in an imputed-gifted robe of righteousness while Elohim simultaneously rejects the works of mankind (fig leaves) to cover sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16).

The fruition of Elohim’s grace and the embodiment of His Truth provided humanity is evidenced – fulfilled through the first-advent of Jesus Christ our Messiah; hence, a realization of Grace – Truth via the presence of Elohim in flesh (John 1; Hebrews 1; Colossians 1), that Grace – Truth which is foreshadowed by Elohim beginning with Genesis 3:15-21 forward.

Conclusion,

Therefore, Law – Grace – Truth have been relevant through the Gospel, that Gospel having been ordained “before Time began” (2 Timothy 1:8-10); the embodiment of that Gospel, Law, Grace, Truth, realized in the “spotless Lamb slain before the foundation of the World” (Revelation 13:8).

“As a Christian… Do you think/believe that there is life outside Earth?”

Christian response,

There is life “outside” the Realm of Time/physics. Human life on Earth is exclusive, temporary. The mysterious “life” observed by some and referred to as “alien” results from an interaction between the Realm of Eternity (the spiritual realm) and the Realm of Time…a glimpse….a momentary infusion/interaction of the eternal with the physical, nothing more. Jesus explains that His Kingdom, His servants and His warriors (the angelic), are not of this temporary Realm of Time.

The spiritual war between the demonic and the Heavenly does interface with the physical from time-to-time…these are the “alien” encounters observed by humanity (Ephesians 6:12). These encounters will most likely increase as Time approaches the Tribulation; the Millennial Kingdom; Judgment.

Seeing that the Father’s eschatological plan for Time is fixed and will come to fruition, is individual human life within the constraints of Time and physics essentially preprogrammed, predestined, futile, nihilistic, robotic?

The Father’s eschatological plan is fixed but we, as participants in that plan to destroy the works of the Devil via selfless love via Messiah (1 John 3:8b), possess free will to choose to honor the Father by faith and come along side Him and serve Him in that plan and subsequently live eternally with the Son by faith in Jesus as Messiah or we can choose to honor Satan and Satan’s plan and reap what we sow in disobedience, corruption.

Though the Father’s eschatological plan concerning the Realm of Time is fixed, your personal life and spiritual life and eternal life are fluid and the free will choices you make in the present will have an eternal impact on your life in the Kingdom. You are NOT a preprogrammed robot but you’re a special, unique, individual, created in the spiritual image of Elohim for a special, unique, purpose concerning the Father’s eschatological plan……you are a warrior physiologically and spiritually and the one you serve and honor within the Realm of Time determines your eternal destiny.

Rick, what do you mean that Satan is causation for the creation of Time and matter?

Rick, what do you mean that Satan is causation for Time, physics?

I mean that causation for our entire creation is founded-rooted solely in Elohim’s response to a rebellious cherub angel and those who followed that angel in the Great War manifest in the Kingdom…a war that Elohim elected to remove from the Kingdom and place upon a temporary Earth to be dealt with apart from the Kingdom, a spiritual war partially constrained by Time and physics, thereby minimizing further defilement of purity and holiness, Elohim’s Kingdom where nothing impure is permitted to exist (Revelation 12; Ezekiel 28:11+; Isaiah 14; Luke 10:18; Luke 8:44; Ephesians 6; Revelation 21:27; John 18:36).

This spiritual war having manifest in the Kingdom is why the first created spiritual character introduced in the creation narrative is Satan, the old Serpent that deceives the whole World (Revelation 12:9; John 8:44) and this is why war between the Serpent and the Son, a Son manifesting from the seed of the woman, is declared in Genesis 3:15 and why the Gospel, as a divine battle strategy, is first pictured in Genesis 3:21 (redemption through the shedding of innocent blood and a robe of imputed righteousness denying the works of man’s hands relevant to righteousness, a right standing, with Elohim) and this is why the Adamic and Noahic generations were judged and eradicated due to satanic possession-influence thwarting Elohim’s eschatological plan and this is why Elohim began anew with Noah and set-apart a people group we know as Israel and this is why Messiah manifest in Time through Judah; specifically, “to destroy the works of the devil” via a battle strategy known as “The Gospel,” a battle strategy that was ordained “before Time began” (1 John 3:8b; 2 Timothy 1:8-10).

Therefore, had Satan not rebelled and introduced sin into the Kingdom, there would be no reason for Elohim to have created a physical realm, suffered a potentially rebellious and defiled human genome (Genesis 6) and there would be no reason that Elohim would have manifest in flesh and suffered and died in the presence of the faithful angelic creation simply to restore order and holiness and peace and dignity to His Kingdom. One of mankind’s greatest errors is a failure to recognize our “reason for being” and the very temporary nature of our existence in Time and Elohim’s eschatological purposes for same.