Welcome back to Face The Truth.
Today we’re facing the truth about morality and legality, and comparing what man thinks
is right and wrong versus what God says is right and wrong.
And when faced with choosing between the two, which should we choose?
Now drinking alcohol is socially acceptable.
It’s not considered morally wrong.
People getting drunk of intoxicated is an everyday occurrence.
Now just take a look at how many pubs or bars exist today.
Now people generally go to bars and pubs to drink and socialize, drinking is well tolerated
by society with, of course, certain limitations, yet the results of drinking and intoxication
are not positive.
It doesn’t make life any better on earth for anyone except that maybe those who profit
from the sale of alcohol or the owners of bars and other related businesses.
But for the end user or the one who drinks, and society as a whole, what is the result
of drinking?
Well let’s look at what the Lord God says about drinking.
In Isaiah chapter 5, the verse is 22 this is what the word of God says to us.
What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine and boast about all the alcohol they can hold. [Isaiah 5:22 NLT]
And so according to the word of God there is sorrow for those who are fond of drinking.
Now why is drinking so wrong?
What are the results of becoming intoxicated?
Does it do anyone any good?
In the book of Proverbs the chapter is 23, the verses are 29 to 35, we’ll read what
is stated:
Who has anguish?
Who has sorrow?
Who is always fighting?
Who is always complaining?
Who has unnecessary bruises?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks.
Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly
it does down.
For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.
You will see hallucinations and you will say crazy things.
You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast.
And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?” [Proverbs 3:29-35 NLT]
Now what are the results, the negative results of drinking alcohol?
Or even taking prohibited drugs, which result in intoxication?
Nothing good.
And everything bad that we’ve read: fighting, bruises, arguments… and we know, too often,
even death.
Now let’s take a look at what the World Health Organization says about alcohol and
its negative effects.
Interview 1: …being sick.
A lot…
Interview 2: Probably being spiked…
Interview 3/person 1: Not being able to get home…
Interview 3/person 2: Not remembering what you’ve done…
Interview 3/person 1: Yeeaaa!
Not even knowing where you are.
Interview 4: It’s got to be falling down a flight of stairs.
Interview 5: I’ve been hospitalized for being too drunk.
So I’m not too proud of that.
Interview 6: I just don’t like the experience.
I don’t like seeing other people drunk so I don’t really drink, myself.
Voiceover: I started drinking on a daily basis when I was about 14 years old.
I had drank alcohol a few times before that.
But I started drinking every day in the 9th grade of high school.
I was so afraid to drink anymore because I was having blackouts during the day.
Matthew Cordle: My name is Matthew Cordle, and on June 22nd, 2013, I hit and killed Vincent
Canzani.
This video will act as my confession.
I beg you, and I say the word “beg” specifically, I’m begging you, please don’t drink and drive.
Don’t make the same excuses that I did.
Don’t say, “it’s only a few miles” or “you’ve only had a few beers” or
“you do it all the time, it’ll never happen to you”, because it happened to me.
And all of those are just excuses to make yourself feel better.
Now these facts speak for themselves.
The overwhelming social problem of drinking and drunkenness, which results in so many
disastrous consequences could easily be solved if people would just follow this – what
is written in the book of Ephesians the chapter is 5 and the verse is 18, the Apostles say this:
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, [Ephesians 5:18 NKJV]
The verse itself is self-explanatory, “do not be drunk with wine” or whatever makes
people intoxicated.
And so, just because something may be socially acceptable, or morally right in man’s eyes
like drinking, though it’s even legal, does not make it right in God’s eyes.
And we have to remember, we must remember man’s limitations on knowing what is truly
good and what is truly right.
Now we may think we know what is right, or think we know what is good for but it can
harm us, even lead to death.
And sadly, the world is not changing for the better.
You know, there are things that are acceptable today that were not allowed a few decades
ago.
Things that many consider morally wrong then are, today, considered right and acceptable.
Certain lifestyles that were reprehensible in time past, are now considered the social
norm.
Likewise things that were considered good in time past are now deemed bad by society.
And with these changes in the attitudes and thinking of the people the laws are also changing
to reflect the attitude of the people.
But is this the right thing?
Is this the way that people should go?
Where do we draw the line?
Because given enough time, things considered immoral today can become the norm tomorrow.
Now can we change with the passage of time or follow the crowd when what people are doing,
though justified by society, run in opposition with what God deems is good?
Well let’s read what is stated here in the book of Isaiah, the chapter is 5 and the verse
is 20 this is written:
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light
for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! [Isaiah 5:20 NIV]
Now the word used by the Bible to state the condition of those who call evil good, and
good evil, is woe.
Now in the God’s Word translation, it states that it will be “horrible” – how horrible
it will be for those who call evil good, and good evil – And so when people or society
changes what is good to bad, or what is bad to good there are horrible consequences.
Which leads us to this question, what exactly is good?
If man cannot determine what is good, what is the ultimate good?
Romans 7 and 12 we will read the answer given to us by the Apostles:
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. [Romans 7:12 NKJV]
Take note, God’s commandments are holy, just, and good.
And so God’s laws supersede all other laws of man.
When man deviates from what God commands there are negative consequences, which were proven
in the examples we gave earlier.
And so just because something is legal, or has been decided on by a majority to be ok
does not make it right.
Our gauge of what is right should always be based upon the commandments of God written
in the Bible.
And so the truth may be painful at first, but whether we like it or not, whether we
believe it or not, the truth is something we all must face.
Thanks for joining us on Face The Truth, I’m brother Barry Thompson, until next time take
care and God bless.