What Being Reformed

is Not
By John Wilkinson

I was recently invited to a Facebook

Reformed group. I joined with much
excitement. In hopes that I can be a
valuable asset with others and be Salt and
Light with those who have the same
thinking in Theology.
The Fellowship is very tightknit and full
of Gracious Believers.
Buthere is my beef
Never have I seen such promotion of

drinking and cigars.

The Reformed Pubcast is a podcast I
dont listen to because of just that.
Promotion of alcoholic beverages is
something that doesnt sit well with me.
Notice I said promotion and not drinking
in of itself. I realize that drinking is not
the sin but drunkenness
that is the sin that is forbidden and not
tolerated by God.
Let me share why I feel this way.
Growing up with parents who went out to
the local Moose Lodge every weekend
while leaving their children home and
coming home so drunk that Im picking
up my father out of tub after he fell in
because he couldnt keep his balance
while urinating. Or when I had to tend to
my mothers wounds after she crashed
her bicycle while on a beer run. A grade

school child should not be expose to such

foolishness. And I viewed it as
such. Foolishness.
Now before you get all up in a tizzy, I
know what Scripture says about alcohol.

Give strong drink to him who is

perishing, and wine to him whose life is
bitter, 7 Let him drink and forget his
poverty, and remember his trouble no
more, (Prov. 31:6-7).

He causes the grass to grow for the

cattle, and vegetation for the labor of
man, so that he may bring forth food
from the earth, 15 And wine which
makes mans heart glad, so that he may
make his face glisten with oil, and food
which sustains mans heart, (Psalm
104:14-15).

No longer drink water exclusively,

but use a little wine for the sake of your
stomach and your frequent ailments, (1
Tim. 5:23)
Even Paul gives a good reason to drink
wine for medicinal purposes. There are
verses within Scripture that supports the
drinking of alcohol. But there are plenty
more verses that give warning to the
dangers of it.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a
brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it
is not wise, (Prov. 20:1).
Woe to those who rise early in the
morning that they may pursue strong
drink, (Isaiah 5:11).

Woe to those who are heroes in drinking

wine, and valiant men in mixing strong
drink, (Isaiah 5:22).
Clearly, the Scriptures teach against
intoxication. Again, the reason is that we
are to be responsible for our actions. The
misuse of alcohol impairs judgment, and
this can have dire consequences upon our
families, ourselves, and others. This is
why intoxication is bad. However, there
are some verses in the Bible which may
shock a lot of Christians regarding the
proper use of alcohol.
It seems nowadays more Reformed
Christians are promoting more of their
Freedoms in Christ more than Christ
Himself

But why is it that it is the Reformed

Camp that seems to cling to this image?
The image of drinking and smoking
cigars.
Look, I get it. Spurgeon smoked cigars.
Great. He felt he had the freedom in
Christ to do so. That doesnt necessarily
mean that every Reformed Christian
needs to practice the same and tout that
they do such because they are Reformed.
Its promotion of an image that not
everyone should follow. Especially
drinking.
Lets suppose a new Reformed Christian
sees such a group who are free to drink
and smoke cigars and claim they have
such freedoms in Christ. And lets
suppose such new Reformer decides to
join in. And through that decision, the

Reformer becomes drunk and causes

another Christian to think Well, if hes a
Christian and can live as such, so can I.
Or, said Reformed Christian gets drunk at
a restaurant and someone else from their
Church notices this and causes that
person to spread gossip about that other
person.
Do you see the issues that it could bring?
I thought we as Christians are to be little
Christs and yet Im getting the picture
that many Reformers want to be little
Worldly Super Christians who think they
are above the snare of sin. (too long?)
Im all about exercising our Freedoms in
Christ. If you have the ability to drink
alcohol without the worry of offending

others, be my guest. I will choose to not

live in such a way.
For the time that is past suffices for
doing what the Gentiles want to do,
living in sensuality, passions,
drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties,
and lawless idolatry. 1 Peter 4:3