4. We Become Enslaved
But each life is a kind of bondage. No one is actually “free,” for we must serve whatever it is we have decided to live for.
5. The Battle Continues After Conversion
Even after conversion, our old, false saviors/lords and their attendant false belief systems still distort our lives—unless the power of the Holy Spirit continually renews our minds and hearts.
6. The Gospel Is the Key
The key to freedom is the application of the gospel of grace. “Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
The Debate We’re Not Having
The debate we rarely have in Christian circles is: What are we clinging to more than Jesus?
Why, when we feel scared or lonely, do we turn to the abuse of alcohol to numb our pain?
The cancer below the symptom of alcohol abuse is sin. Pure and simple.
A Reality Check
I have counseled many marriages, and you know what destroys far more marriages than alcohol?
iPhones, iPads, and computers.
I don’t see people tearing up Facebook to ban and demonize those.
RELATED: The Gospel: Breaking Sinful Patterns and Addictions
Bringing the Debate Back to Scripture
Let’s bring the debate back to what the whole of Scripture is trying to get at: the idols we have lodged in our hearts, enthroned where Christ alone should be.
When we understand what Christ has done for us:
- We are free NOT to drink because having a beer doesn’t make you godly, cool, or relevant
- We are free TO drink because Christ is our treasure
The Bottom Line
The issue isn’t the substance—it’s the heart behind our relationship with that substance.
Are we drinking (or abstaining) out of:
- Fear?
- Pride?
- Social pressure?
- Escape from pain?
Or are we making decisions from a place of:
- Gospel freedom?
- Love for Christ?
- Concern for others?
What matters most is not what’s in your cup, but what’s ruling your heart.
