A Call to Temperance and Sobriety

We are living in an age where much of the Bible has been spiritualised away. In other words, the literal meaning of scripture has been interpreted to have only spiritual or non-practical applications. To a large degree God’s word has been made of non-effect in our lives because of a misunderstanding of its literal meaning in instances where it speaks plainly. However, God wants to remind us that the Bible was given for practical uses.  Where Scripture does not use symbolic language it must be taken literally that we may discern it in reality.

In this month’s issue of The Healthy Christian we are going to discuss some underlying themes in scripture and focus on their literal meaning as it speaks plainly. Let us begin by looking at the broad picture of the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan in our world. God told Adam that, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:” “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 KJV. The very first test God gave to man is over his appetite. Every one of us are given the same test day by day as did the first pair. Will we believe and obey God in what He instructs us to eat? Yielding of the will requires a struggle but through Christ we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13).

We are not told how long afterwards that Satan came into the picture. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:” Genesis 3:4 KJV. Here we see the beginning of the conflict between Christ and Satan over man. Taking the Bible literally, we learn that the underlying principle of this Controversy between good and evil is over man’s diet or temperance which is a law of health. Who do we believe in matters pertaining to what we should eat or even drink? Who will we obey? We would be wise to obey our Maker.

God gave to our first parents a principle of health. He placed a restriction on their diet and warned them that a violation would lead to sure death. Satan contrarily said, “ye shall not surely die.” Genesis 3:4. Satan worked to confuse Eve regarding the literal meaning of God’s warning. What does it mean to ‘not surely’ die? Can a person be partially dead and partially alive? No they cannot be; either one is alive or dead. Herein lies the foundation of the false doctrine called spiritualism. The idea that when a person dies his or her spirit goes wandering either in heaven or on earth. But the Bible says that in the day we die our thoughts perish, there is no wandering. (Psalm 146:4.)

Fast forward from Eden to our day. Through various false teachers that have ignored the literal teachings of the Bible, the devil has stolen a march upon us. We are living in the time of the last generation. We are the weakest physically, mentally and spiritually, hence our spiritual perceptions are the weakest. However Paul states, “when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10. Though we are the weakest, the power of God through His laws of health will restore us into the perfect stature of men and women in Christ. See Romans 12:1-2. Though Satan is a destroyer, God is a mighty Restorer; and the Lord will accomplish what was foreordained before the world began. See 2 Timothy 1:9.

Taking the Bible as it reads, the following scripture tells us why the world is so filled with crime and violence. It says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV. God is saying that we who are in the faith can resist the devil because we are sober; but Satan accomplishes these temptations in our brethren that are in the world — who are not literally sober. Is this not what we see in reality? People consume liquor as a sport, the foods in the super markets are loaded with sugar which ferment in the gut producing alcohol. The devil wants to keep the world perpetually intoxicated—literally. How can we resist the devil if we are constantly under the influence of alcohol? Paul says, “with the mind I myself serve the law of God,” Romans 7:25. We cannot appreciate nor keep God’s law if our minds are not perfectly clear. Therefore strict temperance is fundamental to Christian living; and God’s faithful preachers will live out the principles of health and teach them to others, as did Paul.

We are to be wide awake and have strong discernment because there are many false prophets in the world. There are certain ‘professedly’ Christian organisations, such as the Roman Catholic Church, and other Sunday-keeping churches, that serve actual liquor to their congregants. But the Bible clearly states, “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.” Isaiah 28:7 KJV.

We ought not to join such fellowships that advocate liquor drinking even though they call themselves Christians. The devil is right there in the churches keeping the people intoxicated so that they cannot have spiritual discernment. A leader that is not governed by strict habits of temperance is not sent by God, for he has not the Holy Spirit abiding in him. Why? Because a fruit of the Spirit is temperance. The ministers that are intemperate, and corpulent — these are not of the Lord. The Bible states, “That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.” Titus 2:2 KJV. Sober means literally sober and temperate means literally temperate. How can a drinker of liquor or a corpulent man be accepted as a minister of the Gospel? In fact we hardly hear these men preach about temperance because they do not practice it. Beware, many false prophets are in the world.

The devil has stolen a march upon the world firstly through the literal wine of Babylon, then secondly through the spiritual wine of Babylon; that is through false doctrines. He works to connect himself to true religion (Christianity), make the people drunk, and then teach them false doctrines and folly. But the Lord counsels us to, “Flee out of the midst of Babylon,…that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.” Jeremiah 51:6-7 KJV. Poor physical, mental and thus spiritual health is plaguing our society due to liquor drinking. How can intoxicated people have self-control and thus be Christians —who know or practice sound doctrine?

The world and the false churches are captives of Satan because there is no sobriety. Without a mind that is perfectly clear, we cannot resist the temptations of the devil. Therefore we see so much worldliness and iniquity being practised in the churches. The preachers are not calling the people to sobriety and temperance as the Lord would have them. Paul says, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV. He makes it plain that as a minister of the gospel he keeps his appetite and passions under strict control, because failure to do so will cause him to be lost. However today we see preachers promoting liquor drinking from the pulpit! We need to be wide awake, for we are approaching “the days of vengeance” and “the great day of the Lord.” (Luke 21:22; Zephaniah 1:14.)

The Lord is calling us as a people to turn from our hurtful indulgences. Leave off the liquor, utterly abstain from processed sugar because it turns into alcohol in the gut, and avoid all other stimulants. We are to be moderate in the use of simple, natural foods so that our minds can be clear and sharp to understand and appreciate the Bible, hear God speaking to us and to be prompt in obeying His will. Those who turn from strict temperance will be left in darkness due to a lack of discernment. The gospel gives us the hope of everlasting life in paradise — what hurtful thing shall we hold on to in this world? Not one. Beloved, God loves you and His promise to you is health and cure, take good care.

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