Is Drinking a Sin? What the Bible Actually Says
Drinking alcohol is not, by itself, a sin according to the Bible. Scripture treats wine as a normal part of life and never forbids every drink. What it clearly calls sin is drunkenness, and it warns that alcohol can mislead you.
That’s the short answer. The longer answer depends on who’s asking. A person who has one beer at a cookout and a person who can’t stop after one are asking very different questions.
What the Bible forbids
The Bible is plain about drunkenness. Paul puts it in a list with sins that keep people from the kingdom of God.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
He also tells believers to live decently, not in carousing and drunkenness (Romans 13:13). See Is getting drunk a sin? for more on where that line is.
What the Bible allows
The same Bible speaks of wine as a gift that makes the heart glad (Psalm 104:15). Jesus made wine at a wedding (John 2:1-11). Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his health (1 Timothy 5:23). Because of verses like these, most Christian traditions, including the Catholic Church and many Protestant churches, teach that drinking in moderation is not a sin. More on this in What does the Bible say about alcohol?
Why many Christians still don’t drink
Plenty of faithful Christians choose not to drink at all, and many churches ask it of their members. That’s not legalism. They take the warnings seriously:
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”
They also take seriously Paul’s call to love others before our own freedom.
“It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.”
Wine, beer and liquor: does the kind matter?
People often ask if liquor is worse than wine, or if beer is fine because it’s weaker. The Bible doesn’t draw lines between kinds of drink. It talks about wine and strong drink side by side. What it cares about is the heart, and whether something other than God has started to rule it.
““All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.”
That verse is a good test. Something can be allowed and still not be good for you. And something can be allowed and still have mastered you.
If you’re asking because you can’t stop
If you’re searching this late at night, you may not be asking a theology question at all. You might be hoping someone will tell you your drinking is fine, or that it’s not.
Here’s the honest answer. If you’ve tried to cut back and couldn’t, if drinking is hurting your family, your work, your health or your walk with God, then for you, drinking has become a problem. And for someone with a drinking problem, the wise and loving choice is not to drink at all. Not because God is angry with you, but because He wants you free.
You don’t have to settle whether every drink in the world is a sin. You only have to be honest about yours. The page Signs of alcoholism can help you look at it clearly.
Safety first. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you quit.
If you belong to a church that says no
If your church asks members not to drink and you’ve been drinking in secret, you may feel like a hypocrite. That feeling can keep you from asking for help. Talk to your pastor anyway. Most pastors would far rather hear the truth than watch someone struggle alone.
Questions to ask yourself
- When I drink, do I usually have more than I meant to?
- Do I hide how much I drink?
- Do I feel guilty about it afterward?
- Would I be willing to go 30 days without a drink? If that thought scares me, why?
A prayer
“Lord, I don’t want to argue about rules. I want the truth. Show me what drinking is doing in my life. If it has a hold on me, give me the courage to let it go, and put the right people in my path. Amen.”
If you’re ready to do something about it, start here.
Common questions
Is drinking beer a sin?
The Bible doesn't single out beer, wine or liquor. It speaks of wine and strong drink together. The question is never the kind of drink. It's whether you drink to the point of drunkenness, or whether it has a hold on you.
Is drinking liquor worse than drinking wine?
Scripture doesn't rank them. Liquor makes it easier to get drunk fast, and drunkenness is what the Bible condemns. A drink is a drink: what matters is how much, how often, and what it's doing to you.
What do Catholics teach about drinking?
The Catholic Church teaches that drinking in moderation is not a sin, and that drunkenness is. It calls people to the virtue of temperance. Your priest can walk you through it in more detail.
Why do some churches teach that all drinking is wrong?
Some traditions, especially many Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and holiness churches, have long asked members not to drink at all. They point to the damage alcohol does, to the Bible's warnings, and to the call not to cause others to stumble. That's a sincere conviction and worth respecting.
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