Alcohol, Fried Chicken, and Sex... Oh My!

“God decides what is and is not acceptable. Not us. Our role is to conform to what God says.”

~ A man much wiser than me

Christians, American Christians in particular, often get a bad rap for being judgmental and condescending when it comes to a few certain activities. Not all Christians fall into this category. However, the ones that do are a perfect example of what happens when “Church Culture” becomes louder than God’s Word. Sadly, the Christians (and Churches) that succumb to this pitfall aid in both believers and unbelievers leaving the Church… and even leaving faith altogether. Yeah, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Most likely, either you or someone you know has been hurt deeply by hypocrisy within the Church.

In American Church culture, why is it so prevalent that we single out certain “things”? Some Christians have an easier time critiquing lifestyles that are different to their own, including the lifestyles of their brothers and sisters of the same faith. We are often the first to say, “Well, I would never do that,” while failing to take responsibility for our own downfalls. It is far easier to look outward, rather than inward. In reality, all sin is equal in the sight of God. To an extent, we can hide our lust, bitterness, jealousy, greed, and hatred from the watchful eyes of others. We weigh these inward heart issues against those who have different outward sins, and we judge our lifestyle as “more acceptable.” This hypocrisy problem is not a new one, in fact, we can read about in the Bible. Jesus often exposed it when dealing with the Pharisees.

Personally, I believe the Bible is God’s perfect, inerrant, infallible, and profound Word to humanity. The Bible contains God’s instructions on how we should live. He gives us commands because we desperately need help – kinda like how a toddler needs help getting dressed, only our circumstance is much more severe. As humans, we find ourselves stuck in a SIN dilemma. I know, I know… none of us like that word, but it’s the reason God sent His Son to die in our place. He knew we needed saving. He knew we needed help.

So, what is sin? In a very simple definition: sin is the crossing of lines that God doesn’t want us to cross. This is where it gets tricky. The Bible gives us clear instructions on what sin is, but there are numerous “grey-areas” that people love to debate. That’s not what I want to talk about in this post though… I believe an area often debated but clearly outlined in God’s Word is the conversation around ALCOHOL. This is a topic where Christians fall across the spectrum – ranging from total acceptance to complete avoidance of the use of alcohol.

Here are my personal convictions regarding alcohol:

- I believe drinking in order to get drunk, or drinking so much that one does get drunk, is wrong.

- I believe that obeying the law of the government is a fundamental Christian principle. Therefore, I believe it is wrong for anyone underage to drink alcohol without parental consent and supervision (according to the law).

My opinion doesn’t really matter though… that’s the point.

Alcohol is discussed throughout the scriptures, and it’s plainly stated that the moderate (or responsible) consumption of alcohol is not prohibited (Deut 11:13-14; 14:22-26; 1 Chr 12:39-40; Luke 7:33-34; 1 Tim 3:8; 5:23). On the other hand, God is direct and notes several times throughout the Bible that it is a sin to drink irresponsibly and become drunk. It is a sin to abuse our freedom and to cause others to stumble (Rom 13:13; 14:13-23; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:18; 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 2:3; 1 Pet 4:3-4). The freedom to drink alcohol, combined with these warnings against it, leads to varying thoughts and opinions. But we can say with confidence: the responsible consumption and use of alcohol is no sin.

Let’s be clear… just because something is not a sin does not mean we should do it or that we have to do it. This is the beauty of the freedom that Christ offers! We can have personal opinions, preferences, and convictions. I understand and encourage not participating in speech or behavior that will jeopardize or hurt your testimony and the Body of Christ. We must all use wisdom, discretion, and common sense when it comes to these things. BUT (here’s the kicker, get ready) just because we choose to do something (or choose not to do something), does not mean everyone else shares this same conviction and must do what we do. AND we absolutely cannot judge others if they don’t “fall in line” with our preferences (1 Cor 8; Rom 14-15). It is true that our words and actions should reflect the nature and image of Christ, but our outwardly appearance is not the only thing that matters.

In American Church Culture, there is – in my opinion – an unhealthy, theologically wrong, negative stigma tied to alcohol (along with a handful of other select activities) that is built on a pride rooted in self-image. For a long time, Christians (including pastors, church staff, and leaders within churches) have targeted the act of simply drinking alcohol as a sin or as something that if done, should not be done in public… but can BE done behind closed doors. This is where the “obsessed-with-self-image” and faulty theology problem comes into play. Jesus died so we could have freedom (Gal 5:1-6). There is no freedom in believing an activity, such as consuming alcohol, is permissible… but only believing it is permissible if no one sees. That is not true freedom.

Finally, let’s talk about fried chicken and sex!

I think most of us (especially those of us that grew up in the south) would say, “fried chicken is a GOOD THING…AMEN!” We would say that there is no way that eating fried chicken could ever be associated with sin. As much as I hate to say it, because I am a fried chicken lover myself, the crispy, golden, flavor packed food staple that we all love can be abused and used in the same harmful manner as alcohol that leads to sin… i.e. gluttony: excessive eating. Gluttony is a sin, but it is one that is conveniently not really talked about in American Christian Culture, especially considering we live in the 12th most obesity prevalent country in the entire world (World Population Review). Eating fried chicken is not a sin on its own, just like drinking alcohol is not a sin. They both can become sinful if abused and used irresponsibly. (Pro 23:20-21, 25:16, 1 Cor. 3:16-17, Phil. 3:18-19).

Now for the sex talk… just kidding. But on a serious note, sex is a gift from God that is designed for a husband and wife to enjoy together. Something I bet not all of us have considered, however, is that sex within a marriage can actually become sinful under certain circumstances when it is misused. Sex was created by God to be a positive byproduct of marriage that we get to enjoy. It is not the singular goal of marriage. However, couples can begin to look at their spouse as an object. This can lead to their spouse simply becoming a means to an end. In these cases, sex can also become an idol. In addition, married couples can also use sex as a manipulation tactic or a pawn to get something they want. These are just a few examples.

I’m not going to pretend that I know everything there is to know about marriage, but there is a lot more to it than just physical intimacy, which is contrary to what a lot of young Christians think…

So, alcohol, fried chicken, and sex…how does all of this tie together? There is an underlying theme in this post, if you haven’t already picked up on it: Just about anything “good” can become bad if used in excess or incorrectly. We should all stand for our personal convictions, but it’s not our place to judge and condescendingly impose these personal convictions onto others.

Don’t get me wrong, there is an appropriate time and place to encourage, correct, and help those around us to walk towards spiritual maturity. Discipline and correction are necessary in every aspect of life, but judgment, gaslighting, and guilt tripping have no place in the life of a Christ follower. We have to ask the hard question, “Am I speaking out of love and care for this person or out of pride, fear, anger, or self-preservation?”

To those that struggle with misusing alcohol, sex, or food… there is hope, and His name is Jesus. Your struggles don't define you. God loves us so much that He says, “Come as you are.” But He also loves us too much to keep us where we are. Faith is a journey, and as we age both physically and spiritually, our beliefs, and convictions will also probably change and develop to reflect our experiences over the years. Though we change, our God remains the same. His Word and Biblical Principles will last the test of time.

To those that struggle with judgement… there is hope, and His name is Jesus. We have all been the “Pharisee” at some point in time. I am guilty of this as well… We, as THE CHURCH, must repent of the times we look to pick the speck out of our neighbor’s eye while ignoring the tree trunk in ours. We must make it a habit to walk in the grace that is given to us through Christ.

Here’s some encouragement before you go: There is freedom in the name of Jesus. God’s love is one that not only reaches to the “cookie-cutter-picture-perfect” life (plot twist… there isn’t one), but it’s one that is extended to people of ALL WALKS OF LIFE! And remember this – in God’s eyes, no one is perfect, everyone is welcome, and anything is possible!