“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:  and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov. 22:1).  There are four elements of this verse that need to be considered by all:  The Drinks, The Dangers, The Deception, and The Deceived.

          Let’s begin by briefly examining “The Drinks.”  The drinks under consideration are referred to as “wine” (yayin) and “strong drink” (shekir).  Both of these drinks were beverages that contain alcohol.  This is very clear from the context.  Wine was less intoxicating than strong drink.  It shows that in Old Testament times intoxicating beverages came in numerous varieties.

          The same is true of alcoholic beverages today.  There are drinks that are considered to be less intoxicating:  beer, wine, and wine coolers.  Then, there is “strong drink” that involves such things as straight whiskey, rum, vodka, etc.  The amount of alcohol varies from drink to drink.  The point of the wise sage in Proverbs 20:1 is to alert individuals to the dangers of all intoxicating beverages.

          Next, the inspired penman sets forth “The Dangers” of alcoholic drinks.  The dangers are manifested in two words:  “mocker” and “raging.”  The word “mocker” means “to make mouths at.”  It involves mocking, scorning, and derision.  When all is said and done, wine sits back and laughs at those who use it.  The word “raging” means “to bring great commotion and tumult.”  It also carries the definition of “to be troubled” and “to be in an uproar.”  Strong drink stirs up one’s peaceful life.  It causes a person’s life to be tossed to and fro like a ship in the midst of a turbulent storm.

          As a person studies Bible history, he finds numerous examples wherein alcoholic beverages caused trouble for those who used them.  In Genesis 9:20-21, we read:  “And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:  and he drank of the wine, and was drunken and he was uncovered in his tent.”  His drunken state and physical appearance was not handled well by one of his sons.  Because of it, he was cursed by his father (Gen. 9:25).  As wine looked at this unfortunate circumstance, it laughed in derision.

          Another example of the dangers of intoxicating drinks is found in Genesis 19:30-38.  Lot and his daughters had fled from the destruction of Sodom and dwelled in a cave in a mountain.  The firstborn daughter was concerned about not having a child.  Thus, she and her sister developed a plan to have children by their father.  The plan involved getting Lot drunk.  While in his drunken stupor, the daughters would lie with him.   The plan worked.  Two sons were born to Lot’s daughters, Moab and Benammi.  These two sons produced the nations of Moab and Ammon, two idolatrous nations.  These nations would become a thorn in Israel’s side for years to come.  The wars, the temptations, and the struggles that Israel faced because of them prove that strong drink can rage through our lives like a hurricane rages through a small island in the midst of the sea.

          Many people in our society could attest to the serious dangers that alcohol has brought to their lives.

–      Homes have been broken by divorce

–      Wives have been abused

–      Children have been neglected and abused

–      Financial ruin

–      Damaged property

–      Crimes committed

–      Imprisonment

–      Death of innocent men, women, and children

–      Ruined health

–      Precious souls lost to a devil’s hell

Each one of the things listed above could be studied in great detail.  Statistics could be brought forth that would prove many times over that wine and strong drink have mocked millions and have stormed through the lives of countless multitudes like a tornado on a stormy night.

          Many individuals will not heed these warnings about the dangers of alcohol.  They like the taste of alcohol.  They like the initial effects of alcohol on their mind and body.  They like to associate with their friends and relatives who drink.  In their minds, they believe that none of the things we mentioned above will happen to them.  This is exactly what alcohol wants a person to believe.  The writer of Proverbs 20:1 is clear when he tells us that alcohol is “The Deceiver.”

          Jill was happily married to Craig for seven years.  They had a 4 year old daughter who was their gift from God.  Jill and Craig were Christians.  They seldom missed Bible class or worship services.  They were diligent workers within their congregation.  In fact, Craig was a deacon.

          Jill and Craig had a secret.  They both enjoyed social drinking.  From time to time, they would go to their friends’ houses and drink beer, wine, and mixed drinks.  If they went out for a nice dinner, drinks were always included on the tab.  They were convinced drinking would not harm them. 

          In time, Jill started to see some changes in Craig’s behavior.  He would come home later from work.  He would get up at night and be gone from bed for an hour or two.  On the weekends, Craig would slip off to his friends’ houses in order to have some “guy time.”  Slowly Craig became addicted to alcohol.  Jill discovered all of the avenues of his drinking problem.  She asked him to get help.  Craig refused.  Their relationship became strained and distant.  Craig eventually found himself in a relationship with a co-worker.  He divorced Jill.  He married the other woman.  He quit attending church services.  He sees his daughter every other week.  What Jill and Craig thought would never occur happened.  The storm of strong drink raged through their lives.  Devastation was left behind.  And, the liquor laughed at them both.

          Jill and Craig became part of a group of people called “The Deceived.”  The writer of Proverbs calls them “not wise.”  Another term that describes these individuals is “fools.”  The evils of alcohol are well known to them.  The containers of alcohol are well marked and labelled.  Yet, these individuals proceed to drink the dangerous liquid.  They continue to believe the lie that they can escape the storm of devastation created by intoxicants.  They, however, do not.  Their lives are ripped asunder by what they believed was harmless. 

My friend, if this is you, you are not wise.  Please give up your wine and strong drink before they make a fool out of you.  Give heed to the words of the apostle Paul found in Ephesians 5:18:  “And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.”

Truth has certain characteristics by which it can be identified.  Many skeptics of truth deny there is a “truth.”  Others say that we can know for sure.  However, consider what the Bible says about itself concerning truth:

1.     Truth is absolute.  2 John 1:9  “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”

2.     Truth is knowable.  Ephesians 5:17  “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”  John 8:30  “As he spake these words, many believed on him.”

3.     Truth is do-able.  Acts 6:7  “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”  Hebrews 10:36  “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

4.     Truth is synonymous with the word… John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.”

5.     Biblical truth is inspired.  2 Timothy 3:16-17  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

6.     Truth is beautiful because it produces a beautiful life.  1 Peter 3:10-12  “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:  (11)  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.  (12)  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

7.     Truth illuminates.  Psalms 119:105  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Hebrews 10:32  “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;”

8.     Truth is militant.  Ephesians 6:17  “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

9.     Truth is objective, not subjective.  It came down from above. 1 Peter 1:12  “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

10.  Truth is final.  Jude 1:3  “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.”

Truth and error is not the same thing.  Error will never turn into truth no matter how many years pass.  Though error is practiced by many, it does not become truth by majority rule.  Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7:13).  Error will die with its worshippers, while truth will yield is desired fruit, the salvation of mankind.  Let us heed every word of it.

     There are some scholars and preachers within the church who are confused about the date of the establishment of the church.  They teach that the church of Christ rose of out the Restoration Movement of the late 1700s and early 1800s.  To hear them tell it, the church of Christ did not exist prior to this time period.  In a tract entitled, “What You Can Expect When You Visit the Church of Christ,” Joe R. Barnett begins his discussion with “a brief description of our background.”  He writes:  “We are part of ‘The Restoration Movement.’”  In the book, Decades of Destiny, edited by Lindy Adams and Scott LaMascus, we read the following on page 21:

            “In New England, Elias Smith and Abner Jones rejected the Calvinism of their Baptist heritage and began establishing Christian churches in the early 1800s.  A few years later in Tennessee, a group of Presbyterians, led by Finis Ewing, Samuel King, and Samuel McAdaw, also rejected Calvinism and formed the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  It would be three other Presbyterians who would lead in forming the movement that produced the Churches of Christ.”

The word that troubles us in the above quote is the word “produced.”  Did three Presbyterians form a movement that produced the churches of Christ?  Some seem to think so.

            The reality is that the church of Christ was produced, established, and built on the earth in the first century.  The precise date of its establishment is the first Pentecost following our Lord’s resurrection.  Peter and the other apostles preached the gospel for the first time on that day (Acts 2:14, 22).  Those who gladly received their words were baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38, 41).  At that point, they were saved (Mark 16:16).  The Lord added these saved ones to the church.  “Praising God, and having favour with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). 

            To which church were these individuals added?  Not a single denomination existed at the time.  Jesus, however, had promised to build “His” church.  At Caesarea Philipp, He said:  “And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).  Surely, this was the church to which the saved on Pentecost were added.  Romans 16:16 confirms this to be the case.  Paul wrote:  “Salute one another with an holy kiss.  The churches of Christ salute you.”  If the church of Christ existed in the first century, it is impossible for three Presbyterians to have produced it in the 1800s.

            Those who believe that the church of Christ is a development of the Restoration Movement also fail to understand the “seed” principle with regard to the kingdom.  Plants exist in different forms.  One of these forms is seed.  Corn, cotton, beans, squash, peas, okra, and tomatoes begin each farming season as seed.  When these seeds are planted in the ground and are properly cared for, they bring forth fruit after their kind.  Tomato seeds produce tomatoes.  Cotton seeds produce cotton.  As long as the seeds exist, the produce exists.  This principle holds true in the spiritual realm also.  In Luke 8:11, Jesus said:  “Now the parable is this:  the seed is the word of God.”  God’s Word is the seed of the kingdom.  It is planted into the soil, that is, the hearts of mankind.  In good soil, its fruit is produced (Luke 8:15).  In the first century, the seed of God’s Word produced Christians, members of the church of Christ.  If that seed is planted today, it will produce exactly the same thing.  It is important to understand that as long as the seed exists, the church also exists in seed form.  Jesus declared:  “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35).  If Jesus’ words are true, then the church has, and always will, exist, at least in seed form.  Thus, the men of the Restoration Movement did not “produce” the church of Christ.  They merely planted the incorruptible seed of God’s Word into the hearts of honest hearers and the church grew from its seed form into its mature state.

            There are far too many within the churches of Christ that view the church as Christ as a denomination among many.  They see it as the product of man’s efforts.  They do not see it as the one and only body of Christ (Eph. 4:4; Col. 1:18).  They fail to see it as the wisdom of God that existed in God’s mind from eternity (Eph. 3:8-11).  We wonder if they believe that the church of Christ is the divine institution that was purchased by the precious blood of Christ (Acts 20:28).  Dear readers, the church of Christ is not of man-made origin.  It is not the result of the studies of good men of the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  The church of Christ is a divine institution that was established on earth on Pentecost Day as recorded in Acts 2!

More and more alleged Christians are ignoring words of the Bible that are not printed in red. They suggest that God’s people should focus more on Christ’s teaching than the writings of “ordinary men” like Paul. This attitude has really penetrated Christendom as more people are attempting to justify homosexuality using the Bible. The argument suggests that because Jesus never personally condemned homosexuality and instead focused on love, that Jesus has no issues with the LGBT agenda. However, there are at least two major problems with this line of thinking.

First, people are forgetting that the words in red were written by ordinary men as well. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the men who wrote the four gospels which are filled with the words of Christ. In addition, Paul quotes Jesus as well in his letters (2 Cor 12:9). Therefore, to suggest that the words of Christ require more respect than any other words in the text is to misunderstand the way God used man to pen His will (2 Pet 1:20-21).

Secondly, Jesus often references comments that are not direct quotations from God or Christ as being His Word. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 19:4-5, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” (KJV). Interestingly, Jesus is referencing a statement made by Moses in Genesis 2:24 that is narrative in nature. Why would Jesus reference that “he”, being God, actually said that marriage worked in this manner even though an ordinary man, Moses, was the one to write them down? The truth of the matter is that anything written by inspired men constitutes being a direct quote from God.

To suggest that the words of the Bible written in black are second to the words written in red is foolishness. This line of thinking denotes a lack of understanding in the penmanship of the Word as well as its nature. Everything written in the sixty six books of the Bible is “given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim 3:16). Therefore, if the scripture teaches anywhere in the New Testament, our binding law today, that homosexuality or anything else is contrary to God’s will, then it is as true as though Christ spoke it Himself. In fact, it would mean that He did.

As Christ journeyed to Jerusalem He came upon a village plagued with leprosy. When He arrived He saw ten lepers who carefully kept their distance from the Lord. They cried out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13 KJV). He told them to go to the priests and as they did all ten of them were healed. However, only one of them was spiritually made whole. When the other nine walked away after being healed, only the one turned and gave thanks to the Master. Jesus questioned him regarding the other nine and told him he was made whole by his faith (17:17-19). The other nine could have claimed to be grateful but only the one who showed it was accepted by Christ.

Thanksgiving may be a holiday that comes around once each year, but it is something Christians should practice daily. This includes more than claiming to be thankful in speech or in prayer. Notice the leper did not just turn around and speak words. He supplemented those words by throwing his entire body at the feet of Christ. That is the moment the Lord describes him as “giving him thanks” (17:16). Claiming to be thankful to the Lord is one thing. Proving that gratitude in a lifestyle is something totally different. The inference in this passage is that Christ condemned the other nine and received the faith of only the one.

This account is very symbolic and practical in the lives of Christians today. Leprosy was an incurable disease that destroyed the physical body. Sin is an incurable disease that destroys our spiritual body. The nine thought they were healed, but truly their greatest ailment had not yet been cleansed. Sincere gratitude was reflected in the decision of the one to lay down his life at the feet of Christ. That is the measure of a thankful heart today. Therefore, every individual must ask the question, “Am I one of the nine or am I the one?”