Bible Questions Answered:
“If someone is an alcoholic but says
he knows god, will he go to heaven?...”
Emma/ Red Deer, British Columbia
Canada
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
The question before us is, may a
alcoholic enter heaven? Yes, and No.
If a person who is an alcoholic repents
of their sin and turns to The Lord Jesus as The Savior, Yes, they
will enter heaven.
If a person who is an alcoholic does
not repent (about face), of their sin, and does not turn to The Lord
Jesus as The Savior, No, they will not enter heaven.
Speaking of heaven.....
Revelation 21:27 KJV
And there shall in no wise enter
into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh
abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the
Lamb's book of life.
Acts 17:30 NLT
God...commands everyone everywhere
to repent of their sins and turn to Him.
Is there a sin so evil, God will not
forgive it, only the sin of absolute rejection.
Matthew 19:26 KJV
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto
them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are
possible.
Alcoholism is a
growing problem, in our world. When this pastor grew up, in the 40's
and 50's the drinker was a greasy questionable character that
frequented the saloon at the end of town.
The enemy of our
souls was far from content with that scene. Today, advertisement on
TV, road signs, etc. show beautiful young people lifting a golden
glass of intoxication. How happy they seem, what a great time they
are having, unfortunately the things not seen are the lost jobs, the broken families and lost lives, alcohol has left its consumers.
U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services
Today alcohol is
involved in 37% of all traffic deaths among persons aged 16 to 20.
Analysis by NIH
scientists indicate that over 70% of people in crashes caused by
alcohol met alcohol dependence criteria, but most have never been
arrested or received treatment.
NIH studies
revealed that young people who began drinking before age 15 are four
times more likely to develop alcohol dependence during their lifetime
than those who began drinking at age 21 or later.
Those that drank
before age 15 are also seven times more likely to report having been
in a traffic crash because of drinking both during adolescence and
adulthood.
NBC
News
Alcohol abuse kills
some 75,000 Americans each year and shortens the lives of these
people by an average of 30 years, a U.S. government study suggested
Thursday.
The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, which published the study, estimated
that 34,833 people in 2001 died from cirrhosis of the liver, cancer
and other diseases linked to drinking too much beer, wine and
spirits.
Another 40,933 died
from car crashes and other mishaps caused by excessive alcohol use.
Researchers
considered any man who averaged more than two drinks per day or more
than four drinks per occasion to be an excessive drinker. For women
it was more than one drink per day or more than three drinks per
occasion.
What warning did
the Apostle Paul give?
I Corinthians
6:9,10 NLT
9 Don’t you realize that those who
do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool
yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or
commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
10 or are thieves, or greedy people,
or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of
these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:21
NLT
19 When you follow the desires of
your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality,
impurity, lustful pleasures,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility,
quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition,
dissension, division,
21 envy, drunkenness, wild
parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I
have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit
the Kingdom of God.
Hebrews 4:7 KJV
"...To day if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts.
Isaiah 40:29 KJV
He giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might He increaseth strength.
James 4:8-10 KJV
8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw
nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts,
ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:
let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight
of The Lord, and He shall lift you up.
