Gospel

God, Wine, and You

by Volodya S
02/05/16
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    The Bible records positive things about wine. For example, in the Old Testament, we read that God gave wine that “makes glad the heart of man” (Psalm 104:14-15). Being able to plant vineyards and to drink wine derived from them was a sign of God’s blessing (Amos 9:14). In Ecclesiastes 9:7, King Solomon instructs, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart.” In the New Testament, Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding celebration (John 2:1-11).
     Though the Bible speaks of wine in such terms, it also cautions against drunkenness, addiction, and impaired judgment that results in its misuse and abuse (Ephesians 5:18, Proverbs 23:29-35) which is a sin against God. In fact, the Bible warns that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10). So why did God give wine to mankind? The apostle Paul, in Acts 14:17, states that the good gifts of God such as rain, harvest, and food, bear witness to the fact that God is good and kind toward all of his creation. The goodness of God should lead people to repent, that is, to have a change of mind about their relationship with God, but instead they worship the gifts of God instead of the God of the gifts.                               
     Knowing that you and I would be bent away from him, God had a plan from eternity to bring us back to a right relationship with him. Two-thousand years ago, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to the earth to die on the cross in our place and to bear the penalty that our sins deserved. But Jesus did not stay dead, but rose again victoriously from the dead on the third day. Because Jesus conquered the grave and death, whoever puts their full trust in him as their only Savior and Lord, will be forgiven all of their sins and be given the free gift of eternal life. This is the gospel, or good news friend, and I hope you will embrace it, so that you too may have fellowship with our Creator, who has not only given you the good gift of wine, but offers you a gift that lasts for all eternity.