2006 Issue 1 - Drug Abuse and the Bible - Counsel of Chalcedon

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The Bible makes careful distinctions with reference to the taking of drugs.First, drugs may be used for medicinal purpose — No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments, I Timothy 5:23.Second, God graciously gave man wine for the Lord’s Supper, celebration, pleasure, satisfying thirst and general physical-emotional-spiritual health. However, with this gift of wine God has given us several warnings regarding its use. Leaders in home, church and state should not let wine blur their thinking and their ability to lead wisely, Proverbs 31:4-5. Also, drunkenness is a heinous sin — Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise, Proverbs 20:1.

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the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 3
...wine is a mocker,
strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is
intoxicated by it is not
wise.
Proverbs 20:1
Drug ABuse
AnD The BIBle
By
Joe Morecraft, III
I. THE BIBLE’S DISTINCTIONS
AND PROHIBITIONS
REGARDING DRUG USE
The Bi bl e makes careful distinctions with
reference to the taking of drugs.
Fi rst, drugs may be used for medicinal
purpose—No l onger drink water excl usivel y, but
use a l i ttl e wi ne for the sake of your stomach
and your frequent ail ments, I Timothy 5:23.
Second, God graciousl y gave man wine for
the Lord’s Supper, cel ebration
1
,
pl easure
2
, sati sfyi ng thirst and
general physi cal -emotional -
spi ri tual heal th
3
. However, with
thi s gi ft of wi ne God has given
us several warni ngs regarding its
use. Leaders i n home, church
and state shoul d not l et wine bl ur
thei r thi nki ng and their abil ity to
l ead wi sel y, Proverbs 31:4-5. Al so,
drunkenness i s a heinous sin—
Wi ne i s a mocker, strong drink a brawl er, and
whoever i s i ntoxi cated by it is not wise, Proverbs
20:1.


Psalm 04:5—And wine which makes man’s heart glad, so that
he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man’s
heart.
John :0—At the marriage reception in Cana, after the wine was
all gone, Jesus miraculously turned water into more wine. When the
head waiter tasted this wine, he said to the bridegroom: Every man
serves the good wine frst, and when men have drunk freely, then that
which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now.
Proverbs :6-7—Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and
wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty,
and remember his trouble no more.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste [search out] mixed wine.
Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly;
At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things,
And your mind will utter perverse things.
And you will be like one who lies down in the middle
of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a
mast.
“They struck me, but I did not become ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it.
When shall I awake?
I will seek another drink.” (Proverbs
23:29-35)
In fact, I Corinthians 6: 10 tel l s
us that …drunkards…shal l [not]
inherit the kingdom of God.
Further more, God warns us about usi ng wi ne
unwisel y and for purposes for which i t was
not given—”I expl ored with my mind how to
stimul ate my body with wine whil e my mi nd
was guiding me wisel y, and how to take hol d of
fol l y, until I coul d see what good there i s for the
sons of men to do under heaven the few years
of their l ives,” Eccl esiastes 2:3. When wi ne and
strong drink are used as the source of happi ness
or to dul l a person mental l y to al l the mysteri es,
pressures and joys of l ife, it simpl y does not
work. When a person seeks contentment,
happiness and meaning in wine, he wi l l always
come up empty.
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
Joe Morecraft
Thi rd, wi th the exception of the moderate
use of wi ne and the medicinal use of drugs,
the New Testament pl aces drug use in the
same category wi th drunkenness, as sinful
and therefore forbidden. The Greek word
for such drug use is phar makeia from which
we get our word, phar macy. In Gal atians
5: 20 i t i s transl ated “sorcery” ( in the KJV
“wi tchcraft”) —Now the deeds of the f l esh are
evi dent, whi ch are…sorcery…drunkenness, and
thi ngs l i ke these, of which I forewarn you just as
I have forewarned you that those who practice
such thi ngs shal l not inherit the kingdom of
God, Gal ati ans 5:19-21. In Revel ation 9:21
i t i s “sorceri es”: …and they did not repent
of thei r murders nor of their sorceries nor of
thei r i mmoral i ty… And 18:23, it is transl ated
“sorcery”: …and the l ight of a l amp wil l not
shi ne i n you any l onger; and the voice of the
bri degroom and bride wil l not be heard in you
any l onger; for your merchants were the great
men of the earth, because al l the nations were
decei ved by your sorcery… In Revel ation 21:8
phar makeus i s transl ated “sorcerers”: But for
the cowardl y and unbel ieving and abominabl e
and murders and immoral persons and sorcerers
and i dol aters and al l l iars, their part wil l be
i n the l ake that burns with fire and brimstone,
whi ch i s the second death. And Revel ation 22: 15
phar makos i s al so “sorcerers”: Outside are the
dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons
and the murderers and the idol aters, and
everyone who l oves and practices l ying.
Standard Greek l exicons give phar makeia’s
fi rst defi ni ti on as “the use or the administering
of drugs. ” The second definition is given
as “poi soni ng, ” and the third definition as
“sorcery” or “wi tchcraft.” The best Greek
word, then, to describe the practices of our
modern drug cul ture is phar makeia.
II. THE DANGERS OF ILLICIT
DRUG USE AND ABUSE
Drug use i s excl uded because it is designed to
bri ng about the one state—brain fog—which is
condemned as a l awl ess appl ication of al cohol .
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess,
but be fi l l ed wi th the Spirit. [Speaking of the
ef fects of drunkenness, Proverbs 23:33-35 says:
“Your eyes wil l see strange things, and your
mind wil l utter perverse things. And you wi l l be
l ike one who l ies down in the middl e of the sea,
or l ike one who l ies down on the top of a mast.
“They struck me, but I did not know i t. When
shal l I awake? I wil l seek another dri nk. ”]
Al though drug use has one l awful use
[medicinal ], when taken in unl awful ways it
may stil l be used in the hands of a sovereign
God to show a man how usel ess l ife is. The
pursuit of wine by Sol omon [in Eccl esiastes
2:3] brought him exactl y to this point. In
our day, the same thing commonl y happens.
Many have sought to figure out some kind
of meaning for l ife through the ingestion
of various substances. Whether this better-
l iving-through-chemistry approach comes
through l iquid, smoke, needl e, or straw, the
resul t is always a vacuum. A fool wil l always
find various ways to dig his way down, but
when he gets there he is always at the bottom
of a hol e.- Dougl as Wil son, JOY AT THE
END OF THE TETHER, pp. 26,27
Various powerful drugs stronger than LSD were
avail abl e to the ancient Hebrews. At l east four
are mentioned in the Bibl e, i.e., wor mwood,
heml ock, gal l and myrrh; and marijuana ashes
were found in a fourth-century tomb, and some
documentations of marijuana use date as far
back as the 19
th
century, B.C. None of these
drugs were used by Bibl ical prophets to i nduce
visions from God. None of God’s prophets ever
used them to get revel ation from God.
No one has the right to put himsel f at the
mercy of a chemical that opens the door of
the mind to the spirit worl d outside of Christ’s
l oving protection. -- The use of drugs to
put us into contact with the spirit worl d [or
to enhance our spiritual ity or to sharpen our
sensitivity to God or to intensify spiritual joy]
is something that God hates with a hol y anger
because it brings such deep spiritual damage
to the soul s He entrusted to us.- Winkie
Pratney, A HANDBOOK FOR FOLLOWERS
OF JESUS
Let me share with you some of my observati ons
of men and young men who have tri ed to j usti fy
their drug use. Their countenance changes
4
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 5
Drug Abuse and The Bible
from di gni ty to “sl ouchiness.” They l ose
wi sdom and i ni ti ative and basical l y stal l out in
l i fe as far as thei r cal l ing, sense of purpose and
pl anni ng for the future are concerned. They
become compromised in their Christian outl ook
on l i fe, l osi ng much of their discernment
concerni ng truth and fal sehood, good and evil ,
wi sdom and fool i shness. They become restl ess
and unstabl e. They become seductabl e to other
si ns, especi al l y drunkenness. Their maturity
stagnates. They l ose much of their sense of
duty and responsi bil ity. Their spiritual ity
shri vel s up. Thei r interest in spiritual things
wanes, except perhaps on an intel l ectual l evel .
They become arrogant and resistant to any
cri ti ci sm or counsel regarding their l ifestyl e.
Thei r Chri sti an testimony among their friends
and peers i s rui ned; and their inf l uence on
younger boys becomes evil and
har mful , as those l ess mature
fol l ow i n thei r tracks, trying to
wi n thei r favor and approval ,
or tryi ng to obtai n drugs from
them. Soon, i n the things
they are i nterested in, and in
thei r l i festyl e and appearance,
they i denti fy wi th those who
are overt rebel s against God,
rather than wi th those who are
stri vi ng to l i ve i nnocent and
pure l i ves unspotted by the
worl d. They l earn to l ive two
l i ves, one before their parents,
and another wi th their fel l ow travel ers. They
become experts at l iving a l ie. The l onger they
del ay i n repenti ng of those sins, incl uding the
si n of thei r drug use, the farther downward
thei r l i ves spi ral , until they become capabl e
of si ns they once thought they never woul d
commi t.
Ki ng Sol omon tri ed this kind of l ife and
found i t stri vi ng after the wind. And, if I
have descri bed you, I woul d encourage you
as i ntensel y as I know how, to wake up, to
humbl e yoursel f, and to repent of trying to
fi nd happi ness i n drugs or al cohol . Why?
Revel ati on 22: 14-15 answers: Bl essed are those
who wash thei r robes, that they may have the
ri ght to the tree of l ife, and may enter by the
gates i nto the ci ty. Outside are the dogs and
the sorcerers [phar makoi, i.e., drug takers] and
the immoral persons and the murderers and the
idol aters, and everyone who l oves and practi ces
l ying.
III. THE REASONS FOR THE
BIBLE’S CONDEMNATION OF
DRUG USE AS SINFUL
What are the reasons for the Bibl e’s
condemnation of drug use as sinful ?
First, drug use grows out of a desire to pl ay
God and to recreate God’s good real i ty. It i s
a del iberate distortion of God’s good real i ty—
God saw everything that He had made, and
indeed it was very good, Genesis 1:31. It i s
an attempt to recreate the
worl d according to one’s own
needs and pl easures, i nstead
of l iving in it, understandi ng
and appreciating it “as i s, ” wi th
al l its created goodness and
fal l enness. It is an arrogant
attempt to pl ay God, to escape
or redefine God’s worl d i n a
way that makes it “better. ”
Such distortion of real i ty by
drugs is of the same speci es as
Picasso’s distortion of real i ty
on canvass, and of the same
motive: to be as God.
The reason phar makeia is often transl ated
“sorcery” is because “al tering real ity for
any reason other than medicinal purposes
is, according to the Bibl e, a for m of sorcery.
This assertion may sound extreme to you, but
consider God’s original intent for manki nd.
God, when He created Adam and Eve, created
[them] in His own image, Genesis 1: 26-27.
He created man as a sel f-conscious, sel f-
ref l ective being. God gave man very sensi ti ve
perception. God gave man physical , emoti onal ,
rational , empirical and spiritual capabi l i ti es,
so that man coul d have dominion over the
earth, Genesis 1:28. -- God created Adam
and Eve to l ove and serve Him, with a certai n
consciousness and real ity. Al tering that real i ty
is a rejection of the very nature in whi ch God
created man. It amounts to saying that God’s
God created Adam and
Eve to love and serve
Him, with a certain
consciousness and reality.
Altering that reality is a
rejection of the very nature
in which God created man.
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 6
Joe Morecraft
created consci ousness is defective and needs
fi ni te human al terations.”- Bryan Schwertl ey,
“Drugs, ” http://www.reformed.com/pub/drugs.htm
Sorcerers used “organic drugs from pl ants,
ani mal s, mol ds, etc., to make potions and
poi sons. -- The sorcerer gained power
over others by usi ng drugs to al ter their
consci ousness. Drugs were used for the purpose
of seducti on. They were al so used to bring
peopl e i nto sl avery and bondage. Sorcerers,
both anci ent and modern, have not sought
domi ni on through obedience to Christ and His
Law, but through mysticism, chaos and al chemy.
The modern drug user, whether he is aware of it
or not, wi l l be condemned by God as a sorcerer.
-- God says that drug abusers are wicked. Drug
abusers wi l l be cast into the l ake of fire and
bri mstone…And they wil l be tor mented day and
ni ght forever and ever, Revel ation 20: 10. The
person who gets high is rejecting God’s created
real i ty. He i s rej ecting the meaning that God
has given to al l factual ity. Creating one’s own
autonomous real i ty through drugs is a for m of
i dol atry. God’s creation, even after the fal l ,
cl earl y presses upon the sinner the truth of
God’s exi stence, power and attributes, Romans
1:18-21. The si nner takes refuge in a drug-
i nduced i l l usi on, a fal se real ity.”- Schwertl ey,
“Drugs”
Second, drug use is l ike drunkenness in that it
i s i ntoxi cati on, i . e., to be temporaril y control l ed
physi cal l y and mental l y by a drug, rather than
by the Hol y Spi ri t of God—And be not drunk
wi th wi ne, wherei n in excess [dissipation]; but
be fi l l ed wi th the Spirit, Ephesians 5: 18. The
apostl e Paul wrote in I Corinthians 6: 12—Al l
thi ngs are l awful for me, but not al l things are
profi tabl e. Al l thi ngs are l awful for me, but I
wi l l not be mastered by anything.
Al l recreati onal drug use intoxicates, but in
di f ferent ways:
Drug dependence is a state of psychol ogical
or physi cal dependence, or both, which
resul ts from chronic, periodic, or continuous
use. - Nati onal Cl earinghouse for Drug Abuse
Infor mati on ( NCDAI)
Addictive drugs are those upon which a user
may become physiol ogical l y and psychol ogi cal l y
dependent. Addiction is a physical dependence
on a drug. As a user devel ops tol erance, he
requires l arger and l arger amounts of the drug
to produce the same ef fect.
Habituating drugs are those which cause
psychol ogical dependence. “Habituati on i s
the psychol ogical desire to repeat the use of a
drug inter mittentl y or continuousl y because of
emotional reasons.”- NCDAI
If we are goi ng to have a Bi bl i cal vi ew of
i ntoxi cati on by al cohol or drug addiction, it
must al so be poi nted out that addi ction or
dependence i s not a di sease, as drunkenness is
not a di sease. Someti mes si n does feel l ike a
di sease that has taken control of a person. The
probl em, i n the fi nal anal ysi s, i s spi ritual not
physi cal or psychol ogi cal . The Bi bl ical viewpoint
of si n i s that at one and the same ti me, a sinner
i s both “hopel essl y out of control and shrewdl y
cal cul ati ng or purposeful , vi cti mi zed yet moral l y
responsi bl e. ”- Ed Wel ch, “Devel opi ng a Theol ogy
of Drug Abuse, ” BIBLICAL MEDICAL ETHICS,
Vol . 4 No. 4, p. 2.
What a breath of fresh ai r to anyone struggl ing
wi th substance abuse. No l onger must peopl e
wai t for a medi cal mi racl e. Instead, in their
hel pl essness they can fol l ow Paul ’s strategy in
Romans 8. He i mpl ores us to acknowl edge our
need to be rescued, l ook away from oursel ves
and to Jesus, rej oi ce i n the fact that there is no
condemnati on, and set out to be control l ed by the
Spi ri t.
Thi s means that ‘ addi cts’ are no di f ferent than
oursel ves. We are fel l ow i dol aters. For too l ong
the church has been unabl e to understand chronic
drug abusers. When we recogni ze that drug abuse
i s ‘ nor mal ’ si n, we can be confi dent that the
nor mal means of Bi bl i cal change, i . e., repentance,
fai th and obedi ence, are robust enough to hel p the
substance abuser. - Ed Wel ch, p. 2
As the apostl e Paul said in I Corinthi ans 6: 9-
11—Or do you not know that the unri ghteous
shal l not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor
idol aters, nor adul terers, nor ef feminate, nor
homosexual s, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor
revil ers, nor swindl ers, shal l inherit the ki ngdom
of God. And such were some of you; but you
were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 7
Drug Abuse and The Bible
Chri st, and i n the Spirit of our God.
Thi rd, drug use resul ts from and produces
a di mi ni shi ng of sobriety and sel f-control .
“One of the mai n reasons why God condemns
i ntoxi cati on i s that, as Christians, we face many
seri ous temptati ons. In order to distinguish
ri ght from wrong and then have the wil l power
to resi st evi l , our minds must think cl earl y and
control our bodi es. The Bibl e cal l s this sobriety
and sel f-control . Mind-al tering drugs weaken
the mi nd’s abi l i ty to think cl earl y, distinguish
ri ght from wrong, and exercise wil l power.”-
“Drug Abuse and the Bibl e: Intoxication,
Addi cti on and Sobriety,” http://www.
biblestudylessons.com/cgi-bin/gospel_way/ drug_abuse.
php
In testi mony to a U.S. Senate subcommittee, Dr.
Hardi n Jones sai d regarding marijuana users:
“They are easi l y i nduced into risky, impetuous
and fool i sh behavior, such as acceptance of
heroi n, LSD, and other dangerous drugs,
and homosexual experience, which are l ater
regretted. ”
Dr. Wal ter X. Lehmann, M.D., said: “Anyone
who says ‘ pot’ i s har ml ess wil l get an argument
from me. It hasn’t been har ml ess for any of the
nearl y 3000 young peopl e I’ve worked with as a
speci al i st i n adol escent medicine. Virtual l y al l
who became addi cted to hard drugs started with
mari j uana, whi ch distorted their judgment and
put them i nto the drug scene…”
“…hundreds of psychiatrists…report these
personal i ty probl ems common to many chronic
[mari j uana] users: poor memory, l oss of
wi l l power and motivation…”
Dr. Franz Wi nkl er: “An earl y ef fect of
mari j uana and hashish use is a progressive l oss
of wi l l power, al ready noticeabl e to the trained
observer after about six weeks of moderate use.
Thi s l oss of wi l l power weakens the abil ity to
resi st coerci on, so that marijuana users too often
fal l vi cti m to hard drug pushers, extortionists,
and devi ates. ”
Note that thi s refers to l oss of wil l power,
not j ust when one is “high” or intoxicated,
but BETWEEN highs. This ef fect becomes
progressivel y worse with continued use. - “Drug
Abuse and the Bibl e”
“The Bibl e forbids participating, for the sake of
personal pl easure, in practices that hi nder our
moral judgment and weaken our sel f-control . --
Struggl ing against evil is dif ficul t and dangerous
at best, even with the cl earest of facul ti es. That
is why God has forbidden intoxication [wi th
al cohol or other drugs].- “Drug Abuse and the
Bibl e.”
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that
the day shoul d overtake you l ike a thief; for
you are al l sons of l ight and sons of day. We
are not of night nor of darkness; so then
l et us not sl eep as others do, but l et us be
al ert and sober. For those who sl eep do
their sl eeping at night, and those who get
drunk get drunk at night. But since we are
of the day, l et us be sober, having put on the
breastpl ate of faith and l ove, and as a hel met,
the hope of sal vation.- I Thessal onians 5:4-8
Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep
sober in spirit, fix your hope compl etel y
on the grace to be brought to you at the
revel ation of Jesus Christ. As obedient
chil dren, do not be confor med to the for mer
l usts which were yours in your ignorance, but
l ike the Hol y One who cal l ed you, be hol y
yoursel f al so in al l your behavior; because it
is written, “You shal l be hol y, for I am hol y.”
And if you address as Father the One who
impartial l y judges according to each man’s
work, conduct yoursel ves in fear during the
time of your stay upon earth; forasmuch as
you know that you were not redeemed with
perishabl e things…but with the precious
bl ood, as of a l amb unbl emished and
spotl ess, the bl ood of Christ.- I Peter 1:13-19
Be of sober spirit, be on the al ert. Your
adversary, the devil , prowl s about l ike a
roaring l ion, seeking someone to devour. But
resist him, fir m in your faith, knowing that
the same experiences of suf fering are being
accompl ished by your brethren who are in
the worl d.- I Peter 5:8,9
Do you not know that those who run in
a race al l run, but onl y one receives the
prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
And everyone who competes in the games
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 8
Joe Morecraft
exercises sel f-control in al l things. They then
do it to receive a perishabl e wreath, but we
an imperishabl e. Therefore I run in such a
way, as not without aim; I box in such a way,
as not beating the air; but I buf fet my body
and make it my sl ave, l est possibl y, after I
have preached to others, I mysel f shoul d be
disqual ified. - I Corinthians 9:24-27
Fourth, i l l i ci t drug use not onl y weakens one’s
wi l l , i t tempts those who are invol ved to commit
other si ns as wel l , e.g., drunkenness, premarital
sex, debauched partying, fil thy speech, unj ust
anger, l ust, hatred, l ying, steal ing, disobedi ence
and di srespect for parents. Drug users run
wi th drug users, and not with strong Christians,
who wi l l make them feel guil ty about the way
they are l i vi ng. They become companions of
those who are secret rebel s against their parents
at home, thei r el ders in church, and the civil
magi strate. They become so consumed with
thei r l i fe styl e that they care l ittl e about their
evi l i nf l uence on others. And, they are soon
tempted to a host of other sins to maintain their
l i festyl e. They l i e to cover up their drug use.
They di sobey their parents. They l ose interest
or abi l i ty to work or do schoolwork. They
become negl i gent, are absent-minded, and make
carel ess mi stakes. Sometimes, they steal to pay
for thei r habi t, especial l y when they do not have
a good j ob. They negl ect Bibl e study, prayer,
worshi p, wi tnessi ng. They l ose interest in
spi ri tual thi ngs because they feel guil ty because
they are more i nterested in the pl easure of
drugs than the pl easure of hol iness. The point
i s that “drug abuse is wrong even BEFORE
peopl e actual l y begin to practice these sins,
because from the beginning it tempts peopl e
toward these thi ngs. Drug abuse is a fail ure
to avoi d temptati on.”- “Drug Abuse and the
Bi bl e.” “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and
hi s cl othes not be burned? Or can a man wal k
on hot coal s, and his feet not be scorched?”-
Proverbs 6: 27-28
Fi fth, al l mi nd-al tering drugs, incl uding
mari j uana, har m a person’s body, when used
for “recreati onal and social purposes,” e.g.,
vari ous di seases, i nfections, and even per manent
damage to the brain, heart, l ungs, reproductive
organs, etc. As the apostl e Paul wrote in I
Cori nthi ans 6:19-20—Or do you not know that
your body is a templ e of the Hol y Spi ri t who i s
in you, whom you have from God, and that you
are not your own? For you have been bought
with a price; therefore gl orify God in your body.
When simpl y for the sake of pl easing hi msel f or
his friends, a Christian participates i n acti vi ti es
that are known to har m his heal th, that person
has abused his stewardship and misused hi s
God-given heal th. Yet this is exactl y what
happens when peopl e abuse drugs.”- “Drug
Abuse and the Bibl e”
Testimony to the Internal Security
Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate in May, 1974:
“…Marijuana, even when used in moderate
amounts, causes massive damage to the enti re
cel l ul ar process…there is a growing body of
evidence that marijuana inf l icts irreversi bl e
damage on the brain,…when used in a chroni c
manner for several years…Chronic cannabi s
smoking can produce…bronchitis, emphysema,
and other respiratory dif ficul ties in a year
of l ess, as opposed to ten or twenty years of
cigarette smoking to produce comparabl e
compl ications… Cannabis smoke, or cannabi s
smoke mixed with cigarette smoke, is far more
damaging to l ung tissues than tobacco smoke
al one. The damage done is described as
‘precancerous.’”- “Drug Abuse and the Bi bl e”
Sixth, recreational and social drug use
sets a bad exampl e for others. It
encourages others to sin and it constitutes
fel l owshipping with sin.
Let no one l ook down on your youthful ness, but
rather i n speech, conduct, l ove, fai th and purity,
show yoursel f an exampl e of those who bel ieve.- I
Ti mothy 4: 12
…whoever causes one of these l i ttl e ones who
bel i eve i n Me to stumbl e, i t i s better for him that
a heavy mi l l stone be hung around his neck, and
that he be drowned i n the depth of the sea. Woe
to the worl d because of i ts stumbl i ngbl ocks! For
i t i s i nevi tabl e that stumbl i ngbl ocks come; but woe
to that man through whom the stumbl ing-bl ock
comes. - Matthew 18: 6, 7
You are the sal t of the earth; but i f the sal t
has become tastel ess, how wi l l i t be made sal ty
agai n? It i s good for nothi ng any more, except to
be thrown out and trampl ed under foot by men.
You are the l i ght of the worl d. A ci ty set on a
hi l l cannot be hi dden. Nor do men l ight a l amp,
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 9
Drug Abuse and The Bible
The ‘pot head’ not only
destroys his lungs and
memory, but his life is lived
for and centered around the
next bong hit.
What foolishness!
What vanity!
and put it under the peck measure, but on the
l ampstand; and i t gi ves l i ght to al l who are i n the
house. Let your l i ght shi ne before men i n such
a way that they may see your good works, and
gl orify your Father who i s i n heaven. - Matthew
5:13-16
And do not parti ci pate i n the unfrui tful deeds of
darkness, but i nstead even expose them; for i t i s
disgraceful even to speak of the thi ngs whi ch are
done by them i n secret. But al l thi ngs become
visibl e when they are exposed by the l i ght, for
everything that becomes vi si bl e i s l i ght. For thi s
reason it says, “Awake, sl eeper, and ari se from the
dead, and Chri st wi l l shi ne on you. ” Therefore,
be careful how you wal k, not as unwi se men, but
as wise…- Ephesi ans 5: 11
The drug user fel l owships with drug deal ers
and other drug users. They support the evil
l i fe of the drug deal er instead of rebuking him
for hi s di sregard for the l aw, for heal th and
for ri ghteousness. They encourage others to
conti nue usi ng drugs and to begin using drugs.
A drug user does not usual l y care about the
sal vati on of the l ost. If he did try to reach the
l ost, hi s own exampl e woul d
l ead them away from Christ
and hol i ness. “Nowhere in
the Bibl e or i n hi story have
drugs been used to bring
peopl e cl oser to God—they
have always been used in
rel ati on to bri ngi ng peopl e
cl oser to evi l powers and
demoni c i nf l uences.”- Dal e
Robbi ns, “Drugs and the
Chri sti an”
Seventh, i l l i ci t drug use, phar makeia, is a
contradi cti on to the chief end and cal l ing of
human bei ngs. Man’s chief end is to gl orify
God and enj oy Him forever.- Shorter Catechism
Q. 1. Man’s cal l i ng is to subdue and exerci se
godl y domi ni on i n the earth in civil ization-
bui l di ng. “Whi l e the drug user seeks pl easure,
j oy and freedom through the drug experience,
hi s arti fi ci al pl easure is temporary and his
freedom becomes sl avery. The ‘pot head’ not
onl y destroys hi s l ungs and memory, but his l ife
i s l i ved for and centered around the next bong
hi t. What fool i shness! What vanity! Man was
created to serve and gl orify God and create a
godl y cul ture. Si tting around getting stoned
neither honors God nor contributes to cul ture. ”-
Schwertl ey, “Drugs.” Rather than bei ng God-
centered and mission-oriented, the drug user i s
radical l y sel f-centered and pl easure-ori ented.
IV. THE REASONS CHRISTIANS
GIVE TO JUSTIFY ILLICiT DRUG
USE

What are some of the more popul ar reasons
given by Christians to justify drug use and
abuse?
Recreational drug use is not forbidden i n the
Bibl e.
As we have seen, this is an inaccurate statement.
Recreational and social drug use ( phar makei a)
is specifical l y forbidden as sinful in the Bi bl e.
It is one of the deeds of the f l esh, in Gal ati ans
5:19-21. Those who impenitentl y practi ce such
drug use shal l not i nheri t the
kingdom of God, Gal ati ans
5:21; I Corinthians 6:10,
and they are outsi de the
gates of heaven al ong wi th
the immoral persons and
the murderers and i dol aters,
and everyone who l oves and
practices l ying, Revel ati on
22: 15.
How can you forbi d drug use
and condone wine-drinking since al cohol i s a
drug?
As we have seen, the Bibl e is careful i n i ts
distinctions and prohibitions. It al l ows for
drugs taken medicinal l y and it recommends
moderate wine-drinking for the Lord’s Supper,
cel ebrating, pl easure, and over-al l physi cal -
emotional -spiritual heal th. At the same ti me
the Bibl e pl aces even moderate, recreati onal
drug-taking in the same category as drunkenness
and strongl y forbids both as wicked and
damnabl e.
Moderate drug use is an expression of Chri sti an
l iberty.
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 10
Joe Morecraft
Chri sti an l i berty is a precious privil ege of
bel i evers i n Jesus; but, when exercised unwisel y
or unl ovi ngl y, i t can become a dangerous and
ugl y thi ng. For this reason, God pl aces many
safeguards around it: ( 1) . We must put the
edi fi cati on of others before the enjoyment of
Chri sti an l i berty, I Corinthians 8: 1-13; ( 2) We
must not al l ow our enjoyment of Christian
l i berty to be a stumbl ingbl ock to weak
Chri sti ans, causi ng them to sin, I Corinthians
8: 7-13; ( 3) . Not everything that we are free to
do i s profi tabl e for us and others, I Corinthians
6:12; ( 4) . We are not free to do anything that
woul d master us, I Corinthians 6: 12; and ( 5) .
Our Chri sti an l i berty does not at al l impl y that
we are free to si n, Gal atians 5: 1, 13-15. The
l i berty we have i n Christ is the l iberty and
power to l ove to do what we ought to do, i. e.,
to obey the Law of God from the heart out of
grati tude to Chri st for saving us. Since the
Bi bl e i denti fi es i l l icit drug use as sin, we do not
have l i berty i n the matter, but to avoid it. Il l icit
drug use i s not Christian l iberty, it is defiant
di sobedi ence to God’s Law.
God created mari juana and pronounced it good,
therefore i t shoul d be consumed for enjoyment.
God made poi sonous mushrooms and spiders
too, and pronounced them “very good,” but
that does not mean that God’s purpose for
them i s that we eat them. Everything God
created i s good and has a good purpose, but
not everythi ng i s to be eaten, especial l y if it is
har mful to us. As the apostl e Paul tel l s us in I
Ti mothy 4: 4-5, we must al l ow God’s Word to
gui de us i n the way we enjoy this good creation,
and, as we have seen, God’s Word condemns
i l l i ci t drug use and abuse—For everything
created by God i s good, and nothing is to be
rej ected, i f i t i s received with gratitude: for it
i s sancti fi ed by means of the word of God and
prayer.
Not even Genesi s 1:29 may be used to support
thi s reason for drug use—Then God said,
“Behol d, I have gi ven you every pl ant yiel ding
seed that i s on the surface of the earth, and
every tree whi ch has fruit yiel ding seed; it shal l
be food for you…” “The assigning of every
green pl ant for food to al l creatures must not be
pressed to mean that al l were once herbivorous,
any more than to mean that al l pl ants [incl uding
poisonous ones] were equal l y edibl e to al l . It i s
a general ization, that directl y or indi rectl y al l
l ife depends on vegetation, and the concern of
the verse is to show that al l are fed from God’s
hand.”- Derek Kidner, GENESIS, Tyndal e OT
Commentary, p. 52
V. THE WAY TO BREAK THE
DRUG HABIT AND THE WAY
NOT TO START THE DRUG
HABIT

A. THE CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS
1. THE ADDICTIVE DRUGS

These are drugs upon which a user may become
physiol ogical l y and psychol ogical l y dependent.
a. OPIATES
Heroin, Morphine, Codein, Paregoric, Demerol ,
Methodone. Opiates are narcotics, i.e., they rel ieve
pain and cause sedation and depression.
b. AMPHETAMINES
Bensedrine, Dexamyl , Dexadrine, Methedrine.
These are stimul ants causing excitement, euphoria,
etc.
c. BARBITURATES
Amytal , Barbital , Luminal , Nembutal , Phenobarbital ,
Seconal , Tuinal . These are sedatives which rel ieve
anxiety and cause sl eep.
d. TRANQUILIZERS
Equinil , Librium, Mil town, Pl acidyl , Val ium. These
sedatives reduce anxiety, bring euphoria and keep
the user from being agitated.
2. THE HABITUATING DRUGS
LSD and other hal l ucinogens, e.g., Mescal ine,
Peyote, Psil acybin, DMT, MDA, Bel l adonna. These
distort sensory data by impairing perception.
“Hal l ucinogens are deceptive: rather than opening
up a new worl d by ‘expanding the mind’ they
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 11
dangerousl y cl ose the mind to the true worl d and
distort much of the data that reaches the mind.”- Jay
Adams
The ef fects of Marijuana dif fer from user to user.
It can bring depression, euphoria, hal l ucination,
drunkenness, f l oating sensation, sense of wel l -being,
etc.
B. THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF VARIOUS
DRUGS
1. NARCOTICS
Narcotics ingested or snif fed require the taking of
increasing amounts by the user to obtain the desired
sensation, since the body devel ops a tol erance to
the drug. An overdose can cause death. Addicts
experi ence withdrawal symptoms a few hours
after use, such as: sweating, runny nose and eyes,
nausea, severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, anxiety.
Accompanying compl ications to narcotic addiction
incl ude: mal nutrition, tetanus, hepatitis, infection of
heart val ves.
2. STIMULANTS
Stimul ants taken oral l y or by injection, impair
judgment, bring sl eep l oss, distort perception, and
often cause high bl ood pressure, heart attack, l iver
disorders, abscesses, respiratory disorders. They can
make the user hostil e, viol ent and destructive.
3. SEDATIVES
Sedatives, when taken oral l y, depress the central
nervous system. They cause irritabil ity, l oss of
bal ance and sl urred speech. An overdose can cause
death. Withdrawal symptoms are severe. Users need
increasing dosage. They l ead to mental confusion
and l oss of emotional control .
4. TRANQUILIZERS
Tranquil izers risk psychol ogical and even physical
dependence. Users often become l istl ess, drowsy,
suf fer tremors, mental l y confused and poorl y
coordi nated.
5. HALLUCINOGENS
Hal l ucinogens distort the perception, l ower
intel l igence, damage genetic make-up, interfere with
the reproductive system, and may l ead to l eukemia.
6. MARIJUANA
A mountain of scientific evidence is beginning to
accumul ate that marijuana use, even in moderate
amounts, resul ts in massive damage to the entire
cel l ul ar process, inf l icts irreversibl e damage on the
brain, incl uding actual brain atrophy, when used in a
chronic manner for several years, and poses a serious
danger of genetic damage and genetic mutation.
Continual use can produce sinusitis, pharyngitis,
bronchitis, emphysema, in a year or l ess. Chronic
use “resul ts in deterioration of mental functioning,
pathol ogical for ms of thinking resembl ing paranoia,
and ‘a massive and chronic passivity’ and l ack of
motivation…- “The Marijuana-Hashish Epidemic,”
1974 report of the U.S. Senate.
C. THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF DRUG USE AND
ABUSE
4
First, a Christian must have a high regard for
his own physical , emotion, mental and spi ri tual
heal th, Romans 14: 13; I Corinthians 6: 19;
Romans 12: 1.
Second, he may not become dependent upon a
drug, I Corinthians 6: 12.
Third, he may not use drugs that distort hi s
perception, I Corinthians 12:23.
Fourth, he may not substitute drugs for
responsibl y sol ving l ife’s probl ems, I Ti mothy
4:2; Ephesians 4: 19,20. “Drugs may not be
used to rel ieve guil t and anxiety stemmi ng
from one’s fail ure to handl e probl ems God’s
way. -- A Christian may not rel y upon
distorted perceptual experiences and mastery
by a chemical as a means of discoveri ng truth
or entering into a rel igious experience. ”- Jay
Adams
D. THE WAY TO PREVENT DRUG USE IN
YOUR CHILDREN
5
First, prayerful l y instruct them in the pri nci pl es
stated above; and do not be naïve about the
avail abil ity of drugs to YOUR chil dren. In al l
l ikel ihood, except by the grace of God, your
chil dren wil l be of fered drugs, or wil l be around
other young peopl e that take drugs, before thei r
even reach their teenage years.
4 Based on Jay Adams’ article, “Drugs and Your Child,”
in THE BIG UMBRELLA, p. 5f
5 Ibid., p. 5f.
Drug Abuse and The Bible
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 12
Second, i nsti l l i n your chil dren respect for
authori ty i n God, famil y, church and state.
Thi rd, i nstruct them in what the Bibl e says
about drug abuse and in the har mful ef fects of
drug use.
Fourth, be an exampl e yoursel f. Are you
addi cted to tobacco, al cohol , sl eeping pil l s,
tranqui l i zers?
Fi fth, know where your chil dren are at al l times.
Si xth, know al l of your chil dren’s friends
and hel p them devel op proper rel ationships.
Impress upon them not to be unequal l y yoked
together wi th unbel ievers and that bad company
corrupts good moral s.
Seventh, mai ntai n good and l oving
communi cati on with them, as you bring them up
i n the nurture and admonition of the Lord, i.e.
wi th Chri sti an education, Christian counsel ing
and Chri sti an di scipl ine.
Ei ghth, protect your chil dren from the evil
worl d around them and prepare them for l iving
i n i t at the same ti me. One way to do this is to
get your chi l dren out of publ ic school s and put
them i n Chri sti an school s and home school s.
Ei ghth, be a fai thful Christian parent at al l
l evel s.
E. THE WAY TO HELP YOUR CHILD BREAK
THE DRUG HABIT
6
Fi rst, encourage your chil d to repent of this sin.
Second, obtai n i nfor mation from a trusted
doctor about the ef fects, side-ef fects, and
wi thdrawal symptoms of the drug your chil d has
been usi ng.
Thi rd, obtai n Bi bl ical counsel from your pastor
for your chi l d.
Fourth, i nsi st that your chil d break of f al l
associ ati on wi th those who use or sel l drugs, I
Cori nthi ans 15: 33—Bad company corrupts good
moral s.
6 Ibid., p. 5f.
Fifth, obtain and report the names of drug
pushers to authorities.
Sixth, hel p him make new Christian fri ends and
associations. Get him to participate i n church
activities.
Seventh, hel p him find Bibl ical sol uti ons to hi s
probl ems and fears. Remember to focus on
these three questions: ( 1) . What is the probl em?
( 2) . What does God want me to do about i t? ( 3) .
When, where, and how shoul d I begi n?
Eighth, “be ready and avail abl e at al l ti mes to
hel p your chil d over periods in which he may
be tempted to return to drug use. Let hi m
know specifical l y of your l oving concern and
avail abil ity.”- Jay Adams.
F. THE WAY TO TELL IF YOUR CHILD IS
USING DRUGS
“As with al l abuses, any sudden and radi cal
behavior change shoul d al ert parents to the
possibil ity that something is going seri ousl y
wrong.
“A general withdrawnness from famil y l i fe;
l ong periods of sol itariness; l oss of i nterest
in activities and hobbies that have previ ousl y
been important in the chil d’s l ife; a l oweri ng of
achievement at school ; moodiness, frustrati on,
unwil l ingness to join in famil y social occasi ons;
and evidence of steal ing or other smal l cri mes—
these are al l warning signs which mi ght poi nt to
drug abuse.
“Addicts with a ‘heavy habit’ wil l show very
erratic behavior, as the time for the next ‘ fi x’
approaches. Sometimes physical symptoms wi l l
be present at this time, incl uding shi veri ng and
symptoms of f l u. The eyes of a heroi n addi ct
can be dil ated and his manner drowsy and over-
rel axed.
“Shoul d you be in the company of an addi ct
who has just taken the drug, you wil l see
extraordinary euphoria, animated tal ki ng, and
probabl y contracted eye-pupil s.”- Davi d Porter,
CHILDREN AT RISK, p. 153

Joe Morecraft
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 13
G. THE WAY YOU CAN BREAK THE DRUG
HABIT
7

First, bel ieve God when He says in the Bibl e that
YOU CAN break your drug habit, as you depend on
Christ and fol l ow His method reveal ed in the Bibl e, I
Corinthians 10:13; 6:9-11.
Second, you must know God as a chil d knows His
Father, because God has reserved His never-fail ing
promises and ever-present assistance to His own
chil dren. You need to receive Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Savior, John 1: 12; Matthew 1:21. To break
your drug habit you need something in your l ife that
you l ove more than white powder, and more than
yoursel f. Make Christ that one l ove above al l others.
Third, as a Christian, you must make pl easing Christ
your l ife’s goal , I Corinthians 13:31; and trust in
the indwel l ing Hol y Spirit to always provide you
the strength, wil l -power, wisdom, motivation and
perseverance you need to go on, Phil ippians 4: 13,19.
Fourth, do not simpl y stop your drug habit, repl ace
it with a new, hol y habit. Bad habits are broken by
repl acing them with good ones, Ephesians 4:22f.
“When one onl y stops or quits, he is stil l an addict
who ( temporaril y) is not engaged in the habit.
Onl y when he changes by a reorganization and
reorientation of his responses into a new pattern ( or
manner of l ife) can he be said to have undergone a
change that wil l stick.”- Jay Adams
Fifth, bel ieve that in the Bibl e, and onl y in the Bibl e,
you can find the righteous pattern for l iving that
is needed to repl ace your ol d, sinful way of l ife,
Romans 6: 17,19; Col ossians 3:8f; Ephesians 4:22f.
Quitti ng is not changing. A drunk is stil l a drunk
even when he is not drinking and he wil l remain
until he has l earned a new way of l ife that is
inconsistent with drunkenness. A drug addict is stil l
an addict until he has l earned a new l ife styl e that
does not incl ude drug abuse. At every point the new
l ife styl e must repl ace al l of the ways associated with
the ol d one. When feel ing l ow or disappointed, or
angry, you previousl y began to hit the bottl e. The
new way, therefore, must incl ude a new Bibl ical way
of handl ing these and other probl ems. If the ol d
way of l ife centered around friendships and pl aces
where others engaged in l ike behavior ( as the l ife of
addiction usual l y does) then the new way must not
merel y require you to give up the ol d friendships
7 Based on Jay Adams’ booklet, YOU CAN KICK THE
DRUG HABIT
and the ol d haunts, but it must go further and insist
on devel oping new, strengthening ties of Christian
fel l owship. And it must center your acti vities around
the home and the church, I Corinthians 15:33—Do
not be deceived: bad company ruins good moral s;
Hebrews 10:24,25—Let us consider how to stir
up one another to good works, not negl ecting to
assembl e together as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another.- Jay Adams
Sixth, be wil l ing to do whatever God wants. Begin
repenting of your sin of drug abuse. Ask God to
hel p you understand the Bibl e and enabl e you to
appl y it accuratel y to your l ife.
Seventh, probe every area of your l ife. Make a
ful l l ist of specific ways you are fail ing God and
others. Begin Bibl ical changes today and keep it up
regardl ess of how you feel .
Eighth, work cl osel y with a knowl edgeabl e Christian,
who is competent to counsel , who can hel p you
through the dif ficul t days ahead, and who can give
you the counsel you need to restructure your entire
l ife al ong Bibl ical l ines.
Ninth, avoid al l future associations with friends with
whom you associated whil e abusing drugs. Cut of f
al l such connections entirel y and immediatel y, I
Corinthians 15:33; II Corinthians 16:17.
Tenth, take your l ist of fail ures and restructure every
area of your l ife to protect yoursel f from the ol d
ways and habits, and to encourage yoursel f in God’s
new ways and habits for your l ife.
It is time for you to stop wasting your l ife l iving
for sel f and Satan, and become a discipl e of Jesus
Christ. Jesus said, Come to Me, al l you who l abor
and are heavy l aden, and I wil l give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and l earn from Me, for I am
gentl e and l owl y in heart, and you wil l find rest for
your soul s. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
l ight, Matthew 11:28-30. You can reject the gospel ,
pretend that God does not exist and continue to
try to create your own autonomous real ity through
drugs. But, be not deceived, God is not mocked;
for whatsoever a man sows, that he shal l al so reap.
For he who sows to his f l esh shal l of the f l esh reap
corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit shal l of the
Spirit reap everl asting l ife, Gal atians 6:7,8-
Bryan Schwertl ey, “Drugs”
Drug Abuse and The Bible

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