Sipping Saints: A Challenge to Drinking Christians

There have been a number of comments in past reviews alleging the lack of exegetical soundness in Sipping Saints. Views certainly do vary. Dr Walter Martin (see his name with a dotorg afterwards) makes the point that the wedding at Cana can't be read any other way than if the wine in question is alcoholic. Likewise, many evangelicals regard themselves as "honest" about the way Scripture handles alcohol and mould their social lives around that view. As an Australian, I can say that there is a strong overlap between Christians here who drink alcohol and who affirm the ordination of women - and of homosexuals. Then there are the other questions of denying the existence of hell and the exclusiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ as providing salvation. I am sure this experience is much the same throughout the West. Christians need to decide, and I feel I am speaking in agreement with Wilkerson, whether they want to go the way of the world, and the way of the liberal theologian and of unbelief, or if they side with the fundamentalist Christian, who won't compromise on the truth, who believes in moral absolutes and in the sovereignty of God in all things. Decide! Compromise with the world? Or walk not in the counsel of the ungodly. I wholeheartedly recommend Wilkerson's excellent book. 5 stars.

Inspired by God and fired up by the Holy Spirit, David Wilkerson has a reputation of confronting difficult topics forthrightly. He does so here.Wilkerson says, "Drinking is not the sin. The decision to drink is the sin." Not splitting hairs, he argues that there is no scriptural, loving, caring, or Christ-like reason to drink alcohol. None. At the end of the road of drinking lies destruction and death. There is nothing of God on that road.While avoiding condemning Christians who beleive otherwise, Wilkerson builds a powerful case that Jesus would never encourage drinking alcoholic beverages, even wine. While the Hebrew text does not distinguish between alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine, he maintains that the miracle of Cana was surely of the non-alcoholic variety. That Jesus would never have given people he loved a drink that made them stupid, provocative, and lustful.When I started the book, I was willing to believe that, taken in moderation, a little wine was alright for the believer to enjoy. After all, "it makes the heart merry", "is good for the stomach", "was better than the first wine", etc.I am now persuaded otherwise. I believe that Wilkerson has it right. That God would have us enjoy the drink made from the boiled grape, a must, mixed with water and not partake of the "spirits" of alcohol.David Wilkerson, founder of Tenn Challenge with more than 200 drug and alcohol treatment centers around the world, has seen the devastation of alcohol face-to-face. I believe I yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit when I say, leave alcohol alone, flee from it. There is nothing of God in it for us.

My wife read the book Sipping Saints many years ago before I became a christian and would like to read it for myself.