Todd Clippard

Topic(s): Christian Life, Moral Issues, Priorities, Sin

Modern society is rapidly becoming a “drug ridden” society. Every age group and every income level abuses drugs with ever increasing frequency. Every day drugs involve more and more people, especially young people. While scientists and drug specialists sometimes draw distinctions between the abuse of so called “soft drugs,” such as marijuana or alcohol, and “hard drugs,” such as heroin and cocaine, the Bible shows all drug abuse to be sinful. The degree of drug abuse seen today was unknown in Bible times, but drug abuse has been around at least since Noah planted a vineyard, made wine, and got drunk (Genesis 9:20-21).

In Galatians 5, Paul condemned the works of the flesh, including drunkenness and witchcraft. The root idea of the Greek word Paul used for “witchcraft” or “sorcery” (ASV), was the use of drugs and potions. Concerning these things, Paul said, “as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

There are many reasons that the abuse of drugs violates God’s word. Paul asks, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Medical research is now confirming the worst fears about the tremendous harm done to the body by drugs. Studies show that marijuana, once thought to be relatively harmless, is extremely dangerous to the human body.

Not only are drugs harmful to the body, most of them, are illegal. Paul commanded, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1). To please God, we must obey the law of the land, which declares most drugs illegal.

When asked which is the great commandment in the law, Jesus replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39). In telling us to love our neighbors as ourselves, Jesus implied that we are to love ourselves. The use and abuse of drugs is not an act of self-love, but of self-destruction. Using drugs is far from loving God with all the heart, soul and mind, because the power of drugs is such that they can completely control a person “hooked” on them. Once a person becomes addicted to drugs, he will do almost anything to obtain more drugs or the money to buy them. Paul warned, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). Drugs make their users slaves. The tremendous financial cost of drugs, which is poor stewardship of God’s blessings, is nothing compared to the physical, moral, and spiritual cost of drugs.