Triple Jeopardy (The Dangers of Drinking Alcohol)

“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red…at the last it biteth like a serpent…and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”

(Proverbs 23:31)

The title “triple jeopardy” means putting our lives in a triple risk or danger.

I – First Jeopardy – Drinking alcohol basically as medicine tells us, destroys our body . Drinking one or two bottles of beer at a time can result to blood concentration of 20 mg/dl. At 30 to 80 mg/dl, there can be intoxication and changes in the behavior, movement, cognition or perception. The main organ that will be affected are the liver, heart, brain, stomach and pancreas especially in higher amount and prolonged use. The end stagewill be liver cirrhosis and cancer. (From the book “Prescription to Health.” Pages 238-239 by Dr. Linda Lim-Varona).

II – Second Jeopardy – Since alcohol drinking jeopardizes our health , when we are ill with liver disease like hepatitis B yet continued on drinking. All doctors advises acute and chronic sufferers of hepatitis B not to drink because hepatitis B virus will destroy liver cells and eventually leads to cancer. This situation puts our lives into double jeopardy. This case needs immediate advise. To advise them to stop drinking because it will aggravate the situation for simple reason that virus plus alcohol equals death.

III – Third Jeopardy – As Christians who believe that there is life after death, our greatest mistake is to put our souls on danger. When we commit sin to our physical body, we also commit sin to our spiritual soul. We have learned that body and soul are inseparable!!. Our Soul will also perish into endless suffering . God tells us to take good care of our body because our body is not ours. Our body is the temple of God and the Holy spirit dwelleth in us. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16). It is owned by God. And whoever destroys his own body through vices like alcohol commits sin and God will destroy him. “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” (1 Corinthians 3:17).

Going into deeper understanding, sometimes some of us are stubborn, hard-headed and disobedient. Alcohol or virus or smoking or other vices may be the secondary cause but our hearts and minds may be the primary problem. This kills us all. Tuberculosis patients die by disobeying doctor’s advice. One psychiatrist commented: ”Some men were aware that they were carriers of virus and advised to quit drinking yet continued to do so. These people I think are also considered mentally ill.” This jeopardizes our relationship with God.