BIOLA, Moody: body piercings and drinking are ok

1Ti 6:3  If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4  he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5  and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

According to Brett McCracken, guest writer for CNN's religion blog, "Chrstianity" is changing its relationship with beer and alcohol.

This is nothing new. Rather, he's a bit late to the game. Emergents have wallowed in their "freedom" (and thus sinning, according to Rom. 14 and 1 Cor. 8) in their pride about drinking and reading the Bible or chatting about it while sucking up beer, as if it's cool.

They lack fear of the God of those Scriptures.

Wanting to be cool, they are immature and  become foolish and darkened in their walk, merely becoming religious bar hoppers.

Scripture says:

Joh 15:18  "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19  "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

1Jn 2:15  Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17  The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 

So who's becoming beer-friendly?

Quote:

“Beer and Bonhoeffer,” at Southlands Church in Brea, California, which meets to discuss German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship,” while parishioners share their favorite craft brews. “I feel that real and honest discussions between men happen when we have a nice IPA or stout in our hands,” said group founder Pastor Kevin Meisch.

 “Beer & Hymns,” a gathering at First Christian Church in Portland, Oregon, where 100 or so mostly young people sing hymns like “Be Thou My Vision” while guzzling home-brewed beer from plastic cups. Similar “beer and hymns” events have occurred at churches in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Cincinnati.

“What Would Jesus Brew?” Valley Church in Allendale, Michigan, sponsors gatherings for craft beer enthusiasts, designed to “reach out to people in a loving, grace-filled way that meets people where they are and as they are.”

Last August, Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute — which just last year lifted a ban on long hair for men and nose stud earrings for women — dropped its ban on alcohol and tobacco consumption for its faculty and staff.

In September, Southern California’s Biola University — founded as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in 1908 — lifted its ban on alcohol and tobacco for of-age graduate students, noting that the changes “shift the responsibility of conduct from the institution to the individual.”

Even though they are still banned from consuming beer while students, many recent graduates of evangelical colleges are starting to make an impact in the craft beer industry.

End quote.
~Brett McCracken, CNN

It is quite unbelievable, yet believable considering the worldliness of today's "Christianity". I can only imagine what Moody (or AW Pink who attended there for short time) would have thought, nor what the founders of BIOLA would have thought if they had been around to see such things happen. Neverhteless, the problem is that such justification for self-willed, rebellious worldly behavior is found in other men. If Luther did it, they can too? Consider Luther was wrong. The standard isn't other men, but rather Scripture;what the King of kings has command, not mere men. 

But the problem began with doctrine. It always does. Once the authority of Scripture is lowered to a book of suggestions, a mere textbook, a guide book, then the darkness sets in. The standard is lowered. It must, because Scripture is the sole way a Christian is told how to keep his heart and his walk pure and unpolluted from the world. 

In short these "churches" and schools are nothing short of just being religious, not biblical.

But that's not the end of it. 

I've noticed a trend on "church" websites to have "pastors" list what their favorite things are. The more worldly the things listed, the cooler one is, apparently. That gets in the world, so in essence: if the world likes you, what? the world will like Jesus? So two of this "church's" pastors talk about their favorite thing to do: drink cognac and have a cigar.

Really.

That's godly. That wouldn't cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble at all. That's how to make one stand out from the world. Right? Wrong.

So many of these young leaders think they are so edgy in promoting drinking, but in reality they are proving they are unqualified at BEST to be pastors. Pastors by position are to be elders, men who are solid in the faith, wise in their walk, mature in Christ, shepherds who care about the souls of their flock. That would include setting godly examples of self-control, not self-indulgence. That would necessitate not flaunting a freedom for the sake of the conscience of others. That would mean happily giving up a "freedom" for the sake of the weaker brethren, not to mention to be sober-minded at all times. Being drunk while reading the Bible is an oxymoron, not to mention hypocritical. It's coming to the feet of the King of kings in a trivial, impure, unholy manner, with no sober mindedness toward Him with with whom they claim they have to do. They ought to be ashamed, but instead they are braggarts.

How Christians, primarily leaders in a church--the ones who are mature--are to behave with regard to their "freedom" 

1Co 8:9  But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

1Co 8:12  Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

1Co 8:13  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Rom 14:15  For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

Rom 14:19  So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.21  It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.22  The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

Scripture also talks about how we are to think and act regarding worldliness:

Eph 4:17  So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 
Eph 4:18  being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 

Eph 4:19  and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 

Eph 4:20  But you did not learn Christ in this way, 

Eph 4:21  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 

Eph 4:22  that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 

Eph 4:23  and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 

Eph 4:24  and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 

1Pe 4:1  Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 
1Pe 4:2  so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 

1Pe 4:3  For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 

1Pe 4:4  In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; 

1Pe 4:5  but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

God's demand for pastors or elders:

Tit 1:6  namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 
Tit 1:7  For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
Tit 1:8  but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 
Tit 1:9  holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. 

See also 1Tim. 3 for another list of qualifications for elders/pastors. Note they are requirements ("must be"), not suggestions. Also note that "freedoms" according to Scripture do not include the commands. Many want to place commands and doctrine into the "freedom" category of Romans 14 which is wholly unbiblical and merely proves a rebellious heart at the root.