"Is drinking a sin for Christians?"

Is drinking a sin for Christians?
Religious doctrines are usually based on the sanctification of the body and require the abstinence of alcohol. The bible states "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit"; For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

This brings to memory of an event that occurred early in my Christian life. A young man in the congregation was suspected of drinking. One of the ladies in the congregation decided to confront him. "Brother are you aware that one of our brethren is defiling the temple of the holy spirit."The young man was fully aware that she was referring to his drinking, he answered her with the wisdom of the word of God, "Sister, Every sin that a man commits is without the body,  fornication is the only sin that defiles the temple of the holy spirit according to the bible," she disagreed with his answer and a debate was in the brewing.

"Who should I believe your doctrine, or the word of God? the bible says, let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; . Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

If we are to come to a conclusion as to what true holiness is, we would most certainly be satisfied with the righteousness God provided by his first born of creation, that by him we are made the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, by believing on the one that justifies the ungodly, and it was imputed unto us as RIGHTEOUSNESS, and we are complete in him.

The thief on the cross is one of the greatest example of fully being justified by faith. He was fully aware of who the one that hung on the cross was and said, "Lord remember me when you get to your kingdom," the Lord answered, "Verily verily I say unto you this day you shall be with me in Paradise".

How is this possible? The thief told his companion in crime, that they both deserved death. He didn't have the opportunity to build a stairway to heaven with his good works.We must conclude that he was made righteous because he believed the one hanging on the cross was the Messiah, the righteousness of God. So I have come to the conclusion that my Righteousness is not found in a bottle, but in the blood spilled on Calvary, by my lord and savior Jesus Christ.