Pastor J.D. talks about whether the legal use of marijuana is wise or helpful for Christians.

A glimpse inside this episode:

In the past, this was an easy enough question, because marijuana was illegal. It wasn’t a “gray area” for Christians. The drug was illegal, so it was off-limits to those who are “subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1). But as recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states, some Christians are having conversations about whether there could be an acceptable use.

So, on the whole, it’s just hard to see how this could ever be wise. And that’s the wisest question: Is it helpful?

One deeper issue: the effects of marijuana work against the kind of community we should seek in the body of Christ.

In Ephesians, Paul contrasts being drunk with wine vs. filled with the Spirit. That’s not an accidental comparison. Both are ways you deal with stress and problems. Wine (and we could add marijuana) dull your awareness of reality. The Spirit heightens your awareness of an alternate reality–the promises of the gospel and the sovereignty of God. And you speak those to one another in the church, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.