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When arguing for or against Christian Liberty, what is the Biblical position on the use of Alcohol in the life of the Christian? George Whitefield said in a sermon: Ephesian worshippers of the great goddess Diana, and, in all probability, worshipped the God Bacchus (who is Dionysius the son of Zeus ); at the celebration of whose festivals, it was always customary, nay, part of their religion, to get drunk; as though there was no other way to please their God, but by turning themselves into brutes. The apostle therefore in this chapter, amongst many other precepts more especially applicable to them, lays down this in the text; and exhorts them, as they had now, by the free grace of God, been turned from heathenish darkness to the light of the gospel, to walk as children of light, and no longer make it part of their religion or practice to be "drunk with wine, wherein is excess;" but, on the contrary, strive to "be filled with the Spirit" of that Savior, after whose name they were called, and whose religion taught them to abstain from a filthy sin, and to live soberly as they ought to live.

The Works of the Rev George Whitefield, Volume 1, Letters 367 through 370

We say much about the value of prayer and yet do very little in the way of praying. Why is that? It isn't our laziness, it isn't our lack of discipline, and it isn't even that prayer is boring. The reason we pray so little is that in all our praying there is so little of God.

I have made the point that we should not enter into detailed explorations of God’s decrees in our preaching to sinners – not, I hasten to add (and now repeat), that we should never mention such when addressing sinners. But as I have explained, this must be done in the right spirit. And what is that right spirit? To illustrate what I have in mind, I reproduce extracts from two preachers who, having set out the glories of the redemption which Christ accomplished, addressed sinners with the free offer. I have chosen George Whitefield’s sermon on ‘The Lord our righteousness’ (Jer. 23:6), and Jonathan Edwards’ History of Redemption.

Many people speak peace to their hearts, but are deceived. We see that this problem existed even in George Whitefield's day, not only in ours. This sermon is very relevant to the situation today, and is a sermon that every professing Christian should listen to.

Reformed Devotion #32 of 365: "They Cannot Outlive Me in Heaven" from “George Whitefield & His Ministry” by J. C. Ryle

Whitefield preached his first sermon at St Mary de Crypt Church in his home town of Gloucester a week after his ordination. He had earlier become the leader of the Holy Club at Oxford when the Wesley brothers departed for Georgia. In 1738 he went to Savannah, Georgia, in the American colonies, as parish priest. While there he decided that one of the great needs of the area was an orphan house. He decided this would be his life's work. He returned to England to raise funds, as well as to receive priest's orders. While preparing for his return he preached to large congregations. At the suggestion of friends he preached to the miners of Kingswood, outside Bristol, in the open air. Because he was returning to Georgia he invited John Wesley to take over his Bristol congregations, and to preach in the open air for the first time at Kingswood and then Blackheath, London. Whitefield accepted the Church of England's doctrine of predestination but disagreed with the Wesley brothers' views on the doctrine of the Atonement, Arminianism. As a result Whitefield did what his friends hoped he would not do—hand over the entire ministry to John Wesley. Whitefield formed and was the president of the first Methodist conference. But he soon relinquished the position to concentrate on evangelical work. Like his contemporary and acquaintance, Jonathan Edwards, Whitefield preached staunchly Calvinist theology that was in line with the "moderate Calvinism" of the Thirty-nine Articles. While explicitly affirming God's sole agency in salvation, Whitfield freely offered the Gospel, saying at the end of his sermons: "Come poor, lost, undone sinner, come just as you are to Christ."