You see, it all comes back to love, charity. The NEW commandment Jesus gave, that defined who His followers were, that we love one another as He loves us. 1st Corinthians 13 is the most popular part of the Bible for the best explanation of what charity is all about. It's peaceful, it's kind, it's gentle, it's longsuffering, it does no harm, and if you don't have it, then Paul states youre as a tinkling brass, a sounding cymbal--a noisemaker, and don't think God can be fooled, in spite of your actions, He's looking at your heart, your intent.
It is time we quit judging people for what they do, and start doing something about the influence that is making them do that which they do, but it is unlikely we will do this as long as we, ourselves fall prey to that same influence.
Do people REALLY believe what Jesus said? Lets see. Jesus said in Matt 15 and Mark 7 There is NOTHING outside the body that can enter the body and defile the man, but even today people do what Jesus said the people did then and He called them hypocrites for it.
Now, as then, they lay aside the commandments of God and teach for doctrine the commandments of men. Don’t eat pork. Don’t drink coffee or tea, and for heaven's sake do NOT drink a beer or any alcoholic beverage. Don’t, don’t, don’t....
He made it clear that the things which defile a person are the things listed in Matt 15:19, and Mark 7:21-22, and these things stem from inside a person, not from outside. For example, theft is mentioned in both places. We think that pertains to material goods, but if you say one thing about someone else which makes that person look bad in someone’s eyes, then you have stolen from them something more precious than all their material goods combined. You have stolen their good name.
I am not trying to micro-manage into the fine details of anyone's life. Each person will have to judge for themselves, for one cannot rightly go against their own conscience. I am saying you have no right to make that decision for someone else, and to presume to do so proves the influence of Satan, not God.
Paul makes it clear in Romans 14:14 that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him who esteemeth (or regards) anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. In Titus 1:15 he states that to the pure, all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Habakkuk 2:4 shows that even though the soul which is lifted up is not upright, the just shall live by his faith, and Romans 14:23 says that whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Jesus said in John 13:34 to love one another even as He loves you. I ask you the same question Jesus ask in Luke 6:46 Why do you call him Lord, Lord, and not do the things he said?
Understand one thing here. In case anyone imagines I am making excuses for myself, I have never liked any alcoholic beverage, and do not partake of them.
The same goes for coffee, cigarettes, tea, or anything else along that line. None of these can defile the temple of God, for the physical body is not the temple of God, that is, if Jesus can be believed. I choose to believe Him. You, whoever you are who reads this, will have to make that choice for yourself. It is true that the aforementioned things are not good for your physical body, but neither are a dozen jelly donuts, soft drinks, or daily bowls of cereal laced with preservatives.
However, as long as one insists on clinging to the flesh and remain carnal minded, that one will have no choice but to ignore Jesus, for he will always seem either a liar or totally ignorant to such a one. Of course, no one is going to admit that they think that of Jesus, and would adamantly deny such accusations, yet why do they totally ignore anything he said in opposition to the flesh?
Jesus put it most aptly when he said in Matthew 11:18-19 and in Luke 7:33-34 that John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, and they said he had a devil, and the Son of man came both eating and drinking, and they said he was a gluttonous man, and a wine bibber. In other words, in man's eyes we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't.