---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Christian who drinks cannot win his…"
description: "\"The Christian who drinks cannot win his drinking companions to Christ. The girl who dances will never win her dancing boyfriend! You may think to gain ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg"
---

#  The Christian who drinks cannot win his drinking…

![“The Christian who drinks cannot win his drinking companions to Christ. The girl who dances will never win her dancing boyfriend! You may think to gain favor and influence with the unsaved by joining with them in the lodge, or attending with them the movies, or by smoking or drinking or playing…” quote by John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg)

> “The Christian who drinks cannot win his drinking companions to Christ. The girl who dances will never win her dancing boyfriend! You may think to gain favor and influence with the unsaved by joining with them in the lodge, or attending with them the movies, or by smoking or drinking or playing bridge with them, but you cannot! Worldliness means powerlessness! And that means that every Christian who sells out is guilty of the murder of the poor lost souls that go to Hell because he lost his influence.”

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The passage warns that Christians who engage in worldly activities like drinking, smoking, or socializing risk losing spiritual influence and harming souls.

**In simple terms:** Worldly habits can compromise Christian influence.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize spiritual integrity over social conformity.

Themes

faith integrity worldliness

Mood

serious concerned

Type

theological cautionary

When to use this quote

- church leadership
- personal devotion
- community outreach

Key Concepts

spiritual warfare social pressure moral compromise

Questions to Reflect On

- How can Christians influence without compromising values?
- What boundaries protect spiritual health?

A Different Perspective

Balancing engagement with non‑believers while maintaining convictions is challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Lost souls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-souls/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Powerlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerlessness/) [Smoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoking/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Worldliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldliness/)

## Related quotes

> [Learn to ignore everything anyone (including myself) has ever told you about wine protocol. Sometimes win drinking, like spontaneous sex on the kitchen table,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-blumer/learn-to-ignore-everything-anyone-including-myself-has-ever-told-you/)

Bob Blumer

> [I'd rather be playing bridge than making a bad movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-d-rather-be-playing-bridge-than-making-a-bad-movie/)

[Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/)

> [Should l go on playing bridge and dining, going in the same old monotonous circle? It's easy that way, but it's a sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-perry/should-l-go-on-playing-bridge-and-dining-going-in-the-same-old/)

Antoinette Perry

> [Investing in a market where people believe in efficiency is like playing bridge with someone who has been told it doesn't do any good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/investing-in-a-market-where-people-believe-in-efficiency-is-like/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [Playing Bridge is a pretty old fashioned thing in a way that I really like... I do the dishes every night - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/playing-bridge-is-a-pretty-old-fashioned-thing-in-a-way-that-i-really-3/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Playing bridge is a pretty old fashioned thing in a way that I really like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/playing-bridge-is-a-pretty-old-fashioned-thing-in-a-way-that-i-really-2/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/having-sex-is-like-playing-bridge-if-you-don-t-have-a-good-partner/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Playing Bridge is a pretty old fashioned thing in a way that I really like. I was watching my daughter ride horses this weekend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/playing-bridge-is-a-pretty-old-fashioned-thing-in-a-way-that-i-really/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [One advantage of bad bidding is that you get practice at playing atrocious contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-sheinwold/one-advantage-of-bad-bidding-is-that-you-get-practice-at-playing/)

[Alfred Sheinwold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-sheinwold/)

> [Creeds are definitions of what it means to be a Christian. They are fences that, albeit imperfectly, seek to separate sheep from goats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-jr/creeds-are-definitions-of-what-it-means-to-be-a-christian-they-are/)

[R. C. Sproul, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-jr/)

> [I am trying to understand what it means to be a Christian without being religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-am-trying-to-understand-what-it-means-to-be-a-christian-without/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [“Paul is not saying that I must have nothing to do with the people and things of the world. Ironically, if I must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/paul-is-not-saying-that-i-must-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-people-and/)

[Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/)

> [I think it is valuable to be poked at and I think - and this is obviously where things are headed. It's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-vischer/i-think-it-is-valuable-to-be-poked-at-and-i-think-and-this-is/)

[Phil Vischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-vischer/)

> [“That he who means to be a Christian indeed, must endeavour to maintain the power of holiness and righteousness in his life and conversation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurnall/that-he-who-means-to-be-a-christian-indeed-must-endeavour-to-maintain/)

[William Gurnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurnall/)

> [“Many of us don't even know what it means to have a Christian perspective on our work. Oh, we know that being a Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/many-of-us-don-t-even-know-what-it-means-to-have-a-christian/)

[Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/)

## More by John R. Rice

> [“Sweet assurance of this truth is given. In Luke 23:39-43 we see how the repenting thief turned to Jesus on the cross beside him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/sweet-assurance-of-this-truth-is-given-in-luke-23-39-43-we-see-how/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [“The so-called "social gospel" lays stress upon this life, not on the next. In many quarters it is now regarded as very old-fashioned and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/the-so-called-social-gospel-lays-stress-upon-this-life-not-on-the/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [It is a sad and shocking fact that many religious people are in Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/it-is-a-sad-and-shocking-fact-that-many-religious-people-are-in-hell/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [Those who go to Heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/those-who-go-to-heaven-ride-on-a-pass-and-enter-into-blessings-that/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [I want no Christmas without a burden for lost souls, a message for sinners, a heart to bring in the lost sheep so dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/i-want-no-christmas-without-a-burden-for-lost-souls-a-message-for/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [This world loses its appeal when the steps become tottering, when the hearing becomes dim, when the faded eyes cannot see as they once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/this-world-loses-its-appeal-when-the-steps-become-tottering-when-the/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/you-can-never-truly-enjoy-christmas-until-you-can-look-up-into-the/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [“Note that they said, "THIS SAME JESUS." The Jesus in Heaven is not another but the same. The Jesus who will return for His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/note-that-they-said-this-same-jesus-the-jesus-in-heaven-is-not/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [Any time a Christian is conscious of his sin, judges the sin and takes sides against it with a penitent heart, then he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/any-time-a-christian-is-conscious-of-his-sin-judges-the-sin-and-takes/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [Multitudes of people who expect to go to Heaven will go to a Hell of torment. Thousands of "good" people, "moral" people, church members,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/multitudes-of-people-who-expect-to-go-to-heaven-will-go-to-a-hell-of/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [The world never burned a casual Christian at the stake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/the-world-never-burned-a-casual-christian-at-the-stake/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [“Revelation 21 and 22 tell us something of this wonderful place that Jesus is preparing for His saints, "the holy city," "that great city,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/revelation-21-and-22-tell-us-something-of-this-wonderful-place-that/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [“With loving forgiveness, Jesus turned to the penitent sinner and promised salvation not only in the distant day of His kingdom but "to day,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/with-loving-forgiveness-jesus-turned-to-the-penitent-sinner-and/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [“Eventually, if enough masses are said and prayers uttered, the soul may pass from purgatory into Heaven. But that is not taught in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/eventually-if-enough-masses-are-said-and-prayers-uttered-the-soul-may/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

> [We ought to shout out our thanksgiving as if every war were over; as if there were no more big taxes; as if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/we-ought-to-shout-out-our-thanksgiving-as-if-every-war-were-over-as/)

[John R. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

[Explore all 59 John R. Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/)

## More Attending quotes

> [While I was pregnant, I had dozens of checkups. They covered everything from blood tests to ultrasounds, and I even had the option of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/while-i-was-pregnant-i-had-dozens-of-checkups-they-covered-everything/)

[Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/)

> [Economists actually disagree about whether there are significant economic returns from attending an elite college versus a less-selective one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/economists-actually-disagree-about-whether-there-are-significant/)

[Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/)

> [President Obama and Vladimir Putin are both in China attending the same economic summit. Obama saw Putin and said, 'After those midterms, it's nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/president-obama-and-vladimir-putin-are-both-in-china-attending-the/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [I still get excited just attending a final four, because the process is so long, so arduous, so challenging, that when it finally arrives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karch-kiraly/i-still-get-excited-just-attending-a-final-four-because-the-process/)

[Karch Kiraly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karch-kiraly/)

> [When thou art offended at any man's fault, forthwith turn to thyself and reflect in what manner thou doest error thyself... For by attending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/when-thou-art-offended-at-any-man-s-fault-forthwith-turn-to-thyself/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [A large part of the art of instruction lies in making the difficulty of new problems large enough to challenge thought, and small enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-large-part-of-the-art-of-instruction-lies-in-making-the-difficulty/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [I have been working or attending school full time since I was 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-been-working-or-attending-school-full-time-since-i-was-13/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Well, I started conducting kind of by accident. I wanted to give myself a special birthday present for my fortieth birthday, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-mcferrin/well-i-started-conducting-kind-of-by-accident-i-wanted-to-give-myself/)

[Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-mcferrin/)

> [Growing up under the heavy hand of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, it was drummed into me that attending weekly mass was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/growing-up-under-the-heavy-hand-of-the-school-sisters-of-notre-dame/)

[Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/)

> [Too many of us dissipate our energy by being 'for all good causes,' attending meetings and passing resolutions, organizing and presenting petitions — all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammon-hennacy/too-many-of-us-dissipate-our-energy-by-being-for-all-good-causes/)

[Ammon Hennacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ammon-hennacy/)

> [If you feel bored or uncomfortable as you're writing, ask yourself what's bothering you and write about that. Sometimes your creative energy is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/if-you-feel-bored-or-uncomfortable-as-you-re-writing-ask-yourself/)

[Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/)

> [It is a matter of public shame that while we have now commemorated our hundredth anniversary, not one in every ten children attending Public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-lawson/it-is-a-matter-of-public-shame-that-while-we-have-now-commemorated/)

[Henry Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-lawson/)

> [Washington tends to be full of too many traps. I think reporters there do a lot of attending news briefings and news conferences expecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/washington-tends-to-be-full-of-too-many-traps-i-think-reporters-there/)

[Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/)

> [A genius is the man in whom you are least likely to find the power of attending to anything insipid or distasteful in itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-genius-is-the-man-in-whom-you-are-least-likely-to-find-the-power-of/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [After a child has arrived at the legal age for attending school,-whether he be the child of noble or of peasant,-the only two absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/after-a-child-has-arrived-at-the-legal-age-for-attending-school/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

Browse all 223 Attending quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Christian who drinks cannot win his drinking companions to Christ. The girl who dances will never win her dancing boyfriend! You may think to gain favor and influence with the unsaved by joining with them in the lodge, or attending with them the movies, or by smoking or drinking or playing bridge with them, but you cannot! Worldliness means powerlessness! And that means that every Christian who sells out is guilty of the murder of the poor lost souls that go to Hell because he lost his influence.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John R. Rice"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his-drinking-companions-to-christ/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attending"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his-drinking-companions-to-christ/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-r-rice-11558_attending_the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his_1632186.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Christian who drinks cannot win his drinking companions to Christ. The girl who dances will never win…” — John R. Rice",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John R. Rice",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-rice/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The Christian who drinks cannot win...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his-drinking-companions-to-christ/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-rice/the-christian-who-drinks-cannot-win-his-drinking-companions-to-christ/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
