"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5: 19-21)
The Bible is clear: drunkennes, alcoholism, is a work of the flesh. Whether man is trying to be good or just out to get something for himself, the results of his self-effort produce all kinds of evil, including drink.
There is no evidence that alcoholism as such is a biological issue.
Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. (AA, pg 64)
If we receive "resentment" as "hatred, variance, wrath, strife", then we have not so much a "spiritual malady", but rather a man or woman who is living according to his efforts instead of resting the Finished Work of the Holy Spirit:
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Galatians 5: 16-18)
Those who suffer from alcoholism do not need to follow a program; they need to be led by the Spirit, they need to be regenerated from dead in their trespasses to alive in the Spirit:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8: 14)
I have been STRUGGLING with this a few years now. I am a born again Christian, who has been led to believe that I "suffer" from this "disease" of alcoholism..... The more I study The Bible, the more I'm led to believe it is not a disease at all, but a work of the flesh. I am coming more & more to believe that what is really needed is for me to truly repent from dead works of the flesh & take the hand of Christ & be led in the way to everlasting life.
ReplyDelete"and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people" Matthew 4:23
ReplyDeleteThose who choose to stay in bondage will never find peace
Richard:
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing.
Let us do what we can to share the Truth -- Christ and Him Crucified:
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8: 36