AA says "Not Finished"-- Jesus Said: "It Is Finished" (Extended)

It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will. (AA, pg 85)

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19: 30)

Churches are well-known for welcoming Alcoholics Anonymous meetings onto their campus grounds. Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren endorsed the Twelve Step Program but revised it and called it "Celebrate Recovery."

At first glance, it would seem that there is nothing wrong with bringing in a practical set of steps to help Christians to live out the Christian life. When a believer in Jesus Christ reads the Bible and compares the Scriptures with the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous, he or she will find that there are so many contradictions, that a person cannot accept both Jesus and Bill W.

Here is the real issue, without pressing it any further or making it any simpler. Either Jesus died for all of our sins, or He did not. Either God is telling us the Truth, and thus we believe that He will remember our sins no more, or He does remember our sins, and believers are of all people the most miserable:

"And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

"Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Corinthians 15: 17-19)

Either "alcoholism" or "drunkenness" is a work of the flesh or it is disease: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
"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)

Either we have been crucified with Christ, with all of our fleshly lusts, or we have not.

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Galatians 5: 24)

The writer of Hebrews encourages everyone who believes on Jesus: "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4: 11)

AA says "Do not let up". Jesus said: "It is Finished." The Apostle John wrote:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

This verse, like every verse in the first chapter of the John's First Epistle, was not written to believers, since John invites the intended audience to "have fellowship with us" (1 John 1: 3). Paul the Apostle confronted believers who were still living out sinful habits with the following:

"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6: 15-16, 19)

The Corinthians were the "wildest" church, a community of believers which needed to know and believe their new standing in Christ. Not once did Paul tell them to confess their sins or "take their inventory."

Either the believer rests in his new identity in Christ, or he does not.

Bill W. offered a "program" that does not work. Jesus is the Way, and He has finished the work (John 17: 4)

Do you believe that you have been forgiven of all your sins or not? Do you believe that you have been fully justified in Christ or not? Every member of the Body of Christ who attends AA or any other Twelve Step program must consider these questions and choose whom they will believe: AA or Jesus Christ.