AA: Not Knowing the Will of God

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. (AA, pg 84)

Right away, I must rebut this notion of "God's pinch-hitting", as if there are certain thing that we can do on our own, and once in a while, we need God's help for bigger issues.

Jesus Christ did not die on the Cross to make bad men good, or to make weak men strong.

He died on the Cross to make dead men live:

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." (Ephesians 2: 1-3)

And

"15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" (Romans 5: 15-17)

Man sins because he is a sinner, for we are all dead in Adam. We can live in Christ, and keep receiving the gift of righteousness and abundance of grace instead.

There is no "progress not perfection" in Christ, because of Jesus' death, we are perfected forever (Hebrews 10: 14)

What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it. (AA, pg 87)

The notion of intution runs into greater problems for the Christian trying to work the Twelve Steps.

The truth that lives in us (John 14:6; Colossians 1: 27) lives in us because we believe that all of our sins are forgiven.

AA teaches its members that they have to keep on confessing their sins, or alcohol will overtake them.

Either Jesus Christ has purged us from our sins, or He has not.

Peter explains what happens to believers who have forgotten that all of their sins are forgiven. After outlining the growth and characteristics of a child of God, because of God's grace in Christ, Peter then explains the consequences for those who lack those fruits of righteousness:

" 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" (2 Peter 1: 8-10)

As long as men and women continue to take their inventories, they will never forget their sins. To have a fresh reminder of one's wrongdoing creates a man who is blind, who cannot see afar off, and one who will be easily seduced to lies and deceits:

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4: 1-5)

The more religious individuals in AA, in my opinion, fall into this terrible bind. They believe that they are hearing from God, yet because they are not resting and receiving the gifts of righteousness which Christ Jesus has paid for us to receive, they end up heeding "seducing spirits", and the doctrines of devils".

The phrase "conscience seared with a hot iron" does not indicate a man who has no conscience, but a man who has a perpetual conscience of sin and guilt.

Such was the case for one committed adherent of the Twelve Steps. She insisted on taking her inventory, so convinced was she that she could keep up accounts with God.

Yet even David did not presume to know all that he had done wrong:

"Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults." (Psalm 19: 12)

and

"For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me." (Psalm 40: 12)

David even prayed:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51: 10)

Man cannot catalogue all of his sins. He cannot keep up with his own depravity. We need more than a corrective measure in our lives. We need to be born again, and receive a new heart, with a new spirit and new desires.

Otherwise, men and women will give heed to empty, fallen, seducing spirits, and do strange and immoral things, believing that they are doing God's will, when their choices run contrary to everything that God has outlined as holy in His word.  The same woman who insisted on taking her inventory all the time had no problem lying and slandering other people, either. She was convinced that she was righteous because she was "taking her inventory."
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Righteousness is a gift, (Romans 5:17)which we receive from a Person, who is our righteousess (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

Man does not have a problem with sinning. He is a sinner at heart, and thus he needs a new heart, a new spirit, a new being (Jeremiah 31: 33-34). In other words, he needs to be born again (John 3: 3; 1 Peter 1: 23).

If we do not have this new birth, if we do not receive this new spirit, then we cannot know the will of God, for He is not working within us (Philippians 2: 12-13)