Condemned in AA - Righteous and Victorious in Christ

My life was falling apart, and fast.

I had a great job, which I gave up because of this nagging sense of frustration in my life.

I did not know what was wrong in my life, but "something" was wrong.

So many wonderful things were flowing in my life. I could not believe what was happening.

I was also dogged with a sense of "not done" or "not good enough".

No matter what I did, no matter how hard I worked, everything seemed to depend entirely on me, yet at the same time everything seemed worthless and arbitrary because I could do whatever I felt like doing.

Like so many Christians, I was aware of only one half of the Gospel.

Jesus Christ died for my sins.

Yet even knowing this, I was still going through the traditions of men, like AA, which teach people that they must confess their sins in order to restore fellowship with God. Later on in Celebrate Recovery, members would talk about keeping short accounts.

I did not trust myself. I did not trust my thinking. I did not know what or whom to trust, but to keep going to Twelve Step meetings, since that was all that I knew.

I walked around in a cloud of condemnation, which only got darker and darker as I sat in empty meeting with frustrated people who were going nowhere in their lives.

Who would have thought: The Twelve Steps were creating the very problem that I was trying to break away from.

"26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10: 26-27)

Context is key to contemplating this passage. From the book of Hebrews, Paul is writing about to the Jewish Christians that Jesus' once and for all sacrifice is the best, and therefore animal sacrifices are not longer necessary or acceptable. Either we believe in and rest in the truth that Jesus has paid the price in full forever for all of our sins, or we condemn ourselves to a sense of guilt without end.

Today, since there are no more animal sacrifices for sins, people can either believe that everything is done, or they can toss about in fear and panic, wondering and wandering about God's love and provision.

Such was my life for a few years, and AA makes this wandering all the more pertinent and pressing.

I was condemned because of AA, which teaches:

"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)

This is a great evil, a classic example of "sinning willfully."

Jesus did not cry out "It is Finished!" for nothing.

We have been seated in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2: 6)

We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin, including alcohol abuse (Romans 6: 11)

In fact, because we are under grace (Romans 6: 14), the Holy Spirit can teach us to reject sin and walk in His newness of Life.

AA creates an identify of sin and failure, when Jesus gives us Himself, His standing, and His life.

I felt condemned, yet the Bible clearly teaches that condemnation has no hold on us:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8: 1, NIV)

In Christ, I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5: 17) and I am dead to the condemnation and penalty of sin (Romans 6: 11). This gift of no condemnation I get to receive at all times (Romans 5: 17), and thus I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)