This is the how and why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom. (AA, pg 62)
This passage has some truth in it, so no one should be surprised or reconsider the cult-like core of AA. All cults have some element of truth in them.
God is our Father, indeed.
However, at the same time men and women in the AA meetings have to identify themselves as alcoholics, men and women who have lost their legs, never grow new ones, and must assume a new pathway in life in order to survive. In the midst of seeing ourselves as alcoholics, how can we rest and believe in the Father's love?
The need for God's love as our Father is more than the AA book can offer. This evil cult twists the goodness of God, identifying Him as Father, yet at the same time levels every member with rules and regulations, meetings, sponsors, and other unconnected nonsense.
How can anyone see God as a Good Father if all of these Steps are required in order to be effective?
In order to be His child, we need to be adopted, and this adoption does not take place based on what we do, but in what He did for us:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8)
What did this love accomplish for us for those who believe on Him?
"3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1: 3-6)
When Jesus died on the Cross, He not only paid for all our sins, but granted to us a Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8: 15), brought into sonship to God through His Son, for we are accepted in the Beloved Jesus. Not just sons, but loved and cherish in God.
We are blessed with all spiritual blessings, in every need, in all things. Because we believe on what Jesus did for us, we are predestined to be His sons:
"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)
We are Sons of God, beloved, who believe on Jesus, whom the Father sent (John 6: 29)
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
We are seated with Christ, in Christ Jesus, above the heavenlies, above every problem, above every carnal deception and temptation.
Beloved, you cannot be an alcoholic and a child of God, and you certainly cannot be a child of God who struggles with alcoholism, or any other perversion:
"12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6: 12-14)
We are under God's grace in His Son, and by this grace we are who we are in Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 10)
My name is Arthur. . .and I am a child of God (period).
I blew a my lid just now because I am having to rewrite here a comment that when I tapped 'publish' the comment vanished ....I hadn't signed in . I am still reathing with indignation and my guts are churning with rage at having to do this again. This is where I am in my journey towards accepting my acceptance in Christ....even when I blow it and/or blow up in vitriolic murderous rage within myself ....I am saved by His Grace and His love never wavers ....He smiles at my over the top temper tantrums . But I have to believe and receive ....There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. So my question is ...how can you assert and believe "you cannot be an alcoholic and a child of God and you certainly cannot be a child of God who struggles with alcoholism...or any other perversion. " Surely God looks at the heart of the man/woman. Are you saying my brother you are completely free of bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, jealousy,lust of any kind....? Didn't Jesus say on the Sermon on the Mount if anyone is angry at his brother he has committed murder in his heart. If you look at a woman with lust you have already committed adultery? Did Jesus not say these things to those under the law to show them that no one can escape the penalty of the law ...death . Are we not all in the same boat ...there is no escape ...we all need a Saviour. So to assert with certainty that no one can be a child of God if there is still an ongoing struggle with certain ' perversions' ( what perversions did you have in mind) and alcohol.....especially after all your very well presented Gospel truths about Gods Grace ....I can't quite get where you are coming from. I understand you had a very legalistic family background....my father was not a Christian but boy was he like God to me along with all his ' commandments' that filled us all with condemnation ...I am 60 years old but still inside a messed up little boy frightened of authority figures . Thank the Lord Jesus he came for the sinner / self righteous and not the ' righteous ' ...cos there aren't any. If one of Gods commandments said thou shalt not 'f and blind' and we were still under the old covenant I would have been struck dead 5 mins ago....actually I would have been struck dead probably 40 years ago ....My name is Keith and I too am a child of God. AA is a group of people run by alcoholics for alcoholics ....we are fallen broken human beings living in a fallen broken world. God is Mercy ..Loving - Kindness...and full of Compassion .....AA and the likes are broken people seeking some relief from their inner hells with the help and understanding of others in similar personal hells. The choice of two evils .( from the way you seem to see and describe it )...come out of the bondage of alcoholic insanity along with all its wake of destructiveness .....and ' enter into' a bondage called the 12 step programme ...where at least some hope is possible of ongoing recovery towards regaining some sanity and order in our crazy sin filled souls .....even if the recovery isn't Christ centred. I read somewhere ....we Christians are going to be very surprised when we do enter into Heaven and see just who is there by Gods Grace. Have you read Brennan Mannings book ' the Ragamuffins Gospel ' ? May I suggest you read it .....Blessings to you and all who read your blogs ...Keith Humphrey England
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