AA Creates the Living Dead

The Bible invites everyone of us to enter into the life of Christ Jesus.

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 11)

Regarding the law, the Ten Commandments, and any other ordinance which demands righteousness and obedience from man, Paul writes what the law does:

"For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." (Romans 7: 9)

The law is the ministry of death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3: 7, 9).

The law merely magnifies that we are sinners, stopping every human being from justifying himself in comparison to others (Romans 3: 19-20)

Once we receive the gift of righteousness from  Christ (Romans 5: 17), then the law is no longer necessary (1 Timothy 1: 7)

However, many Christians are still trying to improve their behavior. They believe that if they invest the right amount of time and effort in their lives, then they will be able to walk in full obedience, or at least progress toward doing so.

The truth is that we must either grow in grace, or fall into despair as we find ourselves unable to break free of any sin in our lives.

"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5: 20)

Imagine that! God did not give the law so that man would be able to improve or perfect himself, but rather to cause the sin nature in man to become all the more manifest.

Furthermore:

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." (1 Corinthians 15: 56)

Today, I submit to anyone reading, that the Twelve Step program is one more example of man's petty efforts to make man perfect, or mankind's rejection of God's perfect Gospel through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

The more that people try to live their lives through the systems of men, the more that they will discover in themselves the strength of sin, and the death within his members.

Alcoholics Anonymous ends up creating the living dead, especially among those who trust that Jesus Christ died for all their sins, yet have not yet understood or refuse to accept that Jesus did not come just to die for our sins, but He ministers on our behalf and lives in us by the power of His Holy Spirit.

In fact, Paul warns us not to be deceived by man's systems of humility and religious effort:

"20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." (Colossians 2: 20-23)

Jesus did not come to help us live our lives better, but to give us life, and that more abundantly (John 10: 10)

He lives today, and seeks to assist and minister to every need that we have, even now!

"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? " (Romans 8: 31-32)

If you are saved, if you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, then you do not need to strive in your efforts, for Christ lives in you (Colossians 1: 27), and He works within you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2: 13)

Yet the Twelve Step program still features prominently in our churches. Pastors permit AA meetings to convene on church campuses, and a growing number of churches have welcomed Rick Warren's Celebrate Recovery program.

I am a witness of that terrible program -- it does not work at all, and the failure rate is even worse, but thankfully fewer people attend those terrible meetings.

Regarding these rudiments of the world, Paul then counsels:

"1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3: 1-4)

We need to understand that we have died with Christ, and that we live in Him.

There is no good thing which dwells in our flesh (Romans 7: 18), and furthermore God will have no flesh glory in His presence (1 Corinthians 1: 29)

We are dead to sin, we do not identify with the flesh, but rather we are called to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16), identifying with the Christ-life in us, not ourselves: our feelings, our thoughts, our selves.

We are either in Adam or in Christ. To be in Adam means to be carnally minded, and that is death (Romans 8: 6). If we want life, we need to identify with our new life, Christ Jesus, for we are seated in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2: 4-8). We are not sons of God (1 John 3: 1-3), and as far as God the Father is concerned, He has given us the spirit of adoption (Romans 8: 15). We are no longer to look at ourselves, but rather look to Christ, the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12: 2):

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Herein. Is ---- These are two-present tense certainties.

Think about that, Beloved. You are alive in Christ. We are you still looking at yourself? Your thoughts, your feelings, your past ruminations are not you at all!