Again, AA is a cult, and Has No Place in Christ

In the past few weeks, I have met people who share with me that AA works, that the program helps people.

Yet when I compare other tenets within the Twelve Step movement compared with the Bible, I find that the two teachings are incompatible with each.

The AA book says that we outgrow our fear. The Bible offers us the promise that perfect love casts out fear.

The Bible outlines that man is born dead in his trespasses. While the AA book mentions that we need to be reborn, there is no recognition that our bodies still have sin, but all of it is purged. Furthermore, AA prescribes a program of doing more about our thoughts and feelings, rather than growing grace of all that Jesus has done for us.

The last part has brought me the most peace. I still face challenges and frustrations, but instead of trying to put out emotional fires, I learn to see more of Jesus and receive more of His grace, His favor in my life.

The other issue which has brought me so much peace is the Life issue. Jesus did not die on the Cross to make us better people, but to take us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

What does AA say? Here's the third step:

3.Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

We do not have any life. We need life. How can anyone of us turn over something that we do not have?

This step always frustrated me. What does it mean to turn everything over to this God? How do I know what is His will, and how can I be sure that I am not being deceived?

So many questions, which were never answered for me. Nothing but frustration and fear and shame dogged me because of this terrible program.

AA is a cult. There is nothing to discuss about this.

Consider another portion of the AA book:

"We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: "God, I offer myself to Thee-to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him." (AA, pg 63)

All of this talk about "our maker" and "our God" is empty folly in itself. The program starts with a god of our understanding, yet at the same time we ascribe this god as our maker. Not only that, but all of this talk about "our" is very disconcerting. How can anyone grow in greater contact and grace with a god of your own conception, when at the same time this god belongs to other people, too?

I had prayed that third step prayer religiously for a long time, when I started working that AA cult in greater earnest. At the same time, the fears and tumults in my life did not go away, but actually got worse. At the time, I never made the connection with what a terrible trap that Twelve Step programs end up becoming.

When we receive Jesus, we receive everything about Him, because He receives us completely into Himself. We are no longer called to live our own lives with His help, but He lives His life in Us!

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4: 9)

and

"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)

There is no compromise with the Gospel. AA is a terrible cult, masquerading as some add-on, or something that can complement the Bible. Such thinking is false. Nothing needs to be added to "It is Finished!" Either we believe Him, or we do not.

This life is not about fixing our flesh, but fixing our eyes on Christ, and seeing Him take care of all things for us.