We are saved by grace through faith.
We receive this grace based on what Jesus did for us at the Cross.
Cults like AA want to get people looking at themselves for the proof of God's love for them.
AA is no exception:
This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code. (AA, pg 84)
What was the first thing that Adam and Eve did when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil?
"7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
God Arraigns Adam and Eve
8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:7-13)
Their eyes were opened to themselves, and they saw right away that they were inadequate.
Then they clothed themselves with fig leaves, a picture of self-righteousness referenced throughout the Bible.
However, that sense of sin, of "not good enough", coupled with the arrogant yet bankrupted belief that we can and must do something about it, cannot be removed by covering it up.
Nor can it be removed by good works, or working twelve steps, or taking our inventory.
Damn AA!
The proof of God's perfect love for us begins and ends at the Cross.
There we can look away from our sins, our shame, or bad thoughts and feelings, and see Jesus the perfect man, taking our sin, becoming sin, and then granting us His Sonship.
Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father, and there we receive grace in time of need, as God our Father now invites to come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4: 16)
Our proof of God's love for us is the Cross.
For so long, I was wandering around in my mind, and in the actions I took, trying to create a sense of peace and serenity for myself through what I did, or what I was thinking.
Living in mind control, trying to make sure that I never got angry or frustrated, doing whatever I could to prevent myself from blocking the sun light of the Spirit, I was totally focused on myself.
Just terrible.
I was also dogged by these terrible fears.
How did I know that I would not have to pay for my sins?
This lie was so pervasive in my life, which battered me with the lie that I needed physical, tangible proof.
Yet there is no peace in our senses. We are called to walk y faith in order to have proof of God's love for us.
That proof, the proof of His love, is the Cross.
The more that we allow God our Father to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, what Jesus did at the Cross, the greater His grace and peace abound in our lives.
Not a proof for what will happen, but the certainty that He has pledged to care for me, for what has happened -- the Cross!
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