For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
- Romans 7:14-20
In yesterday's UM Brushing Our Teeth With Our Feet the above passage of scripture was used to support my thoughts on Will Power and why it doesn't work well as a defense against addiction and habitual sin. Today I want to share a few more thoughts on the subject of dealing with the sin that we can't seem to quit. I use both terms addiction and recovery for a reason. Depending on who is defining them they are either the same thing or they are different. In other words, there's not universal agreement on the subject. Regardless it would seem that all addictions can be placed under the category of habitual sin, while depending on the definition of addiction, not all habitual sins are addictions.
The idea is the same though, and so is the treatment. Some religious folks see all addictions as habitual sins and nothing more. In one sense, they are correct. Even the most physically addictive drug can be kicked through abstinence, and the answer to staying abstained is a spiritual one. And I would add that almost all habitual sins, including addiction, begin when we try to meet our spiritual needs through a physical or carnal (of this world) answer rather than filling our God-shaped-hole with relationship with our Creator. Of course there are exceptions, such as an accident victim who legitimately needs pain killers and ends up addicted. The great news is that even for those who are exception to how the addiction began, the way to end it is the same. The answer is relationship with and surrender to God.
I use both terms not because I see a difference but because not everyone who reads this is a believer, and until they come to that point, they may see a problem but not be able to identify with calling it a sin. On the flip side of that, some Christians may read this and say, yes I struggle with this or that, I have habitual sin, but it's not a disease, it's not an addiction. It's just sin. But spiritual sickness and sin effects and controls our physical, and "just sin" is the not only the leading cause of death on this planet, it's the only one. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the short definition of addiction is as follows:
Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.
Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.
Sin leads to death and separation from God. Addiction left untreated shortens lifespan, sometimes drastically, regardless of the addiction. So whatever we call it, addiction or habitual sin, I like the term bondage, it's killing us, we need to be set free from it. There is almost always an element of shame that goes hand in and with this kind of bondage, and yet, it is common to many. Even the Apostle Paul dealt with habitual sin, which is what he addressed in the above passage from Romans 7 and why I believe that he would say in another place that all things are lawful but he would not be controlled by any (a paraphrase of I Corinthians 6:12). Once he found freedom from habitual sin through grace, he refused to allow himself to be brought back into bondage to anything or anyone other than the will of God.
I see the behavior, whatever it might be, as harmful, shameful and as a threat to my life (walk with God, relationships, finances, health, freedom, etc.). I do it anyway. I swear I want to quit, promise to quit, ask God to help me quit, then do it anyway. I hide it, sneak around to do it, lie to cover it up and pray to never have to suffer the consequences that I fear it will lead to, but do it anyway. I go stretches of time without doing it, feel better, feel happy at the success of not doing it, then do it. I hate myself for doing it, but feel defeated because obviously a part of me, sometimes it feels like all of me, wants to do it. I feel the need to compensate for good and or for God in other areas because I have surrendered to the idea that I will never eliminate this from my life and therefore am condemned to continuing doing it. There's no point in putting it off or fighting it since I will eventually fail and do it. Finally, I have used this sin, this addiction, to identify and define me, consciously or otherwise. This is who I am, I can't change. It's always going to be this way.
These feelings are common with this issue and why I took the space to put the definition of addiction above. Let's look at it again, in pieces.
Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.
Habitual sin and addiction effect our brain, our thoughts and thinking, it messes with our idea of action/reward response, it is strengthened by repetition and memory, both mental memories and physical (muscle/reflexive) memory. It manifests, symptoms appear, in every area of our life. And regardless of the probability for loss and destruction, the issue or behavior falsely aligned with reward and relief is repeated until the person is set free or forced to stop, usually by extremely negative circumstance.
Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.
We can't stay stopped. We do things we know are bad ideas, that will end badly or get us caught. We are frightened to death of exposure, consequences, pain and death and yet our actions say these things don't concern us at all, because we regularly act against our own best interests. Then we begin to have blind spots to the problem and the consequences, things aren't so bad. It's not that big of a deal. We swear off then go back to it over and over until people stop even pretending to believe us when we say we are sorry and that we want to stop. They quit believing we actually would stop probably a few seconds after we gave up on the same idea, Some balk at the idea of addiction and habitual sin being a disease, as though that definition excuses people to just let it go and continue. How ridiculous. If I have cancer, that's a disease, and I have to accept that I have it, but I'm going to get treatment and fight it. I'm not going to say, well it's not my fault so I'm just going to watch the tumor grow.
Merriam-Webster gives the primary definition of a disease as: a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury. The word literally developed out of the concept of certain things, illness and sickness, causing a lack of ease. Sin is a disease. Addiction is a disease. It causes a lack of ease. It is a disorder of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual structure and function. We are not healthy and operating as designed when effected by it. It will kill us if left untreated. The idea that it's a disease should remind us that this is not just who and how we are and that we need treatment from the Great Physician, the only One more powerful than the sickness controlling and killing our spirits, minds and bodies.
There is a reason why people have such a problem treating habitual sin, and that problem is unfortunately found in the actions, reactions and thinking of people who are supposed to be their help, and in fact are often fellow sufferers. Christians can act like the biggest idiots when it comes to habitual sin. Forget the idea that Kids Say The Darndest Things. They have nothing on confused Christians when it comes to sin, especially habitual sin.
Ever heard that if you won't quit sinning and or aren't willing to stop sinning you can't rightfully and shouldn't call yourself a Christian? You have to decide to obey and follow Jesus and your life must reflect that all the time or you aren't really committed. What a load of fertilizer for Satan to sow the seeds of condemnation into your life. I John tells us that if we say we are without sin we're liars, so the next time someone suggests this idea to you, maybe you should ask them to show you how it's done. Nobody has ever successfully walked without sin other than Jesus. Romans 7.
Oh and this idea of we must want to stop this sin often leads to a statement along the lines of if you have an area of habitual sin in your life the answer, the only good and Christian response, is to just stop it, to cut that thing out of your life. Make up your mind to obey God and then do it. Think about that logically for a second and it's impossible not to see that idea as utter stupidity. First it completely ignores that truth of the nature of craving, something within us, because of the problem, demanding and crying out for the very thing that will kill us. We don't want it, but we can't think straight enough to think that we want anything else. Never mind that completely. How about just remembering that if I could just stop sinning I would never have needed Jesus in the first place. If I could actually decide to follow Jesus and do so faithfully I wouldn't need grace. And neither would you. None of us can just stop sinning, and the ability to just walk away from habitual, has become second nature and ingrained regular response to certain things, sin is even more impossible. So please don't fall for the lie that if you're really a Christian you would want 100% to do God's will and hate sin and be able to walk away from it.
See that last lie that so many fall for and far too many others spout leads people to say that if there is habitual sin in our life that we should question our salvation. Some go as far as saying forget the question, habitual sin is a sign that the person is not truly saved. In the eyes of God, there is no difference between habitual sin and any other sin. We are not yet made perfect, but He has promised to finish His work and make us perfect...on the other side of eternity. We all still have areas of sin, some more than others and some more obvious, but we all have it. We are growing in grace and being changed from glory to glory. Sin should progressively have less and less control, effect and place in our lives as we grow closer in relationship with God and learn to walk in grace. But it's there. And that someone hasn't learned to eat the meat of grace and is still sucking only on the bottle of forgiveness doesn't mean they aren't saved. It means they need to grow up. And the problem, in my opinion, often lies in the mouths of those called to instruct and teach them. What we eat as babies is mostly controlled by those feeding us, and instruction on walking in the grace not to sin is severely lacking in the diets of most pulpits.
If you have habitual sin, it is a spiritual issue, yes, a spiritual sickness and disease, that will bring death and destruction to your life if not dealt with. You need spiritual chemo. You need the light and power of Christ to radiate through you by the Holy Spirit to kill the sin and set you free from it, to place the power of sin in remission in your life until you are made completely perfect and whole. There is a solution. Sometimes you are going to want to sin. Sometimes you're going to do it as easily and with as little thought as you breathe if you are not actively treating it. You treat it through relationship with God, but you can't do it. You can't just stop it. You can't will it. You must surrender to the One who can control it. But you can't even stay surrendered on your own. You need grace, undeserved and unearned power above and beyond your own. to do it, and it will be a process or progression into growing healthy, not an instant fix.
We are called to edify and encourage one another. Find another believer that walks in the power of grace to lean on for help, accountability and advice. Habitual sin is not the leprosy of Christianity that means you have to stay outside the congregation and hide it or be condemned a rejected. Find someone to share with, because confessing the sin helps break its power and start the healing. Sin is like a fungus. It grows better in the dark. Stop trying to quit and then hating yourself when you fail Lean on Jesus and walk in His grace. It is the Spirit of God that sets us free from sin, and not our strength, will or power. Your determination or lack of it is irrelevant. And please don't accept the sin in your life. The truth that it is beyond your ability to control, stop or eradicate doesn't mean it doesn't need to be dealt with and treated any more than any physical deadly disease should be left untreated simply because we can't control, stop or eradicate it on our own. Sin is killing us. Ignore the shame, call the Doctor, and stop listening to the quacks telling you to treat yourself.
There is a reason why people have such a problem treating habitual sin, and that problem is unfortunately found in the actions, reactions and thinking of people who are supposed to be their help, and in fact are often fellow sufferers. Christians can act like the biggest idiots when it comes to habitual sin. Forget the idea that Kids Say The Darndest Things. They have nothing on confused Christians when it comes to sin, especially habitual sin.
Ever heard that if you won't quit sinning and or aren't willing to stop sinning you can't rightfully and shouldn't call yourself a Christian? You have to decide to obey and follow Jesus and your life must reflect that all the time or you aren't really committed. What a load of fertilizer for Satan to sow the seeds of condemnation into your life. I John tells us that if we say we are without sin we're liars, so the next time someone suggests this idea to you, maybe you should ask them to show you how it's done. Nobody has ever successfully walked without sin other than Jesus. Romans 7.
Oh and this idea of we must want to stop this sin often leads to a statement along the lines of if you have an area of habitual sin in your life the answer, the only good and Christian response, is to just stop it, to cut that thing out of your life. Make up your mind to obey God and then do it. Think about that logically for a second and it's impossible not to see that idea as utter stupidity. First it completely ignores that truth of the nature of craving, something within us, because of the problem, demanding and crying out for the very thing that will kill us. We don't want it, but we can't think straight enough to think that we want anything else. Never mind that completely. How about just remembering that if I could just stop sinning I would never have needed Jesus in the first place. If I could actually decide to follow Jesus and do so faithfully I wouldn't need grace. And neither would you. None of us can just stop sinning, and the ability to just walk away from habitual, has become second nature and ingrained regular response to certain things, sin is even more impossible. So please don't fall for the lie that if you're really a Christian you would want 100% to do God's will and hate sin and be able to walk away from it.
See that last lie that so many fall for and far too many others spout leads people to say that if there is habitual sin in our life that we should question our salvation. Some go as far as saying forget the question, habitual sin is a sign that the person is not truly saved. In the eyes of God, there is no difference between habitual sin and any other sin. We are not yet made perfect, but He has promised to finish His work and make us perfect...on the other side of eternity. We all still have areas of sin, some more than others and some more obvious, but we all have it. We are growing in grace and being changed from glory to glory. Sin should progressively have less and less control, effect and place in our lives as we grow closer in relationship with God and learn to walk in grace. But it's there. And that someone hasn't learned to eat the meat of grace and is still sucking only on the bottle of forgiveness doesn't mean they aren't saved. It means they need to grow up. And the problem, in my opinion, often lies in the mouths of those called to instruct and teach them. What we eat as babies is mostly controlled by those feeding us, and instruction on walking in the grace not to sin is severely lacking in the diets of most pulpits.
If you have habitual sin, it is a spiritual issue, yes, a spiritual sickness and disease, that will bring death and destruction to your life if not dealt with. You need spiritual chemo. You need the light and power of Christ to radiate through you by the Holy Spirit to kill the sin and set you free from it, to place the power of sin in remission in your life until you are made completely perfect and whole. There is a solution. Sometimes you are going to want to sin. Sometimes you're going to do it as easily and with as little thought as you breathe if you are not actively treating it. You treat it through relationship with God, but you can't do it. You can't just stop it. You can't will it. You must surrender to the One who can control it. But you can't even stay surrendered on your own. You need grace, undeserved and unearned power above and beyond your own. to do it, and it will be a process or progression into growing healthy, not an instant fix.
We are called to edify and encourage one another. Find another believer that walks in the power of grace to lean on for help, accountability and advice. Habitual sin is not the leprosy of Christianity that means you have to stay outside the congregation and hide it or be condemned a rejected. Find someone to share with, because confessing the sin helps break its power and start the healing. Sin is like a fungus. It grows better in the dark. Stop trying to quit and then hating yourself when you fail Lean on Jesus and walk in His grace. It is the Spirit of God that sets us free from sin, and not our strength, will or power. Your determination or lack of it is irrelevant. And please don't accept the sin in your life. The truth that it is beyond your ability to control, stop or eradicate doesn't mean it doesn't need to be dealt with and treated any more than any physical deadly disease should be left untreated simply because we can't control, stop or eradicate it on our own. Sin is killing us. Ignore the shame, call the Doctor, and stop listening to the quacks telling you to treat yourself.
Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.
If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment