Recount the interaction between the alcoholic and me at the dinner we were catering with Barb in Collins Center.
He was drunk
He did not want to hear about Jesus
He kept referring to "god as I understand him"
12 Steps of AA (written in the past tense for some reason)
1) "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable."
2) "Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
3) "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."
4) "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."
5) "Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
6) "Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."
7) "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."
8) "Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all."
9) "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."
10) "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it."
11) "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."
12) "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs."
Try to put yourself into the mindset where you:
1) do not know about Jesus
2) you are of the opinion that all roads lead to God
3) you want “something spiritual” as long as Jesus is not involved
Those 12 steps would sound great, wouldn’t they?
But … they’re not.
The “power” of these concepts is not found in truth but in deception.
We are warned about this in
Colossians 2:8
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
(Expand on each of the following a little if necessary)
The elemental spiritual forces of this world?
How are they involved in the 12 step process?
“god as we understand him?”
“Sought through prayer and meditation” without reference to the Bible?
“Having a spiritual awakening?
These all sound fine to the human mind apart from God.
But do they stand the test of Scriptures?
Let’s assume that we were going to rewrite the 12 step process in the Truth of Jesus and not just for alcoholics and drug addicts but for all who are in sinful rebellion against our Holy Savior.
All of the AA step are written in the past tense for some reason. As we look at them I have converted them to the present tense for the sake of consistency with the message of salvation and the breaking of the power of sin over our lives.
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The first step of AA is:
1) "We admit we are powerless over alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable."
The first step for all of us must be:
1) “We admit that we are sinners and are unable to free ourselves from the destructive power of sin in our lives.”
What Scriptures support the Christian version?
Romans 3:23 says,
“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God …”
Romans 7:14-15 gives us a glimpse of the power that sin has over those who are not filled with the Spirit of God even when they try to live according to the law of Moses on their own power,
“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
So for those enslaved to sin that first step, that realization of
1) “We admit that we are sinners and are unable to free ourselves from the destructive power of sin in our lives” is essential!
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Step 2 in AA is:
2) "We must come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
The Bible would say,
2) “We must come to believe that Jesus is the only hope for deliverance from slavery to sin.”
Romans 6:6 says,
“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin”
Galatians 2:20 says,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me gave Himself for me.”
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Step 3 in AA is:
3) "We must make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god as we understand him."
The Bible would say,
3) "We must make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to Christ and Christ alone for the salvation of our souls."
John 14:6-7 Jesus Himself says,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”
In Acts 4:12 Peter and John say of Jesus,
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
This “God as we understand Him” is a fabrication of the devil!
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Step 4 in AA is:
4) "Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."
Now, that’s not a bad idea, just once again, misdirected.
The Christian step would be:
4) "Allow the Holy Spirit to show us how sinful we really are."
Psalm 139:23-24 says,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
So, we can see how deceptive these 12 step statements are, so, let’s just kind of zip through them and then talk about the solution.
AA says
5) "Admit to “god”, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of your wrongs."
The Bible tells us to
5) “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” - James 5:16
AA says
6) "Be entirely ready to have “god” remove all these defects of character."
The Bible tells us
6) “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” - James 4:10
AA says
7) "Humbly asked “god” to remove your shortcomings."
The Bible tells us
7) “Be entirely ready to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” - Romans 12:2
AA says
8) "Make a list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all." And
9) "Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."
The Bible gives us a great example of this when Zacchaeus says
8) “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” - Luke 19:8
AA says
10) "Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it."
The Bible says
10) “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?” - 2 Corinthians 13:5
AA says
11) "Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with “god” as we understand him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out."
The Bible says
11) We should seek through prayer and the study of the Holy Bible to improve our love for One True God and for others.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“May God Himself, the God of Peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it!”
Finally AA says
12) "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs."
Once again, this is backwards. Our new birth in Christ comes first and THEN He leads us in the path of righteousness!
And, with this great deliverance from bondage to sin, true believers cannot help but declare their salvation because of Jesus!
Colossians 2:6-10
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head of every power and authority.”
Song - Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Benediction prayer
