WHAT IS SIN PART B: The Addiction Template.

THE ADDICTION TEMPLATE: WHAT IS SIN PART B.

Once Jesus was talking to some real religious guys.  And he confronted their addiction/sin.  He confronted their toxic religiosity. These were the same folks that he had also told that they make the rules so difficult that no one can keep them; thereby placing an unnecessary load on other people’s backs.  I suspect the load would be felt in the form of guilt and shame. 

These are the TR folks (Toxically Religious Folks or TRF) who made these rules, but they were not held accountable to keep them for themselves.  Their whole life style of religion was based on lies that they believed others should do.  Kind of like, “Do as I say and not as I do.” They gave themselves the “right” to do this because they viewed themselves as “Abraham’s children.  But there was no resemblance to Abraham’s faith perspective, which Jesus attempted to point out; nevertheless, like addicts or sinners- who don’t want to face up or fess up- they remained in denial and were argumentative.  When confronted, they got angry.  They even became accusatory toward Jesus, as he attempted a valid intervention.  Those care givers, who have helped provide such interventions, can recognize these actions well.

Jesus tried helping them as he told them, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  They wanted nothing of it.  He tried to tell them about himself. He said of himself, “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.”  Again, they wanted nothing of what he was offering.  It is in the middle of this conversation that Jesus gave his own powerful definition of sin and its impact. “If you commit your life to a sin, you become its slave.”  Now the context of this is not, if you commit one sin, you will become enslaved. (Though committing a single sin has some impact for certain.) It is a reference to a life style of committing oneself to something, and that something then enslaves you. You simply cannot stop serving your task master.

I don’t know about you,  but this seems like a perfect template for viewing addiction.  Continually commit yourself to a sin—or addictive agent,  and it will take you over. And so today psychology has names for these addictions.  Alcohol abuse, cocaine abuse, meth abuse, spice abuse… or all of these… would mean poly addicted.  We have people in bondage to lying.  I have heard them called “pathological liars.” We have people who are sex addicts because they have committed themselves to some sort of sexual immorality, and it now enslaves them.  I know of those who are addicted, for example, to pornography.  It now consumes them.  It enslaves them.  There are those who are addicted to gaming or gambling to the point that it takes them over. The men of our discussion were spiritual abusers who were addicted (in bondage to toxic religiosity.)   Jesus makes it clear that they are slaves to sin, and they need someone to help them… to save them from themselves. Reader are you one of these?

Interestingly enough Jesus provides the remedy in the middle of the discussion. “If the son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”  AA came out of the Christian Church.  They used steps right out of the Bible that pointed people to Jesus.  Historically, they diluted the message for those who were atheistic and not open to what they offered. Today we have Celebrate Recovery that reclaims the steps as the means by which people can tap in to the power of the Son of God who is ONE with God… Jesus.  And it is amazing how many people have connected with the Son who sets them free. I have witnessed this with my very eyes, and experienced Jesus transformational power in my own life.

So, what is the point of this?  The point is, whether we use the definition A previously posted… or B which I am now posting… or both; there is one who provides supernatural power over those things that condemn us, destroy us, steal our souls and or enslave us.  His name is Jesus.  He IS the way, the truth and the life.  He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”  He not only forgives… He provides what is needed to break the chains of darkness, as he brings us into his Kingdom of light. He provides the means, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make you an overcomer.

The choice, as with the toxic religious ones, is always with you.  God NEVER will take away your choice to choose to be a slave.  AND he will support you when you choose to turn from your sins (addictions) to him. He will help you, as you connect with other people who are connected to God (Like Celebrate Recovery Folks.)  He will help you find a means of being free through him, as he has given us huge communities of people going before us today.  I am not making this up. Large numbers of people have learned –and they are learning—“They know the truth, and the truth indeed has and is setting them free.”

I Celebrate your Recovery in Advance. I Celebrate your life transformation ahead of time.  Choose life.   Why not know the truth, and …

Be Blessed 2day… Especially 2day.

SoJourner