The Addict is Sin-Sick

We are all sin-sick people. Every single person ever created is afflicted with the same "disease." What separates the Christian from the rest of the population is only grace. Because of grace, that wonderful marvelous gift of God in Jesus Christ, the Christian can overcome the dis-ease of sin and its resulting sickness. Never completely in this body, but we all rejoice in knowing that one day we will be freed from the ravages of sin-sicknesses.

Among the ailments caused by sin-sick hearts is every form of addiction, lust of the flesh, impure thought, and covetous desire. Sin is indeed our core problem.

Ask anyone struggling with a life-dominating sin like drug abuse or "alcoholism" what drives their addiction and you will get a host of answers, none of which would be sin. To begin with, they may have no clue that it is a life-dominating sin and may be really offended that you said that in the first place! They may not feel as though they are sinning, they may have been told they have a disease, and they may not believe that the Bible has the answers to their problem.

It is critically important that you help them to see that sin truly is the root of this problem, just like all others. It is important that you help them to see that is good news not some screaming condemnation of their person-hood. Our job is not to condemn anyone; our job is to bring help, healing and hope to those who suffer.

The reason this is such good news is because it brings the gospel back center stage. You see, if there is sin then there is need for a Savior! If there is sin that needs conquering, we have One to whom we can look for that cure! (If sin is not the problem then we are left with humanistic philosophies and man made solutions that chain us to some recovery group or set of steps in which we must abide or be ruined. I reject this last thought!)

The label of alcoholic or addict is not found in Scripture. So you may think that the Bible does not address such "scientific diseases" as our modern psychologists have "discovered." Would you be surprised to know that the Bible is loaded with accounts of people who had tragic results from imbibing in alcohol?

Noah got drunk and lay with his nakedness uncovered (Gen.9:18-27), Lot was given wine to drink and lay with his own daughters and impregnated them! (Gen 19:30-38). Nabal (1 Sam. 25:36) drank himself drunk at a great feast he held for himself as though he were a king. He was so drunk that his wife knew to speak to him about her saving all their lives would have been a waste of time so she waited until the next day. These are a sampling of what we find in the Word of God, written a few thousand years ago about what is today known as an illness.

How wise we are! How advanced our civilization is! How enlightened! ...how foolish indeed.

One must only look to the words of Proverbs 23:29-35 to see there is nothing new under the sun. The modern day addict is a biblical drunkard. Again, I say this is good news!! It is good because in the eyes of God it is only sin. And sin has been crushed under the heel of Jesus Christ and it has been vanquished!

I encourage you to begin to look at the truth of these issues. Start today to develop a biblical worldview and mindset on this critical topic!