How Should Christians Overcome Addictions?
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- To gain a deeper and more biblical understanding of these issues, consider listening to the following sermons by Dr. Caldwell:
The Certainty of New Life: • The Certainty of New Life
The Application of Doctrine: • The Application of Doc...
Salvation's New Abilities: • Salvation’s New Abilities
The Outcome of Our New Slavery: • The Outcome of Our New...
God-Given Motivations for Spiritual Growth: • God-Given Motivations ...
The Believing Life: • The Believing Life - C...
The Mercy of Warnings: • The Mercy of Warning
Such Were Some of You: • Such Were Some Of You ...
A Love the Christian Must Reject: • A Love The Christian M...
How should Christians think about addictions? What should Christians do to battle and overcome addictions? Can we be completely healed from our addictions? Is there real hope for those caught up in bondage to drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, pornography, food, smoking, etc.?
This week on the Straight Truth Podcast host, Dr. Josh Philpot approaches Dr. Richard Caldwell with these questions regarding addictions. He asks Dr. Caldwell is it possible for someone to overcome being held captive to their addictions? How would he offer hope to someone who struggles with addiction?
Dr. Caldwell says where we must begin when speaking with the person dealing with these kinds of things in their life would be with the genuineness of their salvation. Because, before we can even start to discuss dealing with the issues at hand, we must know if the person has access to the things in Christ to overcome patterns of sin. So first, is, do they know Christ, do they have the Spirit of God, are they a new creation?
If the person knows Christ, they must understand and recognize that addiction issues are sin issues. Dr. Caldwell says people need to stop thinking about addictions as diseases. An addiction is a habit we have formed; it is what we do. While diseases can and may develop in our bodies by reason of the things we do to and with our bodies, disease is not the action; disease is the consequence of the action. The action we choose and then do that forms the addictions is sin. Even though one may have predispositions toward certain sins or genetics that would easily explain an individual's failings, they are still sin issues. These things must be identified, discussed, and handled biblically, using biblical language and thought of in terms of biblical categories. The Bible doesn’t deal with these things as diseases. The Bible deals with these things as sins against God. So we must deal with them as the sins that they are.
How then does a believer deal with and overcome sin? The answer, Dr. Caldwell says, is progressively and not in isolation from other believers. The believer must be faithful to the Lord’s Church and to the means that He has provided for growth and sanctification; His Word and prayer. Dr. Caldwell offers some practical insights regarding accountability for help and encouragement, the importance of vulnerability, honesty, and transparency, along with the absolute necessity of putting away pride.
Dr. Caldwell says it comes down to this: there are no magic bullets! There is not some prayer that we can pray for it all to be gone. God in His sovereignty has chosen to deliver some people almost instantly from certain addictions they have had, but that is not true for every person. We must take the disciplines spoken of in the Word of God and practice them. We must confess our sin, repent of it, and we must turn from it. However, it isn’t just a matter of stopping the sin we’ve been doing and now saying no to it. We must also be pursuing the will of God by saying yes to something else. Sometimes we lack the strength to say no because we aren’t pursuing the right things.
Lastly, Dr. Caldwell says that there is another area of dealing with our sin that is related; our thought level. He asks, are we dealing with sin artificially? Are we attempting to deal with it according to human philosophy, the best that man can offer? Any lost person can approach dealing with sin in these kinds of ways. But, there is no therapy, number of steps, or quick fix remedies that will heal or alleviate our sin problems. As Christians, we want what God gives. We want what is explained by the Spirit of God and the Word of God. If we pursue dealing with addiction this way, the result is that there is long-term help concerning our sin issues.
Your absolutely right I am an addict and have been saved I've struggled with this sin for many years and it has made me become more aware of the need for god in my life. That means reading his word and prayer.
This is so true! Justified after years in new age and occult. Suddenly I felt I was no longer up to it. Years in nightlife I no longer like disco music or house music - even throwed away some records. As I throwed away books. (Similar to the witches that burned all that as in the Bible - but just read that passage later, and laughed and thanked God ❤️). To God be the Glory!
He takes care of His children! ❤️
Amen! He certainly does. Praise our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 'For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure', Philippians 2:13.
Why are Christians addicted? How to overcome addiction? For more details, please watch the sermon of the Light of Wisdom Church, welcome everyone to study and discuss together. Video “Happiness Increases Greed, and Greed Increases Suffering ｜The Essence of Happiness & True Freedom 03”
If you think it makes sense, we must not only believe it ourselves, but also spread it to more people. Evangelism is not only the job of pastors, but also the responsibility of every believer. This is also the aspect that the Lord values most when ascending to the kingdom of heaven.
Born again and baptised and still struggling with past sins.
This is the truth 100% 🙌🏻 thank you so much for this 🙏🏻✝️
My addiction is the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with. My back pain is crippling…if not for my back pain I’d stop taking them.
In my experience, the meds make the pain worse.
".it's never just saying no to something. At the same time, we're saying yes to the will of God." Incredible words of wisdom. Thank you very much, Dr. Caldwell. Glory be to God.
Why are Christians addicted? How to overcome addiction? For more details, please watch the sermon of the Light of Wisdom Church, welcome everyone to study and discuss together. Video “Happiness Increases Greed, and Greed Increases Suffering ｜The Essence of Happiness & True Freedom 03”
If you think it makes sense, we must not only believe it ourselves, but also spread it to more people. Evangelism is not only the job of pastors, but also the responsibility of every believer. This is also the aspect that the Lord values most when ascending to the kingdom of heaven.
Why are Christians addicted? How to overcome addiction? For more details, please watch the sermon of the Light of Wisdom Church, welcome everyone to study and discuss together. Video “Happiness Increases Greed, and Greed Increases Suffering ｜The Essence of Happiness & True Freedom 03”
If you think it makes sense, we must not only believe it ourselves, but also spread it to more people. Evangelism is not only the job of pastors, but also the responsibility of every believer. This is also the aspect that the Lord values most when ascending to the kingdom of heaven.
While I appreciate this discussion about addictions, I do not think that only characterizing addiction "Obviously this is a result of a sinful flesh" is helpful. Addiction is both a moral choice and a physical disease. To treat one and not the other will not properly address all the myriad challenges associated with this difficult struggle.
Why are Christians addicted? How to overcome addiction? For more details, please watch the sermon of the Light of Wisdom Church, welcome everyone to study and discuss together. Video “Happiness Increases Greed, and Greed Increases Suffering ｜The Essence of Happiness & True Freedom 03”
If you think it makes sense, we must not only believe it ourselves, but also spread it to more people. Evangelism is not only the job of pastors, but also the responsibility of every believer. This is also the aspect that the Lord values most when ascending to the kingdom of heaven.
I need help
It’s completely lost on me why drug addiction/substance use disorder should not be thought of as a disease?! Besides drug addiction being rooted in neurochemistry, there’s drug withdrawal/dependence. A physical ailment you cannot control anymore you can control while having the flu. Addiction and substance use disorder is a habit or disposition that’s regarded as being harmful to that person. That’s literally just the definition of disease. People can control if they do drugs, but they can’t control having addiction or SUD. Having the addiction itself is not sin anymore than having major depressive disorder. There is a reason why hundreds of thousands of doctors and medical professionals in the US address it as a disease. In contrast to Christian religious drug treatment, considering and treating it rightfully as a disease is overall the most effective, profitable, and helpful way to produce long periods of sobriety without relapse. Not considering it as a disease is completely inappropriate. Treatment plans are best led by a clinician. Especially when you fail to address it as it is-a disease and mental illness.
Why are Christians addicted? How to overcome addiction? For more details, please watch the sermon of the Light of Wisdom Church, welcome everyone to study and discuss together. Video “Happiness Increases Greed, and Greed Increases Suffering ｜The Essence of Happiness & True Freedom 03”
If you think it makes sense, we must not only believe it ourselves, but also spread it to more people. Evangelism is not only the job of pastors, but also the responsibility of every believer. This is also the aspect that the Lord values most when ascending to the kingdom of heaven.
How do you medically cure someone of drug addiction?
I understand as a therapist why you and others describe addiction as a disease. However, At the root of any addiction (food, drugs, shopping etc) is sin, specifically the sin of idolatry. Our flesh is always looking for ways outside of God to avoid pain and enhance pleasure.