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Health & Fitness

The Scriptural "Distortions" of Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous claims to be based on Biblical principles. In reality, the Bible points us away from ourselves and to Life: Jesus Christ through His Finished Work at the Cross.

Proponents of Alcoholics Anonymous legitimize the 12 Steps of by claiming that they are based on the Bible. Unfortunately, the Word of God has no life to impart if not read with the primary focus in mind: Christ and Him  Crucified.

Paul's primary goal was to preach Jesus Christ, He whom the Scriptures declare:

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2: 2)

Jesus Christ  Himself made the point clearly to the most learned of religious  types:

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

"And ye will not come to me, that  ye might have life." (John 5: 39-40)

Without Jesus as the central focus in all Scripture, the Bible imparts nothing to the believer:

"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

"Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be  taken away.

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the  Lord is, there is liberty.

"But we all, with open face  beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image  from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. " (2 Corinthians 3: 15-18)

The "vail" can be on the heart of any man who reads Scripture in order to promote his own works or to seek out the steps on how to do  anything. Moses is a picture of the law, or any attempt for many to receive or  achieve anything based on his own merits, as the entire law, the Old Covenant, in which man had to do something in order to remove the curse of sin in his life.

Jesus came to give us life, and that more abundantly (John 10: 10). His death grants us His Life, freedom from all condemnation, that we may receive the gfits of righteousness and grace and reign in life (Romans 5: 17)

The Bible will be a closed book to any man who has not received His Holy Spirit, by which we can receive all knowledge (1 John 2: 20, 27)

So, whenever reading and receiving revelation, the Word of God must glorify the One who lives in and through the  Believer -- Jesus Christ:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I  live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the  flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 20-21)

If we try to be obedient, try to work up instead of work out our salvation (Philippians 2: 12-13), then we frustrate God's grace, for:

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty;

"And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to  nought things that are:

"That no flesh should glory in his presence." (1 Corinthians 1: 27-29)

And

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3: 3)

Scripture must glorify Jesus Christ, not us; make His life manifest, not make anything of man. The Twelve Steps glorify man; the Twelve Steps point us at ourselves, and all of the preoccupation with self makes people are depressed, why people drink and abuse drugs. No matter how much a man may try to fix himself, no matter how many times someone takes his inventory, it will never be good enough. I cannot recount the number of people in AA meetings who were miserable and bored and frustrated. They did not drink, but they had not life.

Without five, ten, or even "Twelve Steps", Jesus Christ came that we may have life, and that more abundantly in Him (John 10: 10).

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