According to reports, over 9 million Americans need treatment for drug addiction. Worldwide, the number of drug addicts is astounding. At the same time, there are an estimated 12 million alcoholics in the United States. Many term alcoholism as a disease, and certainly there are people who seem to have more of a propensity to fall into addiction when they take a drink. Yet the true addiction of the world is to sin.
“All sin tends to be addictive, and the terminal part of addiction is what is called damnation.” W.H. Auden
It all began with Adam and Eve disregarding the words of God, led by the silver-tongued serpent, confounding them with his misleading speech. Yet even that first sin pointed to the same aspects of our sinful behavior discussed in 1 John.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:16-17
Eve’s flesh desired to savor the taste of the delicious fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Her eyes noticed the beauty of the fruit. Yet Eve had another motive.
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:2-5
Pridefully, Eve desired to be like God! When we approach sin, Satan lies to us about God’s instructions, as well as His punishments associated with our sinful behavior. “It’s not as big of a deal as you think it is,” Satan reminds us, though in truth, our sinful behavior creates spiritual death and separation from God. Without repentance, we are destined for eternal damnation, just as Auden highlighted as the terminal point of addiction. Sadly, we are addicted to sin, and have no chance at conquering the addictions of our lives without the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. He reminds us, convinces us, and convicts us that what we are doing is not what God requires of us.
Addiction is the biggest liar. When involved in our sins, we lie to cover our tracks with family and friends. At the same time, we lie to ourselves, trying to convince ourselves that the addiction is controllable. Lastly, we lie to God! “If you help me out of this jam, I will never do that again.” George Carlin said, “Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.” Without God, we cannot get the monkey off our back! All of us as Christians still fall prey to Satan’s plots, tripping us up with sin. When people we love are struggling with sin it breaks our hearts, for we can look back and see similar struggles in our own lives. Without total surrender to God, we are destined for failure. But if you call on the name of Jesus, you will be saved!
The response of Jesus to the woman caught in the act of adultery reminds us of how God views our sin if we repent:
10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 8:10-11
Our Lord desires for us to depart from the sin. That involves leaving our sinful past behind. Certainly, we all continue to struggle, but God desires for our sin to break our own hearts in the same manner that it breaks His heart. When we desire to please Him above all else, He will carry us through all difficulties. That being said, anyone struggling with the addiction of sin or the sin of addiction needs to turn it over to God. He is not there to condemn, but to love and forgive to those willing to bring it to Him.
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
John 5:14
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