Delivered?
How dare anyone claim that I can be delivered from alcoholism? Who can claim to be changed and set free from this disease?
This would mean that the person delivered could drink without it becoming a waking nightmare. In cases that someone could drink comfortably after having problems with alcohol, there is no criterion for proving that they were ever an alcoholic in the first place.
Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. By God's grace perhaps a sober alcoholic and that not by the will of man, it is the gift of God. The Spirit trumps the ever-twisted will of the individual and the choice to become intoxicated is no longer available. There is now no fear in admitting the desire to drink. It cannot happen. This is the power of God.
The God of all creation sends His Spirit to awaken the spirit of an individual and that individual becomes sober for life. The individual is what we call an alcoholic. God's perspective is better, truer and higher than ours AND it was He who crafted the individual in the first place. The alcoholic should never drink alcohol. The Biblical parallel is found in Proverbs 30.
There is an assumption made that the individual should be changed to something other than an alcoholic. There is no term for what would result because such a creature does not exist. So the concept that enough faith or the right faith can heal the individual makes the assumption that it would be a healing. Being an alcoholic is assumed to be a curse. The only curse is that the alcoholic is denied alcohol because of the consequences. So the only purpose for such a healing would be to enable an alcoholic to drink.
An alcoholic will drink, either drink obsessively or, if obsessing about quitting, drink compulsively. There is no chance that they will not drink. So sobriety is the miracle. It is the fact that death is not the result that is a testament to God's power. For the alcoholic to then drink comfortably later would be a witness to no one of God's power. It would subvert the intense witness of an alcoholic becoming sober.
There is deliverance from the eternal consequence of sin.
There is deliverance from guilt that paralyzes the mind.
There is a vast gray area that God may or may not step towards and change.
Alcoholism is not in the gray area.
Woe to any "friend" who convinces an alcoholic that alcoholism can be healed. The only way to then show forth the wonder is to provide a cup of venom. It would be far more merciful to murder them.
Some alcoholics are diagnosed by amateurs. Some alcoholics are diagnosed by professionals. The vast majority of these diagnoses are absolutely ignored by the alcoholic. Only the alcoholic's repentance on this point is of any value toward lasting sobriety. A public proclamation of this repentance needs to be made. This is the will of God; this is the work of the Spirit. The will of the individual has no power to cause sobriety. Sin causes torment and a desire for venom. Outward acts of repentance alleviate the torment. Notice that these steps form the background of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Some say let the individual NOW be fully healed. In regard to the matter, they are already fully healed, and they are still an alcoholic and must never drink.
I believe the alcoholic is special, uniquely crafted by God for a purpose- a higher purpose. The alcoholic is called to a larger responsibility in the world. Unfortunately the burden of this calling most often goes unfulfilled. There is the warping effect of sin that causes an intense desire to escape (like Jonah). But the gift of God is without repentance. What we term as alcoholism is part of (or the result of) a gift. The sober alcoholic should never desire to be delivered from the calling. It is part of God's design.
Bobby
This would mean that the person delivered could drink without it becoming a waking nightmare. In cases that someone could drink comfortably after having problems with alcohol, there is no criterion for proving that they were ever an alcoholic in the first place.
Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. By God's grace perhaps a sober alcoholic and that not by the will of man, it is the gift of God. The Spirit trumps the ever-twisted will of the individual and the choice to become intoxicated is no longer available. There is now no fear in admitting the desire to drink. It cannot happen. This is the power of God.
The God of all creation sends His Spirit to awaken the spirit of an individual and that individual becomes sober for life. The individual is what we call an alcoholic. God's perspective is better, truer and higher than ours AND it was He who crafted the individual in the first place. The alcoholic should never drink alcohol. The Biblical parallel is found in Proverbs 30.
There is an assumption made that the individual should be changed to something other than an alcoholic. There is no term for what would result because such a creature does not exist. So the concept that enough faith or the right faith can heal the individual makes the assumption that it would be a healing. Being an alcoholic is assumed to be a curse. The only curse is that the alcoholic is denied alcohol because of the consequences. So the only purpose for such a healing would be to enable an alcoholic to drink.
An alcoholic will drink, either drink obsessively or, if obsessing about quitting, drink compulsively. There is no chance that they will not drink. So sobriety is the miracle. It is the fact that death is not the result that is a testament to God's power. For the alcoholic to then drink comfortably later would be a witness to no one of God's power. It would subvert the intense witness of an alcoholic becoming sober.
There is deliverance from the eternal consequence of sin.
There is deliverance from guilt that paralyzes the mind.
There is a vast gray area that God may or may not step towards and change.
Alcoholism is not in the gray area.
Woe to any "friend" who convinces an alcoholic that alcoholism can be healed. The only way to then show forth the wonder is to provide a cup of venom. It would be far more merciful to murder them.
Some alcoholics are diagnosed by amateurs. Some alcoholics are diagnosed by professionals. The vast majority of these diagnoses are absolutely ignored by the alcoholic. Only the alcoholic's repentance on this point is of any value toward lasting sobriety. A public proclamation of this repentance needs to be made. This is the will of God; this is the work of the Spirit. The will of the individual has no power to cause sobriety. Sin causes torment and a desire for venom. Outward acts of repentance alleviate the torment. Notice that these steps form the background of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Some say let the individual NOW be fully healed. In regard to the matter, they are already fully healed, and they are still an alcoholic and must never drink.
I believe the alcoholic is special, uniquely crafted by God for a purpose- a higher purpose. The alcoholic is called to a larger responsibility in the world. Unfortunately the burden of this calling most often goes unfulfilled. There is the warping effect of sin that causes an intense desire to escape (like Jonah). But the gift of God is without repentance. What we term as alcoholism is part of (or the result of) a gift. The sober alcoholic should never desire to be delivered from the calling. It is part of God's design.
Bobby
posted by Bobby at 12/13/2005 06:54:00 AM
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