Should Those Who Have Addiction Struggles Be Allowed In the Church Ministry?
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It depends. Although all addictions are the same in terms of cycle, they are also different in terms of severity. Drug and alcohol addictions take over lives. A person can become addicted to coffee, though, or Facebook. If your friend has a drug, alcohol, porn, or gambling addiction, then I'd say she would need to get into treatment for it. If her addiction is that of a "lesser" one such as internet/social media, coffee/caffeine, shopping, or tv, then she should be able to fulfill her purpose in ministry while working on overcoming her addiction. That way, it doesn't become a bigger one. I'm in recovery and ministry at the same time, as I have a food addiction. I serve in Celebrate Recovery and attend OA meetings.
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Judgment begins at the house of God. While he has rules that set up the the reformed government. One of them is not do not let sinners in the door. How each assembly handles the word of God in a hope God is with them it varies . But if they deny Christ by adding oral traditions that make the word of God without effect. We would offer them the gospel which is not a licence to sin but a cure.
Destroying the meaning of the world marriage by a public officiate as it is used to represent the word church male and female as the bride of Christ as representative glory not seen it would seem the church is under judgement, But is retreating to the closet while those in the closets of their privacy are coming out.
How about all the denominations restoring the meaning of the word before the Tower of Babel falls on us all? ?
Destroying the meaning of the world marriage by a public officiate as it is used to represent the word church male and female as the bride of Christ as representative glory not seen it would seem the church is under judgement, But is retreating to the closet while those in the closets of their privacy are coming out.
How about all the denominations restoring the meaning of the word before the Tower of Babel falls on us all? ?
Since running that race includes laying aside every weight & sin daily...
Hebrews 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,[SUP] 2 [/SUP]Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For the purpose of bringing our body under subjection as Paul was admitting that he was continuously doing...
1 Corinthians 9:[SUP]24 [/SUP]Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.[SUP] 25 [/SUP]And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.[SUP]26 [/SUP]I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:[SUP] 27 [/SUP]But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Then they can serve in a ministry in helping others struggle with addiction, BUT if they are sinning at the time of the ministry, they need to repent first before continuing.
Galatians 6:1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.[SUP] 2 [/SUP]Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.[SUP] 3 [/SUP]For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.[SUP] 4 [/SUP]But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.[SUP]5 [/SUP]For every man shall bear his own burden.
Every member is to care for each other and not just the minister.
1 Corinthians 12:[SUP]25 [/SUP]That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.[SUP] 26 [/SUP]And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.[SUP] 27 [/SUP]Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
As long as the minister is not in the addiction at the time and has repented, they can minister as other members of the body of Christ that suffer same affliction or not, can minister to each other so as to fulfill the law of Christ in loving one another.
So if a minister has fallen off the wagon, then he is to be ministered to, but until he has repented, he obviously cannot minister.
Matthew 7:[SUP]3 [/SUP]And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?[SUP] 4 [/SUP]Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?[SUP] 5 [/SUP]Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Hebrews 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,[SUP] 2 [/SUP]Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For the purpose of bringing our body under subjection as Paul was admitting that he was continuously doing...
1 Corinthians 9:[SUP]24 [/SUP]Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.[SUP] 25 [/SUP]And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.[SUP]26 [/SUP]I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:[SUP] 27 [/SUP]But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Then they can serve in a ministry in helping others struggle with addiction, BUT if they are sinning at the time of the ministry, they need to repent first before continuing.
Galatians 6:1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.[SUP] 2 [/SUP]Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.[SUP] 3 [/SUP]For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.[SUP] 4 [/SUP]But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.[SUP]5 [/SUP]For every man shall bear his own burden.
Every member is to care for each other and not just the minister.
1 Corinthians 12:[SUP]25 [/SUP]That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.[SUP] 26 [/SUP]And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.[SUP] 27 [/SUP]Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
As long as the minister is not in the addiction at the time and has repented, they can minister as other members of the body of Christ that suffer same affliction or not, can minister to each other so as to fulfill the law of Christ in loving one another.
So if a minister has fallen off the wagon, then he is to be ministered to, but until he has repented, he obviously cannot minister.
Matthew 7:[SUP]3 [/SUP]And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?[SUP] 4 [/SUP]Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?[SUP] 5 [/SUP]Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.