The question is simple.
Is addiction the sin of idolatry, or is it a disease?
I worked in a parachurch ministry dealing with addicts, particularly substance abuse.
I have never had a recognized substance abuse problem, although in principle, I believe that I have been addicted to one substance: food. But, it is not the type of substance abuse problem one would ordinarily recognize.
As I worked with individuals who had issues with drugs or alcohol, though, one of them acquainted me with the thought that addiction is really idolatry.
The person is filling the void in his life with some substance, and he is viewing that substance as the satisfaction of the needs for fulfillment, pleasure, and purpose in life. All other things are subject to this substance.
Additionally, the ordinary believer is basically facing the same situation. The deeper sins of our lives are actually idols. We have not replaced them with a passionate love for God, or we wouldn't continue to be involved with them.
And, no one has killed all the idols in their lives yet. I think every sin we commit displays that we are not really trusting in God to supply our deepest needs, so we are reaching out to that sin for satisfaction, whether it is a substance or not.
Anyways, here's a few books on addiction that might help if you are struggling with something. I think all Christians should read these types of books anyways, because I believe we are all idolaters at heart:
Redemption: Freed by Jesus From the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry, Mike Wilkerson
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters, Timothy Keller
The Heart of Addictions, Mark Shaw
Recovering Redemption: A Gospel Saturated Perspective on How to Change, Matt Chandler
Addictions: A Banquet In the Grave: Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel, Ed Welch
Personally, I think it is important for the person to know that his identity is in Christ, and he shouldn't label himself by his addiction. He has been redeemed and is a new creation. He may still struggle in this area, but he is not a drug addict, alcoholic, or homosexual anymore.
I think it is harmful to claim that alcoholism, drug addiction, and sexual immorality is a disease, though. And, the believer is not helpless over it in the ultimate sense. If he has been joined to Christ, then he is no longer under the slavery of sin. That is what Romans 6:1-14 teaches. So, we need to take personal responsibility for our sins, and claiming our sins are diseases is a false teaching.
I have faced a lot of criticism for saying this on another thread, but it is a biblical truth that I believe we see evidenced in Paul's writings. When he corrects believers who are involved in particular sins, he tells them that they are in Christ, and they need to behave according to this identity.
Attached are two articles by Jeff Durbin, who worked in a hospital dealing with addiction. It will give you a more articulate explanation than mine.
Anyways, let me know what you think by voting.
Is addiction the sin of idolatry, or is it a disease?
I worked in a parachurch ministry dealing with addicts, particularly substance abuse.
I have never had a recognized substance abuse problem, although in principle, I believe that I have been addicted to one substance: food. But, it is not the type of substance abuse problem one would ordinarily recognize.
As I worked with individuals who had issues with drugs or alcohol, though, one of them acquainted me with the thought that addiction is really idolatry.
The person is filling the void in his life with some substance, and he is viewing that substance as the satisfaction of the needs for fulfillment, pleasure, and purpose in life. All other things are subject to this substance.
Additionally, the ordinary believer is basically facing the same situation. The deeper sins of our lives are actually idols. We have not replaced them with a passionate love for God, or we wouldn't continue to be involved with them.
And, no one has killed all the idols in their lives yet. I think every sin we commit displays that we are not really trusting in God to supply our deepest needs, so we are reaching out to that sin for satisfaction, whether it is a substance or not.
Anyways, here's a few books on addiction that might help if you are struggling with something. I think all Christians should read these types of books anyways, because I believe we are all idolaters at heart:
Redemption: Freed by Jesus From the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry, Mike Wilkerson
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters, Timothy Keller
The Heart of Addictions, Mark Shaw
Recovering Redemption: A Gospel Saturated Perspective on How to Change, Matt Chandler
Addictions: A Banquet In the Grave: Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel, Ed Welch
Personally, I think it is important for the person to know that his identity is in Christ, and he shouldn't label himself by his addiction. He has been redeemed and is a new creation. He may still struggle in this area, but he is not a drug addict, alcoholic, or homosexual anymore.
I think it is harmful to claim that alcoholism, drug addiction, and sexual immorality is a disease, though. And, the believer is not helpless over it in the ultimate sense. If he has been joined to Christ, then he is no longer under the slavery of sin. That is what Romans 6:1-14 teaches. So, we need to take personal responsibility for our sins, and claiming our sins are diseases is a false teaching.
I have faced a lot of criticism for saying this on another thread, but it is a biblical truth that I believe we see evidenced in Paul's writings. When he corrects believers who are involved in particular sins, he tells them that they are in Christ, and they need to behave according to this identity.
Attached are two articles by Jeff Durbin, who worked in a hospital dealing with addiction. It will give you a more articulate explanation than mine.
Anyways, let me know what you think by voting.
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