Does God heal addictions?

A declaration by someone else can't affect you anyways. That's Word of Faith garbage. For instance, if you told me something was going to happen to me, I would just consider it garbage talk brought upon by people who strut about here and there, thinking they are the power of God like Simon the Sorcerer of Acts 8.

I do agree that you shouldn't claim that another person is going to fail and fall back into an addiction, though. But, even if a believer slips up, God doesn't cast them aside anyways according to 1 John 1:8-9. God is in it for the long haul.

I also know individuals with serious addiction issues who have gotten past them. Even if they drifted back into them, I would not claim they are without hope. Maybe the first time they had a long dry spell, it was their flesh instead of the power of the indwelling Christ working through them. Christians "overcome" through the flesh and their own will sometimes, too.

By the way, I think the first thing any believer needs to know is that Jesus died for his sins, and needs to be given a new heart that responds to this truth in faith and repentance. Repentance is primarily a change of mind, though. It is evidenced by a changed life, but the fullest manifestation of that is not realized until the resurrection.

A saved man is going to pursue holiness, though. He may fail for many years on the same sin, but God doesn't cast him aside, like some "free-willer" garbage teaches. He is faithful, and continues to work in that person's life.

I am committed that the concept of grace must be the foundation of any successful overcoming, and that the concepts of union with Christ and identity in him are first and foremost in the real believers' arsenal.

Some Christians still don't understand this, and they are out there pointing to themselves rather than Jesus and his indwelling presence mediated through the Holy Spirit. They give no glory to God. They may limp around looking spiritually health, but my guess is that they still await true deliverance.

I hope you don't fall for the whole group of weirdos who claim that you need to be delivered from demons and/or generational curses. That's just a detour. And, I think it's taught largely so someone else can hang his shingle out and control others by making him their "savior" of sorts. One particular subculture within professing Christianity thinks that they are the mighty power of God, and they find a ready market for struggling seekers or new believers.

As for me, yes his declaration did not affect me at all . But what about those weaker or new believers? chopping at their efforts to hang onto Christ and change their lives for the better can be infected with bad feelings and thoughts when a more mature believer injects such negitive and evil projections into their ears. Whatever goes into an ear never comes back out and for the weak it will have a negative effect, this is why I disagree. This is the reason I was so harsh on him. Because he needs to realize that his words do matter and do infect those who hear his words. He needs to bring his tongue unde4r control and never speak any evil or negitive into the life of any person and especially into the ears of any believer.
How do you think Jim Jones talked over 900 people into killing themselves and their children?? How do you think Hitler talked millions of folks into believing in him as the supreme leader??? How do you think the North Korean leadership has convinced a whole nation to believe that their Dear Leader is a God.
How is it in this day and time a young woman talked a young man into killing himself over the phone???
Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Pro. 15:4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
Matthew 5:37 "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Why do you think the Word of God speaks so much about the negative power of the tongue??? Why do you think the bible warns us about false prophets speaking deceitful things in their efforts to lead believer astray.
Because words can speak evil into the lives of believers and cause believers to go astry or destroy folks all together with the power of the tongue.

I don't disagree with those thoughts, but if they are taken to the extreme of positive and negative confession, they are wrong.

Someone else's words have no objective control over me.

I do agree, though, that no believer should be discouraging a person struggling with sin issues, and that is certainly one way to do it.

My encouragement would be that once a person is saved, God commits to them and displays his covenant-love (hesed) regardless of their performance.

So, I don't necessarily disagree with your harshness concerning discouragement. Discouragement can be done in many more subtle ways, though..such as "we are all just sinners anyways"....that was one that some prisoners said that rubbed me the wrong way. I think they were looking for excuses to justify their sin.

But, ultimately, I know it is grace that transforms, however true grace grieves over one's sin..just like this guy is doing.

But, peace to you on this issue..I just don't like any language that hints about Word of Faith teachings. They are a bunch of kooks. However I totally agree with your position on this. I believe that struggling individuals can be caused to stumble in their earnest attempts to defeat sin by claims that defeat is inevitable. Actually, Satan's defeat is inevitable, but on some issues the believer may be struggling with them until he dies.

Ok good for you.

What kind of dog do you have in the picture?

It's a Yorkee. My mom rescued the dog from the pound and when she died I adopted her. Her name is Cookie and besides God she is the best thing I have in my life right now. She loves her Daddy. LOL

Cute dog. I like to travel light so I don't want an animal to care for, but she looks like a nice one.

Thanks. My mother wasn't very nice to her and once while she had to stay in the hospital for a week I took care of the dog and she fell in love with me so that when I took her back to my mom I had to try and sneak out. But she would have no part of it. When Cookie saw me leaving she began barking because she didn't want me to leave her. She was found in a grocery store parking lot going from one car to another when she saw that black people were driving the car and she had also been abused. So when my mom died I didn't have the heart to turn her over to the pound. I am glad I didn't.

In my experience the addiction doesn't just get wiped out, though I have heard some people say that they've been divinely healed of addictions instantly. More often than not, change is incremental over time for Christians, not instant human perfection at the exact moment of belief in Christ. What I've seen is more like being blessed with the determination and and conviction to finally lay an addiction or bad habit to rest forever. I think the experience of how hard or easy it is might be a little different for everyone.

I think we just need to be practical sometimes. If you want to get out of an addiction, which I highly recommend, then use the right tools for the job. You can do it, the divine is in your corner, and can send the Holy Spirit to give you the conviction you need to make a strong stance against an addiction. All glory to to God.

Some dog owners visit hospitals and rehab units with large, gentle dogs. I was in the hospital and rehab center for 3 months after an auto accident. I believe dogs were brought in perhaps 3 times during this period. I don't remember if it was the hospital or the rehab center, though. I imagine the rehab center would have looser standards.

Yes I would agree. For some folks it would be incremental steps and I have known some folks who have been delivered in just that way.
God knows our hearts better than any man and He knows how best to work with us.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Good question.

I think it is important ask what is an addiction? And addition is the effect of a cause.

The Bible speak of the word " lust" we do not think of this as addiction but the context and application is appropriate I think.

The desire to please oneself and the search for it can be very controlling once the Body and mind think it has found it.

Crack was a very and is a very damaging drug. Those who have used it said to me " The first time I did it, was the best high I had". " After that I did what ever it took to achieve that first high, but I never could get it". " And it was the only thing I wanted was that first high".

That is an addiction. The very strong hold on person of bondage and chains. And addiction is the controlling factor to the idol one has created. Only the Power of God can break it, And Jesus said that is why HE came.

read Luke 4:18



The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[fn]
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

This is what Jesus came to do. So the answer is Yes God does heal addictions and sin bring torment and God wants us free from all sin. .

God is merciful, He is understanding and He forgives. Does the person want to stop the addiction? Does he want to continue walking in sin with this addiction? Without God we are nothing - no matter what the sin is. He saves us from all - and makes us new again in His name.

Yes I agree.
There are many components to addiction, emotional, physiological etc.,

As well different substances addict the body differently.

Christ has beat them all

Yet not everyone grabs hold of that.. many struggle and are indeed saved.

I agree with this... with the added note that some of these idols become PHYSICALLY addictive. In other words, your physical body HAS to have the substance, or you will die. Countless alcoholics have died from "DT's" ... I do not know for sure, but I am sure some drug addicts have died during withdrawl...

THIS is what I was talking about when I said that someone would fall right back into addiction.... ask ANY alcoholic in recovery if they would be ok with taking one drink... 99.9% would answer "NO"... I cast no aspersions on anyone in recovery. I hope and pray for continued abstinence... but I also know that many, many recovering addicts will have "slips"... where they give in to temptation, and slip up. It's not usually the end of the world, but it is simply a human "slip up". Exactly like any one of us who gives in to ANY temptation to sin. God forgives...

What our savior gives us is the power to overcome temptation. Not that our body's physical need for that addictive substance is instantly gone, but that we have the strength to resist that temptation... in many cases, permanently and completely... no slips.

This is not a message of doubt, but a message of celebration that Jesus heals our heart's evil desires....

nah.... you were "harsh" on me because I had the audacity to disagree with you. And guess what? Your harsh words had no effect on me, either!
Even though you "spoke evil against me"...