There is Hope for Overcoming Addiction!
The victory is in Jesus
Substance-use disorders (SUD) are prevalent within the United States. Based on 2022 statistics published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 84.1% of the US population ages 18 and above said that they drank alcohol in their lifetime.While some consume alcohol in moderation, the tragedy is that in 2022 approximately 29.5 million people in the USA (~11% of the population), suffered from Alcohol Use Disorder and sadly in 2022 approximately 140,557 people lost their lives due to their consumption of alcohol.1 These grim statistics underscore the need for effective remedies to combat alcoholism and other forms of SUD.
The cause of our problems
The Bible makes it clear that the root cause of all our problems is sin, which affects every human being, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). In fact, the Bible also states that, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Therefore, no amount of schooling, as helpful as that may be, can equip us to meet God’s standards.
Why sin is a “big deal”
None of us can measure up to God’s standards. We are all subject to the same punishment since “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Having sin within us makes us vulnerable to the harmful habits that bring slavery, misery, and pain into our lives (i.e. various addictions). Sin within leads us into bondage!
The solution
To deliver us from the bondage that sin produces in our lives, God became a man to become the Substitute for every human being on earth, whatever their background. Jesus of Nazareth was not merely a man; He was God in the flesh “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1: 1, 14). Reader, if you are battling with any addiction, whether alcohol, it could be drugs, pornography, or anything else, the Lord Jesus Christ can set you free! He wants to deliver you from every type of addiction. Listen to His words in John 10:10: “ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus wants to give you life!
Steps to freedom
Dear reader, these are the steps you need to take:
- Acknowledge that you have a problem with sin. Do not put the blame for your problems on anyone else.
- Repent of your sins. Make a U-turn in your life. Having realized that you are currently on the wrong road, take the alternate route that your intrinsic GPS is telling you to take. It’s the road that leads to God, and specifically to Jesus Christ! “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37). “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
- Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that when He went to that cross ,He died for you. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
- Believe that He rose again from among the dead. This shows that God has accepted the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, He died on your behalf. Therefore, if you believe, you are completely FREE from the judgment that your sins deserve. “He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4).
- Let others around you know that you have made a commitment to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
What happens when you become a Christian
Dear reader, if you have truly followed the steps outlined above, God does the work in your heart. He gives you the Holy Spirit to live within you. “…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).
The Holy Spirit gives us the POWER to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit living inside of you is the POWER to overcome any addiction. Personal efforts and good intentions will fail you, but God the Holy Spirit will give you the POWER to enjoy your life. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36).
Dear reader, the Lord Jesus can truly set you free from your alcohol use disorder or any other addiction. He has done this for millions down through the ages.
Follow up If you have found this information helpful, and you need additional help, please send an email to this address brothers@afewgathered.org. Someone will respond to you.