BIBLICAL VIEW | ADDICTION (3)

1. Introduction

a) People who do not have control over what they are doing, taking or using. The brain experiences pleasure - and releases an immediate reward, leading to further and more frequent use.

2. Sin controls us - until that addiction power is broken...

a) Romans 6:19-20 New International Version (NIV)

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 

i) It's our choice...

b) Romans 6:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 

3. What is different when we submit to the Holy Spirit's control?

a) The results are entirely different. 

i) Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

b) No conflict with GOD here.

i) Romans 8:5-9 New International Version (NIV)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 

c) GOD control comes only as we embrace GOD's words, believe them, sow them into our "spiritual heart" and let those words do their job in our thinking.