June 13, 2019 -- John 8:31-36 -- What addictions bind you? Who can free you?
/So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:31-36
What is addiction? Edward Welsch defines it this way:
Addiction is bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or state of mind, which then becomes the center of life, defending itself from the truth so that even bad consequences don’t bring repentance, and leading to further estrangement from God.
E. Welch: “ADDICTIONS A Banquet in the Grave”
Hmm. Given that definition we might well ask ourselves: what substances, activities or states of mind bring us into the slavery of addiction?
Alcohol. Drugs. Video gaming. Sports. Pornography. Sugar. Working out. Sexual immorality. Nicotine. Food. Risk. Stealing. Work. (No doubt you can add something—in fact, whatever it is that you were relieved to see isn’t on this list is likely one you need to add to the list!)
Likely you have heard someone say to you—”Well, this addiction is a disease. Go easy on me. I can’t help it.” Welch offered a very helpful insight. If someone is struggling against cancer, this person, though wasting away physically, can still praise God. The cancer patient can grow in faith and grow in an ever deepening understanding of the goodness of God. The person living with cancer can please God while grappling with the disease. Now, consider your addiction—while you are engaged in this addiction are you praising God? As you are in the grip of your addiction are you growing in your faith and growing in an ever deepening understanding of the goodness of God? While you are engaged in your addictive behaviour can you, are you, pleasing God? (I can hear the groans from here as you read this and realize how your addiction pulls you away from God, and you recognize it is becoming an idol requiring more and more of your thought and attention and worship.)
The Good News is this: Jesus is the Truth. He sets us from from our slavery to sin. Sin is our human condition. Paul, the great evangelist, theologian and author of so many books in the New Testament wrote: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:15, 24-25 ESV
There is only one power, One Bondage-Breaker—He is Jesus, the Truth Who sets us free. Will we still face temptations to sin? Yes. What happens when we break with our sin, confess it and turn to Jesus? We are given power to walk as His beloved children. We begin to hate our sin and it is exposed as a tawdry, cheap and worthless idol. And the things of God fill our hearts and vision with joy that cannot be taken from us.
Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole—so that the tormenting addictions will be torn from me. Jesus You are Truth and You alone can set Your people free. Make our sins more and more hateful to us and the thought of You greater joy and Your Word sweeter than all other pleasures. Right now I must admit there are moments I might pray this with great intensity and honesty, and there will be other moments I pray this because I know it is right to pray but my desires and longings are pulling me astray. Recapture me. Take hold of my heart and my affections so that I cannot wander away from You. With Paul I cling to the promise and sure hope: “He Who began a good work in me will see it to completion in Christ Jesus.” Thank You, Jesus! Amen.
Philippians 1:6 is the passage: He who began a good work in me…
