Christ centered groups for people struggling with addictions, realize that their addiction is not the problem, it is only a symptom. The problem is sin.
Secular groups like AA or NA, where people are coached by a sponsor, to give their will over to a "Higher Power" or god as they "understand" him/her/it, but not to the One and only God who created all things, do struggle with their addiction (s). They even admit or confess they do. They always confess they are addicts, who have to vigilantly guard against "lapsing" back into the addiction.
Their refusal to except a God who will not only forgive them of all sin, but will also deliver them from the power of sin, which keeps them in a continuous cycle of repetitive behavior, is the reason why they continue to struggle.
In Luke 4: 18 Jesus says, "...to preach deliverance to the captives...to set at liberty them that are bruised."
Here the word 'bruised' is a primary verb, 2352 thrauo (throw-o), which means, To crush. These people are crushed under the weight of guilt from their sin.
Jesus said, in Matthew 11: 28 "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy burden, and I will give you rest." He offers to remove their burden, of "heavy laden" vs 29. The guilt that sin causes.
He was saying, he would relieve them from their sin, and their guilt. REST, 372 anapauo (an-ap-ow'o) be exempt, to refresh, take ease (give, take) rest.
People who will not take this burden of sin to the cross of Christ, and leave it there, are going to continue to struggle with their burden; their addiction.
When people except Christ's offer to help them via confession, their burden of guilt is lifted (Romans 8: 1-2). But he takes it a step further.
Through proper confession of sin, he not only removes the sin and its guilt, he also removes sin's power to hold them in the repetitive cycle of behavior. Romans 6: 14a. says, For sin shall not have dominion over you... And Romans 8: 21 ...shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption. They are relieved from the bondage of the sin; which is the power of sin.
Testifying to the Glory of God, the sin forgiven, brings deliverance. By positive confession, we overcome the enemy and all his devices that tempt us to sin. Notice what Revelation 12: 11 says about, "the word of our testimony". And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony...
As we confess Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, we are continuously washed and regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God (Titus 3: 5)
Testifying what God is doing in us through Christ, praying in the spirit to build up our spirit person (Jude 20; 1 Cor. 14: 2; Rom. 8: 26, 27) literally empowers us to defeat the will of the soul man in favor of the spirit man.
Getting Over the Bondage of Sin
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? (Mat. 12: 29)
Not enough attention is given during confession, to binding the Strongman of sin.
If we want to be delivered of a particular sin/addiction, we must first bind it in Jesus name (confess it, and cast it out). This is not always done at the altar for someone saying the "Sinner's Prayer" for the first time.
A lot of the power of sin, its bondage over our soul, is in the Commander Demon (the Strongman) who has laid hold of the sinner's soul, through the various lust they gave them selves to. Name him, bind him in Jesus name, and cast him out, at confession. To just ask the Father to forgive us of every wrong does not address the "Power of Sin".
In churches today, at the end of a sermon, or message, a pastor will say, "All heads bowed, every eye closed..." like this is going to give added courage to the person who wants to except Christ as their savior.
I think (and this is just my opinion) that this is a pathetic, weak, mealy mouth, excuse on the part of a pastor, who does not feel his message or sermon was anointed by the Holy Spirit, to convict the sinner, and drive them to the altar in repentance. For one thing, if the message was truly anointed, there would be no problem getting these people to the altar. Neither the unsaved, seeking salvation for the first time. Or the saved seeking forgiveness for backsliding.
Plus, Jesus said, be ashamed of me before man, and I will be ashamed of you before the Father. Then, even though the Holy Spirit may pick up the slack on the account of the "not so prayed up" pastor giving the altar call, and may convict people to go up for prayer anyway, once they are there, the newly repentant individual is not properly guided through the "Sinner's Prayer". This is not a position for a novice. It requires people who are trained, and prayed up. Someone receiving Christ for the first time should never be left to chance, and more importantly, to a novice not well trained in the scriptures, or in the act of prayer.
The most important requirement of any Christian is that they pray. To many church workers think they can just read the scriptures, or do good works, and this is sufficient, with only a minimal amount of time devoted to prayer, and then that, only when around other Christians in service or meeting settings. If a Christian's personal prayer life is small, or worse, non existent, they have no business being down at the altar on prayer teams trying to usher in new converts to the kingdom of God, or helping backslider Christians repent.
...God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray...(exegesis 1 Sam. 12: 23)
How often, and for how long should we pray? In Luke 9: 23 Jesus says, "If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily..." And in Mat. 26: 40 and Mark 14: 37 Jesus asks, "...can't you watch with me one hour...
Then through out the day praying in the spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit .. see Rom. 8: 26, 27; 1 Cor. 14: 2; Jude 20; 1 Thes. 5: 17)
One hour of personal devoted prayer everyday. And that's not while reading the Bible, or washing the car.
Now Lord, I laid all these words on this poor reader who has just suffered through my long winded blog. Strengthen me to practice what I have preached AMEN
