We are going through the Freedom From Addiction Workbook, but keep in mind that this is a 200 page biblical workbook and requires a lot of

Transcription

1 We are going through the Freedom From Addiction Workbook, but keep in mind that this is a 200 page biblical workbook and requires a lot of motivation, effort and time. It focuses not only on the truth that will set you free, but asks you a lot of questions about yourself and how you feel about yourself and shows you the lies you have believed that have kept you in bondage. We can t get into that but what we will do in each section is show you what the problem (lies) that keep you in bondage and Gods answer. The Workbook is available at amazon.com, cbd.com and from Mike at freedfrom@bellsouth.net. Also Amazon.com has an ebook of the Workbook for $9.99, but you won t be able to work through it like a workbook. 1

2 Have you considered that denying yourself Is just letting Jesus live your life? Do you know that picking up the cross daily is just understanding that the old sin-loving self was crucified on that cross with Jesus and that following Jesus is just depending on and trusting Christ in you who is your very life. Its the only life you have. You cannot submit to God until you give up on yourself and your resources. 2

3 The only way we get anything from God is by faith. There is nothing to do. Why? Because everything has already been done. There is nothing that you need that hasn t been given to you. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him (2Pet. 1:3). You have Christ who is your life. One of our biggest problems is we focus on ourselves and our problems and try to stop sinning and shape up instead of believing who we are and what we have in Christ. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Gal. 5:1) 3

4 Addiction is rooted in your identity, that is, who you think you are. You always act consistently with who you believe you are. The bad news is that your perception of yourself determines what you do. The Good News is that you are in Christ and He is in you and you re dead to sin and freed from it. Only deception keeps you from experiencing freedom that is yours in Christ. When you know the truth the truth will set you free (John 8:32). 4

5 1Cor. 6:10 says Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Then the next verse says and that is what some of you WERE, BUT you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11). Something drastic and radical has taken place. Christ was crucified, died, buried and is risen and so were you because you were in Him when it happened. Too many Christians read verses and do not interpret them in the context of the new covenant and finished work and when they do, they do not come up with the truth and they stay in bondage because only the truth sets you free. 5

6 All of our remorse over failure is nothing but believing Satan s lie that the cross didn t work and Jesus did not put away sin once and for all. Hannah Whitall Smith says that is a greater sin than the one that caused you remorse, because you are believing the lie that the cross didn t work, so it is up to you to grovel, plead, beg and promise to do better. 6

7 We need to know and believe that as a result of the cross (the finished work of Christ) our sins are not only forgiven, but we are new creations and Christ is now our life and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us and the life we now live we live by faith (Gal. 2:20). Although everything else in this world says it isn t true including our feelings, experiences, thoughts, etc. But when has the world and its ruler (Satan) ever gotten anything right? 7

8 Wherever you and I find love & acceptance and worth and value is where we find identity and Where we find identity is where we find life. If you and I look for life anywhere but in Jesus we find death. That is why everyone struggling with an addiction, whether its drugs, alcohol, sex, codependency, eating disorder, workaholism, homosexuality, materialism, gambling, pornography is experiencing devastation and despair (DEATH). THERE IS NO LIFE ANYWHERE BUT IN JESUS. 8

9 There is no way, method, steps or even biblical principles to follow Jesus. All of that depends on what you do. Faith by definition tells us that there is nothing we can do to help ourselves. He came to give us His life. Do we need steps or principles to trust Christ in us as our life? Once we start depending on them, it is no longer faith. BUT IT IS TOTALLY BY FAITH. IT IS COMPLETELY DEPENDING ON JESUS. IT IS TRUSTING CHRIST AS YOUR LIFE. 9

10 You can t resist the devil until you have submitted to God. I have a friend who won t forgive his ex-wife who divorced him who is severely demonized and in ICU now. But don t make a big deal of it about whether you have surrendered or submitted the right way. Remember who you are. You are God s beloved, bloodbought, born- again, blessed child on whom His favor rests. Christ is your life and you are one with Him. Christ is in you and you are in Him. The most natural thing in the world to do is just acknowledge that you are His child and you are trusting Him. It really is as simple as that. 10

11 If you believe the lie that you are trapped and there is something you need to do to get free, you will be in bondage as long as you believe that lie. It will not make any difference what you do as long as you believe the lie. Freedom comes when we believe that we are not victims but are victorious because Christ is our life and we are dead to sin and freed from it. When we trust Christ as our life, we will walk in forgiveness and love. 11

12 We must understand that our problem is believing a lie that keeps us in bondage. That is Good News. That means that we are living in an illusion and when we believe the truth, the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Freedom, Victory, peace and joy are all ours as a result of the finished work of Christ. Freedom, peace, joy and victory live in us in the Person of Christ, our life (Col. 3:4). 12

13 Addiction is spiritual bondage and will not respond to logic, commonsense, clear thinking, reason or anything you do because it is spiritual bondage. Addiction is deeply rooted in your identity (that is who you think you are). All who are struggling with an addictive behavior have a poor self-esteem and nothing will change until they believe the truth of who they are in Christ. 13

14 We keep going over this, but until you believe that lies keep you in bondage and there is nothing you can do to get free and stop doing good, spiritual and right things to get free, YOU WILL NEVER GET FREE. And the weird thing is that freedom has already been given to you. You can t get any more free than you already are. Of course you can begin to live free when you believe you are. Remember that our behavior is a result of our beliefs, primarily our belief as to who we are. Do we believe we are an addict? 14

15 Of course you used to be, but now if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2Cor. 5 : 17). You are not who you used to be. The old self is crucified, dead, buried and gone. You are in Christ and He is in you and you are free. 15

16 You are complete in Christ and you can t get any more complete than that and in Him you have been made complete (Col. 2:10). You have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Cor. 1:3). You cannot get any more righteous than you are because you have the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ took your sin and gave you His righteousness That is the Gospel! 16

17 The vast majority base their identity on their feelings, experiences and what others tell them. It is very easy to believe that our identity is what they tell us that it is. Are we going to believe them or God? But God is a nothing. He is a no thing. He is invisible. He doesn t speak to us audibly. BUT wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, He lives in us. There is no separation between Him and us as we are one Spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17). We only access God by faith, faith in the truth. 17

18 Is it really that simple to get free, to just believe the truth. Yes it is that simple, but it is not easy. It is easier to obey the law than it is to believe God. The hardest thing you will ever do is believe God, because everything else in the world shouts that it is not true. Your feelings, and all that is going on around you; your problems, setbacks, conflicts, losses, disappointments, tragedies, traumas, etc., etc. But they are just ways for God to show you His adequacy. 18

19 Almost all of the ways we have learned to live life and get by are flesh patterns and many develop into strongholds that lead to addiction. One of the best kept secrets of the Christian life is that we don t have to do anything, but believe the truth. Of course if you believe the truth, you will be doing things, but you will be acting in faith. Watchman Nee said that the sin is always to do something. 19

20 This is the false identity of most Christians. I grew up in a home where my parents fought all the time (sometimes violently) so I felt insecure. My Dad told me You can t do anything right so I felt inadequate. My parents would say to me, Why can t you be nice and do right like your brother and sister? So I felt inferior. When something was done wrong, my parents came looking for me and I was usually guilty, so I grew up feeling guilty. I thought something was wrong with me and there was a lot of evidence to back that up. 20

21 If you believe you re an alcoholic, you will get drunk. If you believe you re a drug addict you will get high. Or you will spend your time trying not to drink and do drugs and eventually failing. If you believe you re insecure, you will be subject to trying to find someone to make you feel secure and possibly engaging in sexual immorality. If you believe you are inferior and inadequate you might deal with it by drinking to excess and doing drugs. 21

22 If a parent continually tells a child they are worthless and/or treats them as if they are worthless when they are very young the child will believe them and feel they are worthless and that feeling becomes a belief of who they are. This false identity will determine their behavior. 22

23 These are all flesh patterns from Mike s false identity. His Mom didn t make him face the consequences of his wrong behavior so he became irresponsible. His Dad disciplined him in a rage so he became rebellious. He believed he was a failure, so he procrastinated and if that didn t work, he would quit. He was judgmental to try to bring others down to his level. He was an alcoholic, and a womanizer. A womanizer is just an insecure male who takes advantage of women to feel better about himself. He was a liar as you have to lie to stay in bondage. He was a workaholic and driven trying to prove he wasn t inadequate. He would avoid intimacy so people wouldn t find out what he was really like. He was unable to receive love as he didn t think he deserved it. And he would stuff his emotions as his Dad would say, I ll give you something to cry about.. 23

24 Why is Denial so big? Because it is the main thing that keeps us from getting help. The list of addictions and flesh patterns from a false identity is endless. Here are a few that are wide spread. What we need to understand is that all of these are a result of a fleshly and false identity that is from the enemy. Because we believe lies about ourselves we develop addictive behaviors and flesh patterns that become strongholds that keep us in bondage. 24

25 You can work on trying to change your behavior until the cows come home or the Lord comes back, but nothing will really change until you believe the truth that Christ is your life and it s the only life you have and you no longer live, but Christ lives in you and is living your life. When you believe that truth, your behavior will change. 25

26 Rom. 6:6, 7 tells us For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (Rom. 6:11 tells us In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. What does that mean? The Greek word for count is a mathematical and accounting term. It means you can take it to the bank. It really means it is in the bank and you can count on it. It is real and true whether you believe it or not. 26

27 Neil Anderson and Mike and Vernon believe the Workbook is our best resource, but it is very comprehensive and intensive and requires a lot of motivation, time and effort, but should give you a very good understanding of the lies that keep you in bondage and the truth that sets you free. 27

28 Satan is the father of lies and the ruler of this world, but we don t have to let him jerk us around and bring untold misery and despair in our lives. 1 John 2:20 tells us that But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. You may not be living in the truth, but deep down you know what is true. There may be deception that is keeping truth hidden, but is there. Jesus who is the truth lives in you. 28

29 The truth is that you are set free, redeemed, rescued, bought with a price and no longer under Satan s control. Any bondage you feel and any addiction you have is nothing but a lie. A lie is very powerful and if Satan can get you to believe lies he can control your life and make you miserable. But you have been liberated from bondage regardless of how you feel, look, act like or what anybody says. Aren t you tired of living a lie? 29

30 Christ has done it all. IT IS FINISHED! There is nothing left to do but believe the truth. DON T BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE! 30

31 There is no such a thing as a past in a Christian s life. You were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your parents and others ( 1 Pet. 1:18). Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Do you have a checkered past? Do you come from a dysfunctional family? All of us do. Some are just more dysfunctional than others. Contrary to popular belief that is not an issue. If you will believe the truth that the old self you were is dead and gone and Christ is your life and lives in you and is living your life, you will be free, regardless of your past. 31

32 All of us go through a phase usually for many years striving, struggling, straining and stumbling to live the Christian life and failing totally and miserably. That is God s plan. Until He shows you that you can t live the Christian life and that apart from Christ you can do nothing you will not be able to come to the end of yourself and your resources and trust Christ as your life. It is not a question of getting your act together as that is impossible. It is simply a question of believing the truth of who you are in Christ. If you believe that Christ is living in you and is your life, will you have a problem with addiction. Not when you believe it. 32

33 There is no program, formula, method, steps, principles, concepts, ways (biblical or otherwise), to live the Christian life. The Christian life is Christ s life. It is a relationship and it is lived by faith trusting Christ s life in you. What else do you need? If you are trying to live the Christian life any other way than by trusting Christ as your life, it is guaranteed failure. 33

34 Scripture is clear that you have been redeemed, released and are not under law, but under grace. Anytime you decide what you are going to do and set out to do it, you put yourself under law and the power of sin is the law (1Cor. 15:56) and the law stirs up the sinful passions of the flesh (Rom. 7:5). We are not saying don t study your bible, pray, go to church, get in a program, BUT we are saying don t depend on them, because they have no value by just doing them. When you know and depend on Christ as your life you will live free. 34

35 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. (2 Peter 1:8 9 NIV). Sin is not an issue. Sin is not on the table. Sin has been dealt with once for all The death he died, he died to sin once for all (Rom 6:10). For Christ died for sins once for all (1 Peter 3:18 NIV). There is no more sin, guilt, condemnation, shame and judgment. The last judgment was at the cross. Are you eat up with your sin. Stop it! Are you overwhelmed with feelings of condemnation? Where do you think they are coming from? Get over it and stop listening to Satan s accusations. 35

36 Your sins have been dealt with. Your past has been dealt with. The old sinloving sinner self you were has been dealt with and the only weapon Satan has against you is deception. All you have to do is believe the truth. You have everything. You have Christ. He is your life. You have it ALL. You don t have to do anything to make Christ your life. He is your life. Just accept the truth and live your life. 36

37 Oh yeah, that s right you died with Christ. Do you need to buck up, grit your teeth, try harder and double up? Why??? If it s not working why should you try harder? Why don t you stop trying? How has that worked for you? There is tons of good advice for you out there, but none of it has ever worked and none of it ever will. Here s an idea, why don t you just trust Christ as your life? 37

38 Truth is an amazing and powerful thing. To get free from from an addictive behavior you will need something that is not available on this planet. You will need life, real life, divine life, God s life and you will need it in your sprit because that is where the bondage is. Jesus said, The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63 NIV). Truth sets you free. Lies keep you in bondage. 38

39 This is the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and He lives in you. There is no way to figure out. He is the way. There are no principles, steps, programs, methods, you need to follow. He is the truth. You don t have to try and improve your life as He is your life. Eternal, divine life is coursing through your being as I speak. What else do you need? 39

40 People ask me (Mike) that question a lot. I could tell them that I quoted Romans 6 which I used to do, but it didn t help. I could tell them that I prayed and asked God to remove the temptation and to help me overcome it, but that didn t help either. I am still tempted, not to get drunk, but there are many other temptations. But as I have understood and known and believed the truth of who I am and that Christ is my life and I really am dead to sin and have a consciousness of it I find that is what triumphs over temptation. It is not that I walk around all day thinking that, but that it has become a fixed consciousness that is a part of who I am and I can just be who I am. That is the truth and I think that is what God call us to be, not to do any thing. 40

41 Vernon and I are available to help. Our passion is for people to know the TRUTH that sets free and experience it. That s why we offer the webinars for free and send out copies of the slides and teaching notes at no charge. It s why we archive the webinars and make them available for free. Call or us of we can help. We will be glad to hear from you. 41