A person does not recover by working a collection of steps (spiritual principles), a person recovers when he or she enters into a relationship with Yahweh (God).
Yahweh created the universe. Then, Yahweh created man. Yahweh placed man in the Garden of Eden, where He walked and talked with man, and supplied all of his need. In the garden, there was no lack, conflict, sickness, addiction or death.
Life was good in the garden.
Then, something happened. Man rebelled against Yahweh. Man rejected Yahweh’s revelation of what was good and evil. Instead of remaining humble and listening to his Creator, man chose to use his senses and logic to define good and evil.
When man rebelled against Yahweh, he broke his spiritual connection with Him. In order to objectify this spiritual reality to man, Yahweh kicked him out of the garden. Then, lack, conflict, sickness, addiction, and death came on man.
Therefore, the root of addiction is a broken spiritual connection with Yahweh, which led to a dysfunctional relationship with Him. This means that the essence of recovery is the reestablishment of our spiritual connection with Yahweh, which leads to a functional relationship with Him.
Connecting, and building a relationship
Since the root cause of addiction is a broken spiritual connection with Yahweh, which leads to a dysfunctional relationship with Him, the question is how do we reconnect with Yahweh and build a functional relationship with Him?
There are two ways to go when approaching this problem. We can put our faith in Yahweh’s revelation, or we can put our faith in our senses and logic. Now, since rejecting Yahweh’s revelation was what got us into this mess to begin with, we should not trust our senses and logic, we should trust Yahweh’s revelation.
Yahweh’s revelation of Himself and what pleases Him is the Holy Scriptures. The Scriptures explain how to reconnect with Yahweh, and build a functional relationship with Him, that is, the Scriptures tell us how to recover.
In 2 Peter 1:3, Yahweh says that He gave us everything that we need for life and godliness, when He revealed Himself to us in the Holy Scriptures. Hence, this is our starting point: The Scriptures are the complete revelation of Yahweh, and His plan to reconnect with us, and have a meaningful relationship with us.
No other revelation of Yahweh and His recovery plan is needed.
The Recovery Plan
Here is Yahweh’s recovery plan. We hear the Gospel of Messiah (Christ), that is, we hear that Yeshua (Jesus) shed His blood on the Cross to pay for our sins, and rose from the dead three days later. Then, we believe the Gospel, and bow our knee to Yeshua, and confess that He is our Lord.
Once we do this, then the Holy Spirit comes to live in our body with us. The Holy Spirit puts our old nature to death. Then, the Holy Spirit raises us from the dead as a new person. Then, the Holy Spirit teaches us, leads us, and gives us the power to do good. Then, we study the Scriptures to learn how to please Yahweh.
As we obey Yahweh, He delivers us from our addictions.
The 12 Steps
Some people say the 12 Steps boil down the Scriptures into 12 non-religious spiritual principles that can be embraced by anyone. Others say the 12 Steps have nothing to do with the Scriptures, they are merely universal spiritual principles, which tell us how to care for our inner beings and rightly relate to the universe.
Do not be deceived: The 12 Steps are not a boiled down version of the Scriptures’ recovery plan. The 12 Steps are a set of universal spiritual principles that promote peace, and well-being. A few of the spiritual principles line up with the Scriptures, but they do not reconnect a person to Yahweh, and teach him how to please Him.
If a New Ager, who believes that the Cosmic Field is God, works the 12 Steps, he is not converted, and given a relationship with Yeshua. The 12 Steps simply give him a little peace, and a sense of well-being so he can hear from his god a little clearer. That is, the 12 Steps lead a New Ager back to the cosmic field.
If a Muslim, who believes in Allah, works the 12 Steps, he is not converted, and given a relationship with Yeshua. The 12 Steps simply give him a little peace and a sense of well-being so he can hear from his god a little clearer. That is, the 12 Steps lead a Muslim back to Allah.
If a Atheist, who does not believe in God, works the 12 Steps, he is not converted, and given a relationship with Yeshua. The 12 Steps simply give him a little peace, and a sense of well-being so he can hear himself a little clearer. That is, the 12 Steps lead an Atheist back to himself.
In other words, the 12 Steps are not contingent on repentance, nor do they produce repentance. And without repentance, there is no relationship with Yahweh.
The Christian 12 Stepper
Logic tells us that: If a Christian, who has accepted Yeshua as his Lord, works the 12 Steps, he obtains a little peace, and a sense of well-being, so he can hear Yahweh a little clearer. That is, the 12 Steps can lead a Christian back to Christ.
It is not this simple, however.
If a Christian buys into the 12 Step system, and attends its meetings, he is yoking himself to unbelievers, in a spiritual quest to recover. This is dangerous. This unholy system could turn a person away from Christ, and make his love for Him grow cold.
This unholy system seeks to replace the role of the Holy Spirit. A person can learn to depend on the Group, or his Sponsor, or the Big Book, instead of cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and renewing his mind with the Scriptures.
Moreover, according to Galatians 1:8, Yahweh will not find us guiltless, if we preach another gospel to people. What is the Gospel? It is how we come to know Yahweh, and develop a relationship with Him, so that He can deliver us.
If a Christian proclaims the 12 Step message, he or she is preaching another gospel. Yahweh will not find this Christian faultless on the day of Judgement.
Why would a Christian involve himself in this unholy system?
Recovery is not the product of the 12 Steps. Recovery is a relationship.
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