P’s & Q’s A Call to Holy Living

Unholy Obsession John 8: Corinthians 6:12

John 8: So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 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’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Who’s Got the Remote? Addictions become a matter of control for believers, and eventually become masters over us if unchecked. We are called to self-control in the Bible, but addictions take our control away. We are called to be sober-minded in these last days, but addictions rob us of a clear conscience and clear decisive stand. They color our judgment.

Proverbs 23:19-21; Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. 20 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, 21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. 31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. 34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”

A Bit Tipsy The Bible does not command us to not drink any alcohol at all. The Bible warns us over and over with vivid imagery of the dangers of alcohol. The Bible teaches us that getting drunk and debauchery are sins of excess. The line between not drunk and drunk is blurry. Is it worth risking sinning against God to drink? Consider your past in drinking. If you are prone to get drunk, consider a harder stance on it’s use. Work out your own salvation and personal holiness without passing judgment on others with a different stance.

Galatians 5:20 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

High as a Kite The Bible does not specifically address illicit drugs or any drugs for that matter. The Bible provides guidelines for following the laws of the land (illegal drugs). The Bible warns against harming our bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Spirit and bear God’s image. Drugs (Pharmakiea) are connected with poisoning, potions and sorcery in the Bible.

Matthew 6:24 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Isaiah 65:11 11 But you who forsake the L ORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,

Snake Eyes! The Bible’s principles for stewardship and hard work do not mesh with gambling principles. We are called to steward money wisely, not frivolously. We are called to work hard for a living and an honest wage. One passage specifically mentions Gad and Meni, the gods of Chance and Fate. Gambling can be considered idolatry.

Isaiah 44: The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!”

Isaiah 44: And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” 18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Idols Addictions can lead us into idolatry, into bondage and slavery, and into serving other gods. Idols by one account are nonexistent (Paul) and by another demons masquerading as gods (Mosaic Law) We must constantly be monitoring and evaluating these open doors of addictions in our lives. If we can’t stop it or can’t live without it, it’s probably an idol in our lives.

My Life What are my personal stances on these three items? How will I treat others who have a different standard than me? What are some questionable areas of my life that might be addictions or obsessions? How can I evaluate my life on a regular basis to make sure I don’t serve any idols?