Freedom from Addiction

T. Anderson Neil

Description

Many Christians are locked in a cycle of addiction, particularly in the areas of alcohol and drug abuse. Many have turned to twelve-step programs for help. But where is the incredible power of Christ in this process? In a positive, noncondemning way, Anderson provides an alternative model of recovery for substance and alcohol abusers, a model that will also work for individuals struggling with other kinds of addictions. The first half of Freedom from Addictions tells the unbelievable story of Mike and Julia Quarles, and how Mike overcame a debilitating addiction to alcohol. He achieved success by applying the principles that make up the central theme of Dr. Anderson's message: that we are saints according to God's Word (Ephesians 1) and that true freedom comes from realizing our identity in Christ.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 11 juin 1996
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441265791
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

P RAISE FOR F reedom f rom A ddiction
Our society has never before offered us so many choices to fill the emptiness of our lives. Dr. Anderson and the Quarleses have provided practical steps to keep from being overrun by these uncontrollable passions. They remind us through poignant testimony and practical helps that Christ desires more for us than just sobriety—He wants us to experience freedom. I highly recommend this book to both the “addict” and the church!
John Coulombe, Pastor to Senior Adults
F IRST E VANGELICAL F REE C HURCH , F ULLERTON , C ALIFORNIA
Freedom from Addiction brings the help and hope those bound by addictions fear they will never find. The biblical principles Dr. Anderson and the Quarleses teach in Freedom from Addiction are “block buster” truths that go beyond the Christianity many of us practice .
Dr. Richard A. Germaine, Senior Pastor
F IRST C ONGREGATIONAL C HURCH , H OPKINTON , M ASSACHUSETTS
The authors' approach to exposing and “hitting head-on” the strongholds that feed addiction is great. As a program director who deals with these painful issues every day, I found myself making notes and rereading passages from the book, as I gleaned powerful truths that will change the lives of the people I work with .
Bob Hall, Program Director
H ARVEST F ARM N EW L IFE P ROGRAM , D ENVER R ESCUE M ISSION
This is not just a book for the addicted, but for their loved ones also. Freedom from Addiction is a book filled with truth that will truly set the captives free .
Mike Harden, Founder/Director
N O L ONGER B OUND , I NC .
P RAISE FOR F reedom f rom A ddiction
We have seen thousands freed from all kinds of addictions through discovering their identity in Christ. I am convinced this book is not only an exciting testimony to read, but a very practical help for Christians on how to have a breakthrough to freedom in Christ so they can enjoy their Christian life .
David Ritzenthaler, President
V ICTORIOUS C HRISTIAN L IVING I NTERNATIONAL , I NC .
Freedom from Addiction offers a combination of biblical truth and fascinating testimony which demonstrates that Christian salvation is not just an experience for heaven. Christ desires to change lives and bring freedom from destructive habits now. The great value of Freedom from Addiction is that it not only proclaims this truth, but explains how to make it real .
Robert L. Saucy, Professor of Christian Thought
T ALBOT S CHOOL OF T HEOLOGY
I highly recommend this book to those having problems with addiction and to those not experiencing freedom in other areas of their lives .
Rev. Albert Scardino, Director of Counseling Ministry
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH OF A TLANTA
Freedom from Addiction is compelling because it addresses the issue of addiction so directly and specifically. It will be a valuable tool for us to use in our counseling ministry .
Russell O. Williams, Director of Lay Counseling
M OUNT P ARAN C HURCH OF G OD , A TLANTA , G EORGIA

© 1996 by Neil T. Anderson and Mike and Julia Quarles
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6579-1
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible , © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Other versions used are:
AMP. N. T .—Scripture quotations are taken from the Amplified New Testament , copyright © 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
AMP. O. T .—From The Amplified Bible, Old Testament . Copyright © 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. Used by permission.
KJV—Authorized King James Version .
NEB— From The New English Bible . © The Delegates of Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970, 1989. Reprinted by permission.
NIV —Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® .
NIV® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NKJV —From the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
PHILLIPS—The New Testament in Modern English , Revised Edition, J. B. Phillips, Translator. © J.B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
Contents
Introduction “The purpose of this book is to show how Christ is the answer, and how truth will set us free.”
Part One: Mike and Julia Quarles's Testimony
1. Strapped to a Hospital Bed “Only after I reached the end could I experience life—real life, His life, divine life, Christ's life as my life. The journey had just begun.”
2. Programmed for Addiction “The four failure patterns in my life were to defy authority, irresponsibility, quitting and to earn as much money as possible.”
3. Who Will Set Me Free? “We mistakenly think that if we spend enough time in the Scriptures, they'll change us. Scripture says the truth will set us free, not just spending time in the Bible.”
4. The Sentence of Death “I was the biggest barrier to my freedom—my pride, my strength, my plans, my goals and my agenda.”
5. The Truth Will Set You Free “Jesus said, ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free' (John 8:32, NIV). I had believed I was a hopeless, helpless alcoholic. At last, I was free. Praise God I was free at last!”
6. Really Free “Freedom is the assurance that your needs for security, significance, love, acceptance and worth are always met in Christ. They can't be taken away by changing circumstances or personal bondages.”
7. Strongholds of Addiction—The Lies that Keep Us in Bondage “The four strongholds of addiction that kept me in bondage were hopelessness, guilt, self-help and insecurity.”
Part Two: Overcomers in Christ
8. The Making of an Addiction “Each person travels down a private path to addiction, but the downward spiraling cycles are all remarkably similar.”
9. Our Greatest Needs “We cannot be right with God and not be real. Truth is not an enemy, it is always a liberating friend.”
10. The Assurance of Victory over Sin “We cannot save ourselves, and we cannot overcome the penalty of death nor the power of sin by human effort. Only God can do that for us, and He did.”
11. The Battle for the Body “When we don't know our real purpose for being here, we try to look good, seek man-made comforts, make a lot of noise and create our own light.”
12. The Battle for the Mind “The two most critical issues that confront us as believers are (1) to do something about the disposition of our physical bodies and (2) to reprogram our minds to the truth of God's Word.”
Appendices
Appendix A Steps to Freedom in Christ
Appendix B The Overcomer's Covenant in Christ
Appendix C Materials and Training for You and Your Church
Introduction
I was working as the lead systems engineer on an underwater fire control system for an antisubmarine rocket. Our first production unit just rolled off the assembly line, and I was working night and day to get it up to operational level. A production engineer named Max was assigned to work with me during the night shift. The kindest way I can say it is: Max wasn't much help to me. His wife would call in sick for Max at least once a week. I could never count on him. When he was at work, Max drove me up a wall. By the time the night shift came around, I would already be fatigued from working all day. As I labored into the evening, he would sit behind me eating sunflower seeds.
One night out of frustration, I asked Max if he ever went to church. Max said he wasn't attending any church at the time, but he and his wife had often talked about it. I invited him to my church. That next Sunday I met Max, his wife and their three children, and helped them attend the right Sunday School classes. Tuesday morning my pastor called, “I thought you would like to know that I visited the couple you brought to church last Sunday, and I led them to Christ.” I was elated. He continued, “Since Max works with you, I thought you needed to know that he is an alcoholic.” Then it all made sense. That is why periodically Max missed work, and why he munched sunflower seeds.
It can be frustrating to work with people who struggle with chemical addictions. It is even more exasperating for those who live with them. As difficult as it is for others, it is much more devastating for the addict. “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, those who go to taste mixed wine” (Prov. 23:29,30). These addicts are living a mental, emotional and physical nightmare. For some it is a private ordeal. Others make life miserable for everyone and anyone around them. I suspect that the old saying “misery loves company” was coined for addicts.
Why do they do it? Why would people keep pouring alcohol into their bodies? They know alcohol destroys everything that has meaning to them: their families, their careers and their own health. Why would people continue to stick needles into their veins when they know it is a death warrant? Why would people keep snorting