CBN TEACHING SHEETS
Overcoming Drug Addiction
By CBN
CBN.com
– Are you enslaved or troubled by a habitual use of various narcotic,
stimulant or mind-influencing drugs (including alcohol)? Do you have symptoms
of physical, emotional or mental addiction? You may not have a sickness, but a
sin problem which causes enslavement and sickness. Jesus Christ has done something
about your problem. He came to liberate you from such problems and enable you
to gain self-control, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). What
Scripture Says "Everything is permissible for me" -- but not everything
is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" -- but I will not be mastered
by anything" (I Corinthians 6:12). "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to
debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). "The Spirit
of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for
the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The
eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and He began by saying
to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." All the people were
amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power
He gives orders to evil spirits and they come out" (Luke 4:18-21, 36). "And
having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15). "He who does what is
sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (I John 3:8).
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not
let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You, my brothers, were
called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather,
serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:1, 13). What Can You Do? Take
seriously the bondage in which you are involved. God cares about you and has a
solution. Your real problem is not an incurable illness, but sin. And Jesus came
to deal with sin (I Corinthians 5:11). You need to be spiritually reborn and baptized
with the Holy Spirit. You need to change your life patterns. You also may need
help for deliverance from drugs and healing. Be bold. Take a fearless inventory
of your life. Ask for help from your family, Christian friends, a local pastor,
The 700 Club or another Christian ministry that cares. Or call Teen Challenge
or a local drug hotline. It is said that it takes thirty-one days to break
a habit. Drug addiction is a "life dominating" problem, so radical changes must
be made regarding associates, social atmosphere, places frequented, etc. Replacement,
not abstention, is the key. Find a Christian coffeehouse, Bible study and prayer
group and a warm church fellowship. The 700 Club Center should have a list of
especially helpful groups, One good and faithful Christian friend can help enormously.
You need to keep busy and occupy your mind with new things (Philippians 4:8,9).
Learn to yield yourself to Christ rather than to drugs, old friends, self-pity,
guilt, fear, etc. How To Be Spiritually Reborn God has a plan for
your salvation. Call on the Lord to save you mind, body and soul (I John 1:9).
Receive Him as your Savior and Lord (John 1:12). Believe Him. He said He would
not turn anyone away. He loves you and gave His life for you (John 3:16,17).
How To Receive The Baptism With The Holy Spirit Once you become a Christian,
you can have God's power available through the Holy Spirit. You will be able to
live as God intended (Ezekiel 36:27). The Holy Spirit empowers you to help others
(Acts 1:8), He aids and teaches you (John 14:26; I Corinthians 2:13), and guides
you into truth (John 16:13) and in life (Acts 10:19; 13:2; 16:6). You may want
to ask someone already baptized with the Holy Spirit to pray with you. Just as
you asked the Lord to forgive your sins, believing He would, ask Him now to baptize
you with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). He promised to do so, so take Him at His
Word that He does what you ask. Thank and praise Him for being a God who does
as He promises. Tell someone else what you've done. Other Christians and the
church will rejoice with you and help you. The angels rejoice with you. God rejoices
with you. As You Pray Thank God for His love, concern, and power
to save and deliver. Renounce the drugs, old friends, and hangouts connected with
your drug problem. Yield yourself to Jesus. Thank Him for coming into your heart
and filling you with the Holy Spirit. Take Him at His word and thank Him for delivering
you from drugs. Look here to find peace with God Find a church near you. Get help in choosing a church. References/Homework Acts 2:3, 38; 8:17; 10:44;
19:6 The Holy Spirit first experienced Romans 11:2a God does not reject His
chosen ones Philippians 4:4-9 Growth in Christ Begin healing broken relationships
by forgiving, and making restitution where necessary. Set up a plan for Bible
reading and quiet prayer time. Go to church. Seek warm Christian fellowship and
a group such as Teen Challenge to talk and pray with. Using
a Bible concordance, study every reference for "fear," "deliverance," "healing,"
and "praise." Practice "agreeing with God" about His promises for you and "disagreeing
with Satan" who tries to accuse you to yourself, to God, to your family, friends,
employers, etc. Seek out other reformed drinkers. Look for their support. Read"Prison
to Praise" and other books by Merlin Carothers. "The Twelve Steps for
Christians," Recovery Publications, which contains a list of Resource Organizations
and a list of additional reading interest. "Addiction and Grace," Gerald
G. May, M.D. "The Alcoholic Anonymous Big Book" "The Serenity
Bible," Thomas Nelson Read The Cross and
the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, and Run, Baby, Run by Nicky Cruz.
Scripture references are taken from the New International Version translation
of the Bible.
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