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WHY I REJECTED THE “RECOVERY” SYSTEM


After I had been a follower of Jesus Christ for a couple of months, it occurred to me that I knew very little about Alcoholics Anonymous. Since I happened to be in a library at the time, I spent about an hour reading one of the official AA publications. I learned enough to realize that Christians becoming involved with AA would be compromising their faith and would be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That was 35 years ago, and my reasons for rejecting the three primary aspects of the Recovery movement are still the same:

(1) The Bible declares that drunkenness is a sin but those in Recovery believe it to be a disease. Even if you do not believe God or His Word, consider this from the view of simple logic: how can a behavioral choice be a disease? If you chose to eat ten candy bars every day and to never brush your teeth, they would start rotting out. Could you seriously blame that on a disease? What shall we call it? How about D.H.I. (Dental Hygiene Inadequacy?) Or perhaps, E.C.C.D. (Excessive Chocolate Consumption Disorder?)” Drunkenness, like all sin, is learned behavior.

Of course we are all born sinners, and even those who have been born again, still have the capacity to sin, but will not be continuing in (or practicing) a sin. For example, if I lose my temper and yell angrily at my wife, I have sinned against her and God. Because of His indwelling Holy Spirit, and His grace, He will cause me to be sorrowful to the point of repentance and I will confess my sin to both my wife and God, and will ask each of them to forgive me. That is an example of a sin. However, if I do that several times every week and every month without repentance, that would be practicing sin and would be a good sign that I was probably not a “true believer” but a “counterfeit believer.” Just as obedience is a common manifestation of a true believer, continuing disobedience is the most common manifestation of a counterfeit believer. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments”. [John 14:15]

(2) By coming to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentant faith, I became a “new creature in Christ” according to II Cor. 5:17 and other verses. Therefore, I am no longer a drunkard but a former drunkard. But those in Recovery would say that I was born that way and will still have the “disease” until I die, even though I stopped drinking 35 years ago!

(3) Is there more than one God? The Bible says NO.

"Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it…."
"I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another…. Before Me there was no God formed; nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior…."
"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts ; I am the First and I am the Last: besides Me, there is no God." [Isaiah 42:5,8; 43:10,11; 44:6]

AA does not take a stand on Who God is but rather encourages followers to select the belief THEY FEEL LIKE selecting, including “God as I understand Him.” In other words, “any old God will do?” Not according to the Bible, which millions (including myself) believe to be the ONLY source for Absolute Truth regarding God and how we are to live.

What about Rick Warren’s “ Celebrate Recovery?”

It’s just another version of AA’s Twelve Steps. In the October 2005 issue of Berean Call, T. A. McMahon gives his assessment of CR having attended the 2005 Celebrate Recovery Summit at Saddleback Church in Southern California. [The rest of this section includes quotes from that article]. While acknowledging that he has been a long-time critic of psychological counseling and 12-Steps therapies in the church, one thing (McMahon) observed right away was that all in attendance had a tremendous zeal for the Lord and an unquestionable sincerity in desiring to help those who were struggling with habitual sin. But other thoughts began running through his mind during the 3 day session: is Celebrate Recovery’s 12-Steps program really different---that is “biblical and balanced….rather than psychological” ----as Rick Warren believes? Is God’s Word the basis for CR or is Celebrate Recovery another alarming example of a way that seems right to a man but one that is turning believers to ways and means other than the Bible to solve their sin-related problems? This is not just a Saddleback Church issue. Increasing numbers of evangelical churches are sponsoring AA meetings and /or creating their own self-help groups based upon AA’s 12-Steps principles.

Celebrate Recovery is a very complex methodology that attempts to bring biblical adjustments to the 12-Steps program and utilized in dozens of other addiction recovery programs….Why not simply rely on what the bible teaches?....Sin is not something from which a believer is “in recovery.” Sin is confessed by the believer and forgiven by God. The believer is cleansed of the sin right then.”I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5)….

How dependent is Celebrate Recovery on (with minor modifications) AA’s 12-Steps? Completely! ….Without Bill Wilson’s principles, the CR program would be reduced to a handful of misapplied Bible verses.

The many problems inherent within a Christianized 12-Steps program----and particularly Celebrate Recovery----are too numerous for this brief article Yet, consider these observations: CR is promoted as completely biblical and not psychological, yet the key speakers for CR Summit 2005 were clinical psychologists Drs. John Townsend and Henry Cloud. David Stoop, editor of Life Recovery Bible [CR participants’ mandatory paraphrase Bible, polluted with psychotherapy commentary] is a favorite speaker at Saddleback’s CR Large Group meetings. The CR leadership manual advises, “Have Christian psychotherapists volunteer their time to help instruct and support your leaders.”

We desperately need to take heed to God’s admonition through the Prophet Jeremiah: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).

For more infomation see the following article:

http://www.thebereancall.org/Newsletter/html/2005/oct05.php



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