Untitled Sermon

Addiction

Synopsis

The devotion of a person to something, whether sin in general or food, alcohol or wealth in particular, so as to become dependent upon it. A person will never be satisfied in such a state of slavery. The answer to addiction is self-control through the resources of the new life in Christ.

Addiction is the consequence of sin

2 Pe 2:19

2 Peter 2:19 (NASB95) — 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

See also Jn 8:34

John 8:34 (NASB95) — 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Addiction to food, alcohol or drugs is to become dependent upon them

Php 3:18–19

Philippians 3:18–19 (NASB95) — 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

See also Is 5:11; Is 28:7–8; Is 56:12; Tt 2:3

Isaiah 5:11 (NASB95) — 11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!

Isaiah 28:7–8 (NASB95) — 7 And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment. 8 For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.

Isaiah 56:12 (NASB95) — 12 “Come,” they say, “let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”

Titus 2:3 (NASB95) — 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

Addiction to wealth is to be controlled by it

Mk 10:21–22

Mark 10:21–22 (NASB95) — 21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

See also Mt 26:14–16; Ac 16:19; Ac 24:26; 2 Pe 2:15

Matthew 26:14–16 (NASB95) — 14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. 16 From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

Acts 16:19 (NASB95) — 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities,

Acts 24:26 (NASB95) — 26 At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him.

2 Peter 2:15 (NASB95) — 15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Addiction never satisfies

Addiction to sinful habits does not satisfy

Ro 6:20–21

Romans 6:20–21 (NASB95) — 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.

Addiction to food, alcohol or drugs does not satisfy

Ec 6:7

Ecclesiastes 6:7 (NASB95) — 7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.

See also Pr 20:1; Pr 21:17; Pr 23:20–21; Pr 23:29–35; Ho 4:10–11

Proverbs 20:1 (NASB95) — 1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

Proverbs 21:17 (NASB95) — 17 He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

Proverbs 23:20–21 (NASB95) — 20 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

Proverbs 23:29–35 (NASB95) — 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. 34 And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”

Hosea 4:10–11 (NASB95) — 10 They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the Lord. 11 Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding.

Addiction to wealth does not satisfy

Ec 5:10

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NASB95) — 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.

See also 1 Ti 6:9–10; Jas 5:1–3

1 Timothy 6:9–10 (NASB95) — 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

James 5:1–3 (NASB95) — 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

The answer to addiction: self-control through the new life in Christ

Pr 23:1–4; Ro 6:6–7; Ro 6:11–14

Proverbs 23:1–4 (NASB95) — 1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food. 4 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

Romans 6:6–7 (NASB95) — 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

Romans 6:11–14 (NASB95) — 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

See also Pr 25:16; Ro 6:16–19; Ro 8:12–15; 1 Co 6:12; 1 Co 9:27; Ga 5:22–23

Proverbs 25:16 (NASB95) — 16 Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, That you not have it in excess and vomit it.

Romans 6:16–19 (NASB95) — 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

Romans 8:12–15 (NASB95) — 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

1 Corinthians 6:12 (NASB95) — 12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NASB95) — 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB95) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.