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Fear of God Overcomes Sinful Addictions

We live in a day and age where addiction treatment centers have saturated our communities with hopeful “solutions” for substance abuse, gambling, pornography, overeating, etc…

Unhealthy substance and behavioral addictions are epidemics that are spreading like wildfire through our communities. Although there are more and more treatment programs and pharmaceuticals created to address these issues, unhealthy and sinful addictions continue to grow and spread. Why?

Because sinful addictions are a spiritual issue which you can’t just throw piles of cash and earthly wisdom at. A spiritual issue requires a spiritual solution.

Now before we resolve a problem, we must first identify the problem at its root.

Drunk driving, jail, and liver damage are all problems that stem from alcohol addiction. They aren’t the root of the problem, they are branches that grow from the root. The root being sin. The Holy Spirit gave me the revelation that there is even a deeper root below sin and that is the lack of the “Fear of God,” which scripture tells us that the “fear of God”, is the beginning of wisdom, I’ll come back to this topic shortly.

As a retired correctional counselor for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, I believe there are many great treatment programs and curriculum addressing addictions, in that they give you an understanding of the biological science of the addiction process as I explain in Chapter____. The Bible tells us in all thy getting, get an understanding (Proverbs 4:7).”

Many of these programs provide awesome relapse prevention mechanisms, which I was trained as a correctional counselor to implement at the prison. Our relapse prevention plans consisted of setting up a plan of safeguards and strategies so the individual would not give place to the temptations which lead to the sinful addictions, which would lead them to a relapse in other words “backsliding” and going back to prison.

While many of these are great programs, we know by governmental statistics, a great number of individuals who graduate from these programs will return right back to their addiction.

Why is this? Because the human will by nature is sinful, undisciplined, and stubborn.

When it comes down to it, the antidote or cure for addiction is not in the multi-step process of the program or curriculum. The answer to sinful addiction is the “Fear of God.”

Let me break it down from a basic common sense perspective. If Jesus manifested physically before you in all His glory and let’s say you were just about to indulge in a sinful habit you had been battling, might the presence of Jesus, change your mind from indulging?

Of course, it would. Why? Because the fear of God would consume you to the point of overwhelming fear and trembling.

We read in the Old Testament that when God’s manifested presence left the people, it wasn’t long before the children of Israel would enter back into habitual sin.

Why? Because the manifestation of God’s presence was gone and like the old cliche goes, “out of sight, out of mind.”

A reverent fear of a respected authority figure is a powerful deterrent to sin and wrongdoing. Take security guards at the mall for example. Though many of them don’t carry firearms; just their mere presence deters a lot of crime from happening. Why? Because along with their presence of authority, they are also providing surveillance for local law enforcement. Scripture conveys to us that all of humanity is under surveillance by the Kingdom of God 24/7.

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

Psalm 5:21

I often give the following scenario to those I counsel for porno addiction. I say, ‘If you were in a private room at a table with an enticing porno video directly in front of you quid up on a computer, might you get the urge to just click play, if you knew you would not get caught and there would be no trace of you watching it? “Yes” is the obvious and honest answer.

Then I would ask, ‘What if you were in that same room, with the same temptation, yet there was an individual in combat attire and an M-16 submachine gun warning you, that if you touched the play button, he would blow your handoff. Would you be tempted to press play? The majority and obvious answer is, “no.” Why? Because they would want to keep their hand attached to their arm and avoid extreme pain and the possibility of bleeding to death.

What would prevent them from pressing play? Fear did. The fear of knowing an authority or dominant figure was present and would enforce a severe penalty is enough to divert them from participating in their sinful addiction.

Though their urge to sin was very strong, the fear of losing their hand is stronger. The decision to not follow through with their urge is a wise decision. Fear is the motivator for their wise decision. God’s Word states:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

A Christian that continues in habitual sin truly doesn’t understand and have the awareness of the Holiness of God’s presence around them and God’s mighty wrath which saves up for those who continue to disregard His commandments.

As Christians, our body is literally the temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, when an individual with a sinful addiction feels distant from God’s presence, they often feel comfortable enough to sin. They have a false sense of secrecy as if they’re all alone. They don’t see an immediate consequence coming as a result of their sin. Sometimes it’s a belief of “counterfeit grace,” believing they have a grace card which they utilize as a spiritual credit card, to pay for the sin they are planning to commit. God’s Word states they are deceived:

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

Hebrews 10:26

The only true cure for overcoming a sinful addiction is the reverent fear of God. So how does one develop a healthy fear of God? Just ask God for it. Ask with a sincere and repented heart and God will give it to you. I found for myself just reading and meditating on God’s Word will cultivate the Fear of God.

The fear of God is in tandem with God’s wisdom, if obeyed, will be “health to your flesh and marrow to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8). God’s Word tells us that obedience is the key to maintaining good health. Sin will bring sickness and death. We see an example of this in John 5:14:

Afterward, Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

In contrast, let’s look at Proverbs 3:7-8. In this passage, we clearly see that the Fear of God brings us good health.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:7-8

Let me make it clear. Foremost it is the love of God that should motivate us in our obedience to obeying God’s Word.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1 John 5:3

We are blessed to obtain God’s amazing grace, and love, wrapped in the reverent fear of God.