Addictions

Jeremy Northrop

       Webster defines addiction by saying it is a “compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.” While addiction to a substance of any kind is certainly real, a person can also be addicted to a behavior or habit of life. Examples would be gambling and sex addicts. Peter describes such people as “…natural brute beasts…having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children” (2Peter 2:12-14).

      One biblical principle that is violated when a person is addicted to a substance or behavior is self-control. Paul listed self-control as part of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:23). Peter listed it as a quality the Christian needs in order to increase his faith (2Peter 1:5-8). When a person is addicted to a substance or behavior, they are not exercising self-control. Part of the nature of addiction is that the person is out of control. A person involved in an addiction of any kind will usually deny, minimize, rationalize and even blame others for the situation attempting to prove that it is not as bad as it is. No matter how one justifies his or her actions, it does not change the fact that the addict is not practicing self-control.

      Another biblical principle that is violated when a person is an addict is stewardship. Jesus taught on the principle of stewardship in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. Paul spoke of the body of the Christian as the temple of God and that destroying it is sin. In 1Corinthians 3:16-17, he says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” Addictions both physical and behavioral generally destroy the body.

      While there are certainly other biblical principles that are defied with one who is addicted, the Bible also provides principles for dealing with addiction. The idea of redirecting efforts used in addiction is a biblical concept. In Ephesians 5, Paul describes the brethren as once being ‘darkness’ but now are the ‘light of the Lord.’ Paul admonishes them to walk (live) “as children of light” (5:8). Several times in the writing of Paul he would admonish Christians to no longer live one way but rather to live a certain way (Colossians 3:9-17; Romans 6:5-14; 2Corinthians 5:12-21). If a person were to simply ‘put off’ an evil addiction, then he or she has only accomplished half of the biblical imperative. The person must also ‘put on’ the righteousness of God.

            This brings up one final point — good addictions. In Romans 6:17-18, Paul said, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” To be a slave or an addict of righteousness would certainly be biblical. When Paul spoke of the household of Stephanas in 1Corinthians 16, he commented that they were addicted (King James Version) to the ministry of the saints (1Corinthians 16:15). Today, people who want to follow God need to understand that to be enslaved to a substance or certain behaviors would certainly be sin but to be addicted to His work, His word, and His church is a command of God.