Criticizing A.A., Christians in A.A., and Christians in A.A. who Sin

aahistorian

Criticizing A.A., Christians, and Christians in A.A. Who Sin

• There are fundamental differences between the natural man who has not received the Spirit of God and who therefore stands at the mercy of the Adversary and the man who has become a Christian and who nonetheless sins. There is a difference between the carnal Christian who walks by the flesh and the Christian who walks by the Spirit of God. Both may violate God's commanments. But both have an option. The natural man can accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and become a new creation 2 Corinthians 5: 17. The carnal Christian can renew his mind, put on the mind of Christ, put off the old man, repent, ask forgiveness, and get back into fellowship with God, His Son, and other believers. 1 John 1:9.

 

• If those burning up the wires with condemnations of A.A. would learn that early AAs--without exception--were required to become children of the living Creator. Those critics need to open their eyes and see that this new birth doesn't mean they never sinned, don't sin, or won't sin. It does mean that they have all the rights and privileges that God has bestowed on the Christian man to enable that man to get back into fellowship with God by renewing his minds and acting accordingly. See Romans 12: 1-2.

           

• If the critics choose to condemn the natural men who sin--claiming that they are not Christians, could not be Christians, and will not become Christians--the critics need to open their Bibles and learn all about the unbelievers--the non-Christians--to whom Jesus and the Apostles witnessed and enabled redemption. Repentence and redemption for the "Gentiles" and the Jews who were still living by the law and had yet to learn by hearing the truth of the Word as to what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross. And enabled them to be saved and become God's kids.

 

• It's easy to throw stones. It's often easy to break the glass. It seems to be very difficult for some to open their Bibles, look at the thousands of Christians in A.A., and say that they either need help in getting back into fellowship or need to learn more about what they can do to gain forgiveness if they have broken fellowship. Thus the best answer for those who lambaste AAs, their founders, and Christianity among some AAs is for those stone-throwers to look first at the love of God; learn what God and His Son went through in order to enable the love of God to dwell in others; and then recognize that the challenge is to be "doers of the Word, not hearers only."

 

• Quoting random but supposedly relevant verses from the Bible is the oldest dodge in the world for ignoring the revelation in the Bible and the tools it offers for serving and glorifying God.