Addendum on The Love of God and Temptation From Shon Bruellman

Addendum from Shon. This is an excerpt from one of his sessions during a recent Setting Captives Free Conference:

......This following quote is from 'TOOLS OF RECOVERY: A Practical Guide For New Members of S.A.A.'. The manual has the approval of Sex Addicts Anonymous Literature Committee and has been edited and accepted by them.

"Defining the God of Our Understanding: Some find the act of prayer can become more powerful if we take the time to define who God is for us. For those who have not found a home in organized religion, this tool can be especially important. If we are to turn our lives and will over to the care of something, it may be helpful to clarify what that something is."

I agree wholeheartedly! I was excited to read this statement in the SAA Manual, because surely now we are going to hear about Christ, right? We are going to hear that His blood alone can set us free, and both the churched and unchurched are going to hear an evangelistic message. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was short-lived, because the paragraph went on to say this: (emphasis added)

"In SAA, God is defined simply as a Power greater than ourselves. We are free to choose whether we find that power in a traditional form, or, for example, in the presence of a sober fellowship or in the magnitude of nature. Try not to be discouraged. It usually takes time to develop an experience of our Higher Power. We have found that even a willingness to believe is a powerful beginning that puts us well on our way. The precise concept of who God is for you is less important that the decision to work toward that relationship. Open mindedness is the key here. If you are having difficulty with this idea we suggest speaking to others at meetings who are staying sober and seem to have a positive relationship with their Higher Power."

It's sad to see this, isn't it? Because they are turning to wooden idols for strength and are seeing God as just another god on the shelf at "Discount Deities Are Us," they continue to struggle with sin in their lives, even if they may be walking in "sobriety" in one area.

One man said this: "Eventually, my wife told me that the group did not seem to be helping me. I went, but was still sinning and still engaging in pornography and self-gratification. This was true, and finally I made the break. I don't regret it. I feel SAA is a crutch, and also keeps men perpetually in a cycle of sin. No one seems to get better. I told them about Setting Captives Free, but when I mentioned Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life, some of them frowned on this. I won't go back to the group because they are NOT focused on Christ, even though they claim to be."

2 Timothy 3 begins by saying "In the last days, perilous times will come" and then gives a long list of sinful behavior and activities. According to verse 5, it will be accompanied by an outward show of godliness, but that's about as far as any "godliness" goes. As they say in Texas: "Big hat... tall boots... NO CATTLE!" They might look the part, but they're just a fake. They may sound godly; they may look godly; but they will deny, refuse and reject the source of any true power, which, if you've been with me thus far, you will know is found .... where? The cross and the Lord Jesus Christ!

By the way, I have the 212-page White Book of Sexaholics Anonymous sitting on my shelf at home, and do you know how many times Jesus Christ is mentioned? Zero. Yet, so many 12-Step support groups claim to be Christian in origin and in nature. Typically, it is only in appearance that this is the case. In time, it becomes obvious that they do not trust in the power of God alone to set them free, but allow the people who come to make anything their "higher power" which, at times, is the group, itself. They admit this right up front in their materials (page 6 of Getting Started In Sex Addicts Anonymous). But the Word of God tells us to avoid fellowshipping with people or groups that deny the power of the Lord to set them free. In other words, true godliness is not merely using words to attempt to prove that we are godly, but rather that we would experience the power of God that actually makes us godly.

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