The subtle dangers of emancipation

Here are true stories of two unrelated sets of friends of mine, whose names I have changed for this column.

William and Nancy (in Michigan) were heroin addicts who got emancipated from their addiction through a Christian addictions treatment program. William then got his state certification and stayed on as a substance abuse counselor with the organization for four years.

Paul and Betty (in Pennsylvania) were a homosexual and a lesbian for decades, got gloriously saved, met and married each other, and then plunged into ministry helping others struggling against homosexuality.

Both couples have reported to me, independent of each other, a danger they encountered that they didn't expect---one that William and Nancy fell into and Paul and Betty narrowly averted. Here's an excerpt from one of William's letters to me:

"In the light of my apparent breakthrough . . . our 12-Step recovery-oriented life appeared to be a wonderful success story. All, though, was not quite as it seemed. There was yet something missing in my life, indeed, in our lives: the kind of wonderful liberty that comes only as the direct result of developing a profoundly personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Empowered with that novel kind of exhilarating enthusiasm typical of people who have recently found hope in recovery, . . . we focused more of our energies into the dynamics of our newfound lifestyle than into relationship with Jesus.

"Oh, yes, I had re-dedicated my life to Christ and was doing all those outwardly right-looking things: counseling and helping others à la A.A. methodology, attending various A.A. and N.A. meetings, co-leading a weekly A.C. [Alcoholics for Christ] meeting, even teaching the adult Sunday School class at our church. Yet something within, some malignant, nefarious force was patiently lying in wait, . . . biding its time . . . my semi-dormant but very much alive addiction. . . ."

William and Nancy eventually fell headlong into addiction again. Paul and Betty did not fall back into homosexuality but experienced other spiritual upheaval. All four are now walking with the Lord and have been for over a decade.

It is very scary to me that we can be saved---working for Christ's kingdom, leading Bible studies---and still be courting disaster unawares. What I learned from both couples is that a relationship with Jesus needs to be the center of our lives, or Satan will be as well pleased to use the headiness and pride of our liberation to bring us down, as he formerly used our addictions. A drift from Christ is a drift from Christ, whether it wears the garbs of Christian success or of dereliction.

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