Lesson 19Lesson 19Belief SystemsBelief Systems

Belief – A persuasion of truth on the Belief – A persuasion of truth on the grounds of evidence distinct from grounds of evidence distinct from personal knowledge.personal knowledge.

A Belief System is a set of A Belief System is a set of principles that determine our principles that determine our response to any circumstance.response to any circumstance.

Having the wrong belief system Having the wrong belief system allows a person to make decisions allows a person to make decisions that are contrary to the laws and that are contrary to the laws and commands of God.commands of God.

Man’s actions must be guided by Man’s actions must be guided by an established set of objective an established set of objective values or chaos and violence will values or chaos and violence will result.result.

What a person believes determines What a person believes determines how they live. how they live. What a person What a person believes about God will determine believes about God will determine what they believe to be the what they believe to be the meaning of life.meaning of life.

Having the proper concept of God Having the proper concept of God determines the Belief System we determines the Belief System we will have.will have.

Many addicts have no concept of Many addicts have no concept of God whatsoever. God whatsoever. Any concept they Any concept they may have is distorted and may have is distorted and confusing to them. confusing to them. The absence of The absence of Biblical leadership and role models Biblical leadership and role models in the life of an addict contributes in the life of an addict contributes to having the wrong concept of to having the wrong concept of God.God.

GodGod

CreationCreation

PurposePurpose

AccountabiliAccountabilityty

InstructionInstruction

ObedienceObedience

The following diagram illustrates the order for understanding the basic concepts that form a proper belief system.

Purpose

Having the proper concept of God Having the proper concept of God determines the Belief System we determines the Belief System we will have.will have.

What we believe about the What we believe about the existence of God predetermines our existence of God predetermines our beliefs on every other issue of life.beliefs on every other issue of life.

What we believe about God What we believe about God determines what we believe about determines what we believe about creation. creation. If we do not believe God If we do not believe God created man, we will not believe created man, we will not believe there is a purpose for having been there is a purpose for having been created.created.

If there is no purpose for having If there is no purpose for having been created, we will not believe been created, we will not believe we are accountable to God.we are accountable to God.

If we believe we are not If we believe we are not accountable to God, we will not accountable to God, we will not believe that God has given us believe that God has given us instructions about how to live a life instructions about how to live a life that is pleasing to Him.that is pleasing to Him.

Accepting or rejecting God’s Accepting or rejecting God’s instructions will determine whether instructions will determine whether or not we will be obedient to God.or not we will be obedient to God.

Obedience is the vehicle by which Obedience is the vehicle by which man experiences happiness and man experiences happiness and fulfillment in his life.fulfillment in his life.

Happiness is not found in fulfilling Happiness is not found in fulfilling the desires of one’s self, it is in the desires of one’s self, it is in fulfilling the desires of the Creator. fulfilling the desires of the Creator.

Man was made to fellowship with Man was made to fellowship with the Creator.the Creator.

The only way man can be happy is The only way man can be happy is to be in fellowship with the Creator.to be in fellowship with the Creator.

The only way man can have The only way man can have fellowship with the Creator is to be fellowship with the Creator is to be obedient to the Creator’s obedient to the Creator’s commands.commands.

In a chaotic society there is no In a chaotic society there is no concept of God or one’s concept of God or one’s responsibility to Him. responsibility to Him. The Bible The Bible says “Where the Spirit of the Lord says “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)3:17)

Contrary to what those who deny Contrary to what those who deny Christ want us to believe, there is Christ want us to believe, there is no freedom or liberty apart from no freedom or liberty apart from knowing God. knowing God. The very life of an The very life of an addict proves this.addict proves this.

A person may be clean and sober A person may be clean and sober from drugs and alcohol and still be from drugs and alcohol and still be in bondage to them.in bondage to them.

No one who is in bondage can free No one who is in bondage can free himself from that bondage.himself from that bondage.

When a person is a slave to and in When a person is a slave to and in bondage to sin they are not bondage to sin they are not capable of freeing themselves from capable of freeing themselves from this captivity. this captivity. It becomes necessary It becomes necessary for someone else to purchase for someone else to purchase freedom for them.freedom for them.

We must see sin as the greatest We must see sin as the greatest problem in the life of the addict, problem in the life of the addict, and the root cause of all addictions.and the root cause of all addictions.

Our society blames addictions on a Our society blames addictions on a disease or illness. disease or illness. Society says it is Society says it is the “disease” of addiction that the “disease” of addiction that forces a person to satisfy the lusts forces a person to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.of the flesh.

Denial of sin has permeated even Denial of sin has permeated even our churches to such a degree, that our churches to such a degree, that we send our members to the AA we send our members to the AA meeting instead of to the altar.meeting instead of to the altar.

By accepting Jesus Christ as our By accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour we have the same power Saviour we have the same power over sin and death that Jesus has. over sin and death that Jesus has. This power frees us from the This power frees us from the bondage of sin, all sin; this freedom bondage of sin, all sin; this freedom is not temporary, it is forever.is not temporary, it is forever.

It is God that makes men free. He It is God that makes men free. He alone can free men from the alone can free men from the bondage of sins of addiction, not a bondage of sins of addiction, not a commitment to weekly meetings, a commitment to weekly meetings, a 12-step program, or sheer 12-step program, or sheer determination.determination.

If a person must go to meetings in If a person must go to meetings in order to stay clean or sober I would order to stay clean or sober I would submit to you that they are simply submit to you that they are simply trading one life-controlling habit or trading one life-controlling habit or dependency for another.dependency for another.

There can be no real hope in this There can be no real hope in this “meeting” type of thinking. “meeting” type of thinking. The The person who is afraid to person who is afraid to notnot go to go to meetings is never truly free from meetings is never truly free from the addiction.the addiction.

If a person, who has a chemical If a person, who has a chemical dependency problem, realizes that dependency problem, realizes that he or she has a sin problem he or she has a sin problem instead, there is hope because God instead, there is hope because God forgives sin.forgives sin.

Even though there are Even though there are consequences of sin in this life, God consequences of sin in this life, God forgives us each time we confess forgives us each time we confess our sin.our sin.

He not only forgives us of our sin, He not only forgives us of our sin, but the Bible says in Psalm 103:12 but the Bible says in Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”transgressions from us.”

Hebrews 10:17 says, Hebrews 10:17 says, “And their sins “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no and iniquities will I remember no more.” more.” Not only does God forgive Not only does God forgive us of our sins, but once they are us of our sins, but once they are under the blood, He does not under the blood, He does not remember them any longer.remember them any longer.

The Belief System to which a The Belief System to which a person holds, whether recognized person holds, whether recognized or not, is a result of the influences, or not, is a result of the influences, or lack of influences, from parents or lack of influences, from parents and/or authority figures during and/or authority figures during early childhood experiences or their early childhood experiences or their formative years.formative years.

The relationship a person has with The relationship a person has with their parents or those who rear their parents or those who rear them is one of the most powerful them is one of the most powerful factors that shape a person’s views factors that shape a person’s views of God and their ability to relate to of God and their ability to relate to others.others.

The Home is the most influential The Home is the most influential place of instruction in the early place of instruction in the early years of a person’s life.years of a person’s life.

……parents and guardians are the parents and guardians are the first sources of instruction in the life first sources of instruction in the life of the child and are given the of the child and are given the responsibility from God to train the responsibility from God to train the child correctly.child correctly.

Guilt and blame can also distort Guilt and blame can also distort one’s concept of God.one’s concept of God.

The right concept of God allows us The right concept of God allows us to see Him as the ultimate to see Him as the ultimate authority in our life.authority in our life.

God has ordained that there be God has ordained that there be authorities in our life that we may authorities in our life that we may receive instruction from them.receive instruction from them.

We can have confidence that the We can have confidence that the Bible’s teachings and principles are Bible’s teachings and principles are true and trustworthy because they true and trustworthy because they come from God Himself.come from God Himself.

Our life is either an example for Our life is either an example for others to follow or an excuse for others to follow or an excuse for others to copy.others to copy.

The relationship a person has with The relationship a person has with Christ and their obedience to the Christ and their obedience to the Word of God are the tools God uses Word of God are the tools God uses to change a faulty belief system to change a faulty belief system into one that is pleasing to Him.into one that is pleasing to Him.

It is through obedient living that we It is through obedient living that we bring glory to God. bring glory to God. This is the This is the ultimate purpose of our existence ultimate purpose of our existence as human beings.as human beings.