You and I Are the Dirty, Smelly Manger in Which Christ Was Born
Now don’t be offended as that is the best news that you will ever hear. If you are like me and struggled with an addictive behavior for eight years or really even if you have not the vast majority of us know how far we have fallen short of being a decent husband, wife, parent, sibling, etc. Not to mention being a good Christian. If not, then this is not for you, although I believe that most of us are in that category or will be there sooner or later. As Jesus said “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The apostle Paul put it like this: “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate (Rom 7:15) and “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”. It would appear that Paul in a state of brokenness and despair found the answer he was looking for when he said, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:25).
But what does he mean “through Jesus Christ our Lord”? It is so basic and simple that most Christians miss it. Does he mean only those who are obeying Him as Lord? NO, he is not exhorting you to obey but simply pointing to who you are in Christ. Faith is primarily recognition. It is recognition and belief in who you are in Christ and what you have in Christ. It is so simple that it can be summed up in one verse, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20). Now if that is true, the following is also:
1. The old sin-loving sinner that you have been trying to shape up and stop sinning is dead and gone and the sooner you stop trying to shape up the old dead self, the sooner you will realize that you do not have to.
2. Christ is your life (Col. 3:4) and is living in you and if that’s true, then
3. You are one spirit with him (1 Cor. 6:17) and so you are dead to sin and freed from it (Rom. 6:6, 7).
Now if the above is true you are free from all bondage, sin and addictive behaviors. Now I am not saying that you don’t sin, or have addictive behaviors, etc. All of us will struggle with those until we believe the truth that sets free ( John 8:32). But you need to believe in your heart for it to be true in your life. The first step is to realize that all the advice of well meaning people (pastors, counselors, and friends) of what to do will not set you free, but only keep you in bondage. WHY? Because there is NOTHING to do. Jesus has already done it. IT IS FINISHED!!!
It took me 51 years of my life, 3 years in seminary and 18 years as a Christian before I believed the “truth that sets free”. That was 30 years ago this past October. Now I have not lived a perfect life as my wife would gladly confirm, but Praise God I have been freed from addiction for 30 years.
A year after I found my freedom I wrote a little booklet “The Key to the Victorious Christian Life and published it as a ebook on Amazon. You can get it for free through Dec. 16. Just go to http://amazon.com and type in “key to the victorious.”
Our support has been low again this year so End-of-the-Year Giving is very important. Please consider sending a one-time gift! If you have benefited from our ministry, we would greatly appreciate your support! Make checks to Grace Walk Ministries and enclose a note it’s for the Quarles. Mail to P.O. Box 817, St Petersburg FL 33731. If using a credit card, go to gracewalk.org, click on DONATE, then on ONLINE DONATION FORM and fill in your info. If you don’t need a Tax Receipt, you can send a donation via PayPal to freedfrom@bellsouth.net OR mail a check to our home. You will receive a receipt from our office. Thank you for your support in prayer and financially!
Grace to you,
Mike Quarles
Grace Walk Recovery Ministry
4590 Mountain Creek Dr Roswell GA 30075
Phone – (404) 275-5122
http://www.freedfromaddiction.org
Freedom from Addiction 