Hi Corkie,
What I have learned in my journey of recovery is to trust myself.
To trust my instincts, trust the God of my understanding, trust my truths, and that peope say lots of things because they really WANT them to be true, but their actions usually show the truth.
SO I try to base my decisions on ACTIONS not words.
There are many resources available for you to help you deal with this situation - which will probably be on going for the rest of your life if you are going to have a future with this man. Al-Anon, recovery litature, SR, working with your HP, journaling, etc.
He could very well be telling the truth - he could be lying - probably only HE & HIS GOD know.
Can you be in a healthy relationship with someone and allow that person to work on his own sobriety and take care of your own "garden of self"? Set those healthy boundaries and enforce them?
These are just some suggestions of things to do to help in a relationship with a person who has a problem with alcohol/substance abuse.
PINK HUGS,
Rita