This strikes a chord with me.
AH and I have studied the Bible from our mothers skirts. It was not until a year ago that I really began to understand it.
There are so many translations and things taken literal when they should be figurative and so on...
Hmmm.... substance abuser if faith is the substance of things hoped for.... isn't it interesting how addicts gas light and abuse the substance of things hoped for by their loved ones.... substance abuserThe addict knows their loved one has hope and faith that they will someday stop using. They latch onto that faith, twist it, distort it, and use it to keep the loved one enabling them. "I'm really done this time... I called the detox, they don't have beds... I can beat this on my own with God's help... I just need prayer and more faith... everything is ok... I don't get high I just stay well...I'm going to meetings... I'll check into rehab tomorrow" the list goes on and on. Isnt it interesting how Satan quoted scripture to Jesus in the desert... but he twisted it, manipulated it, and took it out of context.... Wow I can't explain the light bulbs this post has caused to go off in my head.
Speaking of faith from "the Biggest Book" lol. I follow the Big Book of AA, but hold the Bible higher, so I call it that as a joke....
We always say in secular recovery circles things like "actions speak louder than words... watch actions..." etc and so on.... our loved ones quack quack quack all day long. They sometimes even go to church and work and keep up appearances very well. They lie and steal and break the law and use on Saturday, "just to be well enough" to be able to sit in the pew Sunday morning. I did. AH did. We had using friends that did. For years and years.
Look what Paul also writes in his letter to James:
James 2:17-19 (paraphrased version)
"So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn't show itself by good works is no faith at all. It is dead and useless. But someone may well argue " You say the way to God is by faith alone! Plus nothing!" But I say that good works are important too,for without good works you can't prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act."
Did I have faith when I was not living right? Did AH? Of course!!! But we both abused it, until it was practically dead.
Thanks for this thread! It's very thought provoking for me. Im sorry for the long post. I never see threads about the Bible on this forum. I'm excited because I study it a lot with my sponsor. I rarely post about it here directly because I know we all have different higher powers.
Hugs,
Lily