On page 9 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous, a once alcoholic stood at the end of the bar as Bill Wilson slid a drink his way, trying to encourage him to drink and Ebby Thatcher declined and made a statement that seems to be overlooked in the recovery world. “I’ve got religion”… The whole program of alcoholics anonymous developed after this meeting with Ebby Thatcher, as he explained to Bill what he’d done to get sober. Shortly after, they speak about a “spiritual experience”. If you read in the appendix II, the first two editions of the book states that it was vital for permanent recovery. Let me just say, that for a book that mentions God 134 times in the first 164 pages, you’d think that people would be having these spiritual experiences more often, but, negative… In fact, I’ve never really heard of anyone really speak about having a specific “spiritual experience” that changed the course of their recovery, or got them sober. My observation is that there is a heavy emphasis on the steps and principals, but the one who has all power, gets pushed to the side and maybe mentioned here and there between a few f-bombs while drinking some bad coffee.
I’m going to go ahead and share my take on this from a biblical view and I hope to give some insight to why the infamous “spiritual experience” that seems to be so elusive, isn’t so elusive after some light gets shed on the subject.
First of all Ebby Thatcher was part of the Oxford group. The Oxford group has a specific God, not a god of your own understanding, not a doorknob. The triune God. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that there is only one God:
Isaiah 44:6 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Unfortunately, having your own conception of god is very dangerous. Not just dangerous, but the god you have made up is contrary to the only one who can save you. It is just that… A made up god… So, when everyone is reading through this book and doesn’t have a biblical grasp of who the God of the Bible is, it is a false relationship with your creator. Oh man, and the minute you bring up Jesus Christ in AA, people go full potato. But, it is very clearly stated in the Bible that no one can have ANY access to God without first believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The reality is, is that AA has gotten away from the foundation of the program… Though, yes, it is a program of action, it actually outlines a path of repentance. From doing wrong to moving in the opposite direction.
GOD is the only source of power, but if someone doesn’t know what Christ has done for them, then access to the Father is cut off.
The spiritual malady that the book talks about is really a war against sin. It is a cancer of the soul and left untreated it is eternally terminal… God looks at our sin as filth and God doesn’t hear any prayers of those who haven’t accepted Christ as their Savior.
Isaiah 59:2 (KJV) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
People back in Ebby Thatchers day weren’t just getting sober, they were getting saved. Back then, you were the outcast if you didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. It was a different generation. As our culture here in America progressed into more and more sin, our view of God has unfortunately strayed from the God of the Bible. Instead of people coming to Christ for deliverance from alcoholism, people are putting the steps and principals as the foundation. It’s like having a train with no engine… There is no power and it just becomes legalism… But once someone truly comes to faith in Christ they are born again.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
John 3:5 (KJV) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
If you want to know anything else on the subject, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to talk to you and show you what the Bible says about it and I’d be more than happy to show you the Bible in the big book.
“But for the grace of God there go I”…
I’d been to 6 rehabs and couldn’t get sober. Nothing worked for me, not until I fully surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior. I experienced the grace of God and he took away my desire to drink and get loaded and he gave me new desires. I wish the same for everyone in the program, because that’s how it used to be…