Rethinking the 12 Steps
by Editor(s)

We have been concerned for some time about misunderstandings that have arisen about the 12 Steps, and we have, therefore, decided to discontinue articles about the Steps in The Intercessor. We included these articles because we believe that the principles that they embody are biblically based and can give a person a true picture and under-standing of himself: powerless, defeated, and lost, and in need of a power greater than himself–this power being the only Power in the universe–God, Himself.

The original formulation of the 12 Steps did not intend to put forth a ‘bow-to" self-help program. The intention of the founders of the program was to give people a spiritual, step-by-step process by which to turn their wills and their lives over to God with complete abandon so that He would combat addictions they were unable to control. Many, however, have seen it wrongly and have depended on the "program" itself instead of depending on God as the answer to their problems.

Anyone who has tried to work a 12-step program to combat an addiction knows how little success he or she achieves if this point is misunderstood: "I" can quit drinking, quit smoking, etc. by working the 12 Steps. It is the famous Romans 7:11 trap–sin through the commandment always deceiving us and by it, killing us. That is Mr. Sin (Satan) holding up God’s good Law and enticing us with his lie that we’ve got what it takes to keep it. The sin of self-effort naturally produces negligible results: the very things I want to do, I can’t, and the things I don’t want to do, I do (Romans 7:19). If an involvement with the 12 Steps does not lead to realizing our true powerlessness–that we’re only vessels operated by another–and point to the true solution–Jesus Christ–there can be no true recovery.

Another area that has confused some is how to define God. The founders of the 12-step program defined God for themselves as the God of the Bible. "God as we understand Him" must be nothing less than His own revelation of Himself as is made clear in the Bible: God the Father, the all in all; Jesus Christ, God’s only Son who paid the price for sin and bought our salvation through His shed blood (Romans 5:9); and the Holy Spirit, our sanctification by His indwelling and union with our spirit–one spirit: "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him" (1 Corinthians 6:17).

The following letter was written to a concerned reader and will further explain our decision:

Dear Alan,
Thank you for your heartfelt letter. I understand your concern about the 12 Steps. We also have been rethinking this area of teaching. Of course, I totally agree that the answer to all problems and difficulties in life, and to all sin, is "Christ in you, the hope of glory," and is certainly not to be found in works of any kind. Our attempt has been to describe the Life as it is lived through us as us, which will, in fact coincide with a per-son truly living the 12 Steps. So many struggle with addictions of all kinds and have found so little help in the tradition-al church. As you know, the Steps encourage people to embrace "God as you understand Him," in an effort to be as inclusive as possible. Our desire and hope has been to translate Norman’s (and the Bible’s) truth of union into understandable and current terms which would, in turn, elucidate the solution as The Person, God as He reveals Himself in the Scriptures. However, we have seen a dual danger: that the process can lead to self-effort and can be mistaken for the answer in and of itself; and people can misuse "God as you understand Him" to postulate something (or someone) other than Christ–the way, the truth, and the life.

The vessel never changes. It is ours to simply trust (the obedience of faith) that the indwelling Christ will work in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. This, His life in us as us, will totally square with how the Scriptures depict the Christian life.

I very much appreciate your concern, and our intention is to withdraw this aspect of teaching from The Intercessor to ensure that no further misunderstanding arises. I will take the liberty of leaving your name on the mailing list unless I hear from you.

Much love,

Sanda