LESSON 12 - PROTECTION AGAINST ADDICTIONS

Youth 4th quarter 2024

December 22, 2024

MAIN TEXT
“Like a city that is broken down and has no walls, so is a man who has no control over his own spirit.” (Prov 25:28)

LESSON SUMMARY
Self-control is an indispensable virtue for overcoming an addiction. WEEKLY

READING
MONDAY – Prov 23:30-35 The tragic consequences of alcohol
TUESDAY – Rom 6:14 The Bible shows addiction as a master
WEDNESDAY – Rom 12:2 Addictions are not part of God’s purpose for life
THURSDAY – Rom 8:5-8 Inclined toward the things of the Spirit FRIDAY
– Eph 2:8-10 Walking in virtue
SATURDAY – Matt 7:14 Firm on the rock

OBJECTIVES
TO PRESENT some advice about addictions in the book of Proverbs:
TO KNOW the consequences that addictions bring:
TO SHOW how we can protect ourselves against addictions.

INTERACTION
Teacher, in this lesson we will see how dangerous addictions are and how they can dominate human nature. It is against this domination that the Word of God warns us and clearly shows that it is possible and, at the same time, it is God’s will that we not be dominated by it. We will see that self-control appears as an indispensable Christian virtue for us to emerge victorious in the fight against addictions. What guarantees our victory over them is that we are crucified with Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and, therefore, we can walk in newness of life.

PEDAGOGICAL GUIDANCE
Teacher, talk to the students explaining that “the lusts of the flesh, of the eyes and the pride of life are levels of infamous vices that every Christian will encounter on his or her journey:
a) The lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh has to do with human nature completely dominated by sin, corrupted, fallen, every act of the body for evil and immoral purposes.
b) The lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes has to do with everything that involves the mind and imagination. It creates the desire for sinful things offered by the media, music, movies, literature, art to give in to carnal desires.
c) The pride of life. This level of vice expresses man's self-glorification in sin, denoting his selfishness, vainglory and atheism. It is the man of today despising the Creator in deliberate opposition.
Conclude by emphasizing that to overcome these lusts it is necessary to have a life filled with the Spirit (Eph 5.18), to live fully in Christ Jesus, doing the will of God (Mt 7.21)” (Adapted from GOMES, Osiel. The Career that We Are Proposed to: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Get to Heaven. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2024).

BIBLE TEXT
Proverbs 20.21; Romans 6.5.6
Proverbs 20 Romans 6
21- Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

5- For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
6- Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer serve sin.

INTRODUCTION
Addictions reveal the power of sin in the life of a sinner. The Word of God states that the Lord Jesus came into the world to remove this power that reigns in the life of the sinner. In this context, the book of Proverbs shows us an important warning against the addictions that can dominate the human soul. In this lesson, we will study how to protect ourselves against addictions.

1- VICES IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS

1- Vices in Proverbs. We will not find in the book of Proverbs any list of vices that we should avoid, but we will see principles that we should consider in our walk. Nothing should dominate your life except the Word of God. Therefore, one of the characteristics of Proverbs, when it wants to convince young people to walk on the right path, is to present the danger of the path of addictive desires, the perverse path and the harm it will bring us (Proverbs 7.21-23). ​​Proverbs presents us with vices in language that makes it clear how seductive they can be and, at the same time, destructive to the life of those who have been dominated by them. Thus, the message of this book is clear: the wise should not be dominated by any vice.
2- The addictive substance (Proverbs 20.1). Chapter 20 is within a context that begins in chapter 18.22. From chapter 19.25 onwards there is a contrast between the characteristics of the life of the righteous and the scoffer. Still within this context, we read that alcohol produces mockers and quarrels and that, therefore, it is not a characteristic of a serious person who values ​​prudence and temperance (Proverbs 20:1). Proverbs also shows that alcohol is responsible for bringing about the most degrading consequences for life (Proverbs 23:30-35). Strong drink, like any other addictive substance, takes away from us lucidity, moderation, self-control, reasonableness and, therefore, is incompatible with the life of someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18)
. 3- Other vices (Proverbs 25:28). Proverbs 25 is found within the context of 25:1 and 29:27 called, as we saw in the first lesson, a collection of Hezekiah with Solomon's proverbs. Proverbs 25:28 presents us with the theme of self-control against any type of vice in any area of ​​human nature. As human beings, we fight our wars in various areas of our nature. Challenges with addictions can arise in the area of ​​instinctual needs (food, sex and power); in the emotional area (sadness, anger and laziness); and in the area of ​​the human spirit (ambition, envy and pride). An imbalance in any of these areas can produce many evils.

SUBSIDY 1
Teacher, explain to students that “for many people today, physical and emotional dependence on a substance is a bitter and relentless reality and statistics suggest that drug use is not decreasing. The problem has expanded to include more people than ever before. A long time ago, addiction to alcoholic beverages and drugs left the favelas to claim victims in schoolyards Addiction is no longer the disease of the marginalized, economically and culturally, today, it is an epidemic that ravages middle-class families There is, then. Is there any topic of greater relevance than this? Centuries ago, when the Lord directed His messengers to record His truth, this was a subject He chose not to ignore. So now, here we are, in the 21st century, surrounded by modern conveniences and unprecedented technology, yet the old sayings that an author wrote so long ago have a healthy relevance. This collection of wise sayings includes messages and warnings pertinent to everyone who may be enslaved by the effects of alcohol or the lure of other substances that cause hallucinations. Addiction to chemical substances is no longer hidden, whispered about by a select group of professionals, behind closed doors. Across the country, there are groups in communities, colleges, and churches, not to scold or yell, not to preach or moralize, but to offer help. Trained professionals and recovering addicts take the time to encourage, support, guide, and instruct each other. Most of them have already been through the hellish nightmare of addiction, so they understand what it's like to feel trapped, captive to a bottle, a pill, an inhalation or an injection” (SWINDOLL, Charles R. Vivendo Provérbios Rio de Janeiro : CPAD, 2013. p. 176)

II- ADDICTION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

1- The concept. Basically, we can define addiction as a long-lasting habit or custom that leads a person to do something that brings some “well-being.” This behavior becomes recurrent and increasingly intense. And one of the most visible characteristics of addiction is found precisely when the object of addiction is withdrawn. The person enters a process of abstinence and, therefore, ends up feeling a series of unpleasant symptoms due to the absence of the object of addiction. Thus, those who are dominated by an addiction become vulnerable to a series of dangers. That is why the description in Proverbs 25:28 is timeless, because human beings can dominate technology. They can be very successful people, able to have the greatest honors, but if they are dominated by an addiction, they are exposed and, therefore, they are like a city without any protection, unprotected against any type of invasion. They have no will of their own, because they are under the control of a master: addiction (Romans 6:12-14).
2- Different types of addictions. Addictions manifest themselves in different areas of human nature. As we mentioned earlier, they can manifest themselves through the most basic needs such as food and drink, through binge eating, alcoholism; through sex, through pornography, excessive sex and promiscuity. In this way, addictions manifest themselves in different ways in people's lives, always starting in a sneaky, recreational and unpretentious way, until it is no longer possible to escape this dominating context independently.
3- Addictions present in the lives of young people. There are some addictions that are predominant in the context in which young people live in general. Naturally, there are always exceptions. Specialists in the area of ​​Mental Health have dedicated themselves to studying the behaviors of young people through these addictions. According to them, chemical dependency is by far the most common addiction among young people. Generally, the introduction to addiction begins in a recreational way and then becomes an addiction. This addiction impacts not only the young person, but their entire family. Alcoholism is also a very common addiction in the lives of young people. This is a problem because alcohol is harmful to the intellectual and emotional development of young people.

SUBSIDY 2
“Drug use is not confined to dirty back streets; you can find addiction practically everywhere. In the penthouse apartment owned by the high roller, in pleasant homes where small children play, in efficient offices where business is regularly conducted, in military barracks where monotony reigns, in professional sports teams where competition is fierce and money is abundant—the problem knows no economic or social boundaries. This, however, is not a new phenomenon. Solomon spoke about it centuries ago. Despite his privileged position among the politically powerful and intellectually gifted, his writings reflect a firsthand exposure to the problem. Solomon apparently suffered from addiction himself in some way or witnessed the condition in those close to him. He personified alcohol as a vile criminal. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (20:1). Although at first Solomon seemed to have the substance in mind. A closer look reveals that he was actually referring to vice. Unfermented wine was not inherently bad. In fact, unfermented wine was a necessary part of daily life in ancient times. Everyone in the family drank wine, in moderation. Responsibly!” “Strong drink,” however, was different. Also called “sweet wine,” this beverage contained a substantially higher dose of alcohol than what many cultures called “table wine.” Strong drink makers discovered that mixing grapes with dried dates or pomegranates before fermentation resulted in a mind-altering beverage. The same process worked for distilling strong beer, by fermenting barley and mixing in high-sugar fruits to produce a high alcohol content.
The key word in this proverb is the Hebrew word translated “stirring up,” which may not be the best translation. The original verb means “to stray, to err, to fail.” The main emphasis is on inadvertent sin, whether through ignorance or accident. In this context, wine and strong drink entice their victims, as a harlot entices a lover (Prov. 5:20, 34). Furthermore, this proverb suggests that sin is not merely a case of drunkenness, but a downward course in one’s way of life. “Wine” and “strong drink” represent addiction or compulsion. Therefore, intoxication may not be merely the effect of alcohol on the brain, but the influence of addiction on a person’s life. (SWINDOLL Charles R. Living Proverbs Rio de Janeiro CPAD. 2013. p. 178)

III- PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST VICES

1- Crucified with Christ. We can affirm that, regarding how to be victorious against carnal vices, there is a truth demonstrated and revealed in the Scriptures: “our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Rom 6:6). Based on the revealed truth of the Word of God, we affirm that sin and, consequently, vices no longer have power over our lives, because we were united with Christ in His death, in a similar way that we will be united with Him in the resurrection (Rom 6:5). That is why those who are in Christ do not lean toward the things of the flesh, because their interest is in the things of the Spirit who is life and dwells in us (Rom 8:5-8). Now, the characteristic of a person dominated by the Spirit of God is to lean toward the virtues of the Spirit. These virtues are revealed through love, gentleness, temperance (self-control), and kindness (Gal 5:22).
2- Vices no longer reign. Now, if we have been crucified with Christ, we cannot be slaves to sin, much less obey the calls of our fallen nature (Rom 6:12, 13), but we must be dominated by the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that we will not be tempted by the desires of sin. Therefore, the apostle appeals to us to surrender ourselves to God every day to develop the virtues of the Spirit (Rom 6:13).
3- Exercising self-control. The apostle Paul says that we are part of a new spiritual reality, that is, we are in grace. This wonderful grace has reached us in a powerful way (Eph 2:8-10). Therefore, sin can no longer dominate us (Rom 6:14). Thus, as a consequence of the work carried out by the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can say no to sin and vice and, at the same time, cultivate an indispensable virtue to overcome the struggles against sinful desires: the virtue of self-control and temperance. We develop this virtue when we fully submit ourselves to the dominion of the Holy Spirit. This virtue will then help us in the fight against sins in all spheres of our nature. Thus, when we are tempered by the Spirit, we exercise self-control in areas that were previously dominated by other sources, leaving no room for temptations and malicious offers to bring us down. Thus, it makes a lot of sense when the wise man says that those who control their spirit, that is, exercise self-control, are no longer like a city without walls; on the contrary, they are like a well-fortified city, secure and founded on a rock (Prov 25:28; cf. Matt 7:24).

CONCLUSION
In this lesson, we saw how dangerous addictions are and how they can dominate human nature. It is against this domination that the Word of God warns us about addictions and clearly shows that it is possible and at the same time, it is God's will that we not be dominated by them. Self-control appears as an indispensable Christian virtue for us to emerge victorious in the fight against addictions. What guarantees our victory is that we are crucified with Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us and, therefore, we can walk in newness of life.

TIME FOR REVIEW
1- What is one of the characteristics of Proverbs regarding addictions?
One of the characteristics of Proverbs, when it wants to convince the young to walk on the right path, is to present the danger of the path of addictive desires, the perverse path and the harm it will bring us (Pv 721-23).

2- What is the concept of addiction according to the lesson?
Basically, we can conceptualize addiction as a lasting habit or custom that leads a person to do something that brings some well-being. This behavior becomes recurrent and increasingly intense.

3- According to the lesson, what are the main addictions found in the context of young people?
Specialists in the area of ​​Mental Health have dedicated themselves to studying the behaviors of young people through these addictions and according to them, chemical dependency is by far the most common addiction among young people in general.

4- What can we say about sin and vices according to the revelation of the Word of God?
Based on the revealed truth of the Word of God we affirm that sin and, consequently, vices no longer have power over our lives, because we were united with Christ in His death, so that we will similarly be united with Him in the resurrection (Romans 65).

5- What is the indispensable Christian virtue for overcoming addiction?
An indispensable virtue for overcoming the struggle against sinful desires is the virtue of self-control, of temperance.