Step 1 | Lesson 1
Confession
Realizing that our lives are unmanageable, and we are powerless to do what is good; we acknowledge that sin eternally separates us from our righteous, loving God and that we are helpless to meet His standard on our own.
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Let’s Begin…The 12 Steps with God
Step 1 – Confession – Realizing that our lives are unmanageable, and we are powerless to do what is good; we acknowledge that sin eternally separates us from a righteous, loving God and we are helpless to meet His standard on our own.
- In Lesson 1, we will talk about the reality of our sin and what sin is all about.
- In Lesson 2, we will talk about how natural man is separated from a righteous/loving God – with consequences now and in eternity.
- In Lesson 3, we will talk about how we are helpless to meet God’s holy standard through our own efforts.
…We are here to talk about recovery or addiction to ____ so I can feel normal, feel pleasure, or escape the pain…so why are we focusing on God and the fact that we all fall short of God’s perfect standard? It is simple, God is the only one that can give us true, lasting victory over the issues or pain we struggle with.
Step 1 boils our problems down to one easy to understand concept – sin. But what is sin?
To offer a simple definition, we would say sin is any deviation from God’s perfection, righteousness, and purity. Unless you are as perfect as God, you are a sinner. This is the natural course for every person, in our sin nature…we attempt life without Him. It is our sin that separates us from God and in many respects our sin is the root cause of our issues/struggles.
Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”
The flesh serves as a base camp from which sin operates in the Christian’s life. It is not sinful inherently, but because of its fallenness, it is still subject to sin and is thoroughly contaminated.
The Apostle Paul was aware of the Greek concept of “dualism” which taught that the body was evil and the spirit was good, but that was not what he was teaching. In this section, Paul has already acknowledged personal responsibility for sin. A more accurate picture than the Greek dualism is one where there is a large room in our heart where the Holy Spirit and our sin nature co-exist, the question moment by moment is which one are we offering our attention to, listening to, and making feel at home – that will guide our thoughts, our actions, and what we say.
…Again, sin is the cause of much of our pain/poor relationships and God’s Word has the answers.
In Step 1, we readily admit that sin has brought wreckage into our lives…
- Other’s sin against us may be significant and life altering, however it is our sin that separates us from God and His healing hand of grace in our lives.
- Perhaps you have tried to change your life or address the issues and challenges you face by sheer willpower and determination.
- Perhaps you saw a measure of success in that, maybe not…so the question remains, how do I find that lasting change or victory I seek?
Step 1 acknowledges that sin separates us from God; and because of that our lives are unmanageable and we are powerless to do good and meet His standard on our own.
God is the only one that can help us find that lasting change or victory in our lives – and the world does not understand this truth. God’s Word tells us about a personal relationship with Him and a life devoted to Him is the objective; and the lasting change and victory over that sin are benefits along the way. The world tells us that a relationship with God isn’t necessary and we just need to focus on ourselves and with the help of meetings or counseling, lasting change and victory is possible. All we need is our own determination to make that happen.
Romans 3:10-11, “as it is written: There is no righteous person, not even one; there is no one who understands, There is no one who seeks out God”
Man is unable to comprehend the truth of God or grasp His standard of righteousness without God. Sadly, our spiritual ignorance does not result from a lack of opportunity to understand or know Him, but is an expression of our depravity and rebellion. And the phrase “no one seeks” clearly implies that the world’s false religions are fallen man’s attempts to escape the true God – not to seek Him.
Paul strings together a series of OT quotations that indict the character, conversation, and conduct of all men. Nine times he uses words such as “none” and “all” to show the universality of human sin and rebellion.
All mankind is separated from the one that can help us find victory.
This is the perfect place to start the recovery process
Honestly acknowledge, “My life is unmanageable by me…
…and I am powerless to fix it to perfection on my own.”
How about some questions to help us consider our inability to succeed on our own…?
- Is there some aspect of your life you consider out of control or unmanageable? Be specific.
- Is there something, an activity, or a habit that you feel powerless to control? Could a friend or loved one identify that activity or habit that you are unable to control?
- How do you handle pain, disappointment, or frustration?
- What are the sources of your pain, disappointment, or frustration?
- In all of this, have you recognized denial, rationalization, or blame-shifting as a part of your life now or in the past? Have others pointed these out to you?
- Is there a point in time where people in your life told you or you realized on your own that you have problems or issues that need to be addressed?
- Have these problems led to other issues with money, legal system, anger, bitterness, social interaction, illness, or injury?
- Describe times/ways that you have neglected or damaged relationships with loved ones as a result of your problems/issues.
Looking Forward:
Recognizing that nothing good dwells in us and that we are powerless to do what is good is a great start. In our next lesson we must acknowledge the ultimate consequence of our sins.
Not only has sin brought real troubles into our lives, but it has eternal consequences. Next lesson we will explore that bad news. Do not worry, great news is coming in the next several lessons – “but where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20).xt will do. Description for this block. You can use this space for describing your block.
Step 1 | Lesson 2
Confession
Realizing that our lives are unmanageable, and we are powerless to do what is good; we acknowledge that sin eternally separates us from our righteous, loving God and that we are helpless to meet His standard on our own.
Audio Lesson
Listen to Lesson 1.2
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Great for personal study or discipleship
Let’s Continue…The 12 Steps with God
- In Lesson 1, we talked about the reality of our sin and what sin is all about.
- In Lesson 2, we discuss how natural man is separated from a righteous/loving God – with consequences now and in eternity.
- In Lesson 3, we talk about how we are helpless to meet God’s holy standard through our efforts.
…We are here to talk about recovery or addiction to ____ so I can feel normal, feel pleasure, or escape the pain…so why are we focusing on God and the fact that we all fall short of God’s perfect standard? It is simple, God is the only one that can give us true, lasting victory over the our issue & pain.
After recognizing that our lives are unmanageable, and that we are powerless to do what is good, we want to acknowledge that our problems are much bigger still: we are separated from a righteous and loving God. The fact that He is righteous reminds us of the fact that He knows no sin, has no sin, condones no sin, nor does he initiate sin. When we are living a life of sin, separated from God – God is far from us, and the sad truth is, we are all far from God when in our natural state.
Romans 3:10b-11, “None is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
To say that our God is loving is a gross understatement, but it carries immense meaning. In fact, God’s agape love for us is an unconditional love, a love from the will and as a choice. By this definition we would understand that love is not an emotion, or a state of mind. Love is active, and God certainly is active toward us who are sinful. We intend to develop this point in greater detail and discussion in step two, but it is necessary to understand that love is an attribute of the God from whom we are separated.
I John 4:8b “God is love.”
So, what is the problem? Why are we separated from this righteous and loving God that can help us with all the issues we face? We’ve already identified the problem: sin. The Bible describes sin in easy-to-understand terms. It is disobedience. It is rebellion. It is withdrawing from God. But what the Bible does not do is to define sin. The word means, to miss, or fall short of, the mark. The doctrine of sin is this: if God’s perfection, holiness, purity, and righteousness were the bullseye on a target, not only would we miss the target, but our attempts would be directed 180 degrees from it.
The point: even the best of mankind is standing in natural opposition to God. We may be exceptional within the culture, environment or civilization in which we live as we compared ourselves to others, but even our best deeds are deplorable to God.
Isaiah 64:6a, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
It isn’t that those works are bad in and of themselves (e.g., sacrificing for others is a good work), but no amount of “good works” can cover or erase our sin, even if we only sinned once, before a holy, perfect God.
Titus 3:4-5a, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”
We can never do enough good, any sin in our lives remains to pollute the overall picture. It is insulting to God that we would try.
Now the tough truth – because of this sin in our lives, we are doomed to eternity in a place called hell. The Bible talks about this place being the extreme in awfulness. It is a place of eternal fire, sorrowful weeping and grinding of teeth (Matthew 13:50). But we believe the worst thing about having to spend eternity there is that it is the location of God’s wrath, not His peace, joy, or bliss. This is the consequence for our sin.
Romans 6:23a, “For the wages of sin is death…”
Death is the reality of eternal separation from the glories of God, and it is the result of our sin.
This is the ultimate in separation. But if we already feel the agony in this life without God, here and now, His Word and a relationship with Him is the answer to the struggles and challenges we face. We need Him. We cannot make it any longer without Him. We are at the point of acknowledging our inability on our own, and now are ready to recognize Him as our only hope and help.
Consider and Confess:
- We acknowledge that not every hardship of life is a consequence of sin, but we also acknowledge that sin has brought hurts, hang-ups, and habits that are causing problems. Can you see the effect of sin in your life?
- Have you ever thought about being “right” with God or how you might measure up to God’s righteous, holy standard?
- Have you ever considered how God would judge your life or your actions and did that involve comparing yourself to others?
- Have you thought about the word “sin” and thought that it sounded a little harsh for a loving God, especially when everyone is calling that “sin” a disease or a condition?
- Have some of your choices or actions separated you from friends and family or those you love? What did you do to repair those relationships or be reconciled with those people?
Read Ephesians 2:1-3; these verses are speaking to believers who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and understand where they have been (dead in their trespasses and sins) and how they got there (lived in the lust of the flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind). Like the first man Adam that made a sinful choice, we have all made poor, self-serving, hurtful choices. What is the sin in your life that separates you from a holy, just God?
Looking Forward:
In our final lesson for Step 1 we will be expanding the thought about our inability to measure up to God’s perfection on our own. We may be trying diligently but are falling farther behind. We may be holding on right now, not declining, but not improving either. In any case, next time we will explore the need for open honesty about our inability to measure up to God’s perfection on our own.
Step 1 | Lesson 3
Confession
Realizing that our lives are unmanageable, and we are powerless to do what is good; we acknowledge that sin eternally separates us from our righteous, loving God and that we are helpless to meet His standard on our own.
Print-Ready PDF
Great for personal study or discipleship
Let’s Finish Step 1, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 1 – Confession – Realizing that our lives are unmanageable, and we are powerless to do what is good; we acknowledge that sin eternally separates us from a righteous, loving God and we are helpless to meet His standard on our own.
- In Lesson 1, we talked about the reality of our sin and what sin is all about.
- In Lesson 2, we talked about how natural man is separated from a righteous/loving God – with consequences now and in eternity.
- In Lesson 3, we will talk about how we are helpless to meet God’s holy standard through our own efforts.
…We are here to talk about recovery or addiction to ____ so I can feel normal, feel pleasure, or escape the pain…so why are we focusing on God and the fact that we all fall short of God’s perfect standard? It is simple, God is the only one that can give us true, lasting victory over the issues or pain we struggle with.
This lesson reminds us of some things we already know, but the more that we learn about God’s purity and holiness, the crazier it seems that we would try to get there on our own.
Matthew 5:48, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
What we don’t completely understand as a natural man is the loftiness of God’s standard. The word perfect is to be understood as being complete, in fullness, or lacking nothing. Jesus sets an unattainable standard. The thought in the verse is clear; God is complete in purity and holiness. He has no needs. His expectation for us is that same perfection. That is an extremely lofty expectation, yet that is His standard.
2 Corinthians 5:21, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
In this verse, the Apostle Paul summarizes the heart of the gospel – how a holy God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ…and further, He has given us the ministry of reconciliation, where we proclaim the gospel of reconciliation to others. You may not be familiar with the word reconciliation – it refers to a change in relationship between God and Man or between 2 people. It is a mutual change from hostility or antagonism to friendship…we have resolved the issues that separated us.
Leviticus 11:44a, “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.”
His basis for commanding such a thing is the very first phrase of the verse: “For I am the LORD your God.” His rationale is given at the end of the quotation: “for I am holy.”
Consecration is to dedicate oneself completely to righteousness or the highest standards. In this verse God is commanding His people (the Jews) to commit themselves to absolute purity.
You might have caught the fact that this verse is directed to the Jews as God’s covenant people and therefore is not directed at us. However, there are several very similar verses in the New Testament like the following.
Romans 8:29…For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters;
Romans 12:2…And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
And the Apostle Peter, in the New Testament says:
1 Peter 1:15-16, “… but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’.”
In context, this section of scripture is reminding us how we are to live before God our Father. In the previous verse it introduces this idea “as obedient children, not conforming to the former lusts, as in your ignorance”. The statement that God is holy refers to the fact that He is set apart, no person is like God; He is perfect, transcendent, or spiritually pure and worthy of our reverence. Holiness essentially defines the Christian’s new nature and conduct …becoming more like Christ, in contrast with our pre-salvation lifestyle. The best way to glorify Him is to be like Him. This entire command is directed to those who have trusted in Him for deliverance from their sin (which we cover in our next few lessons).
With all of this clearly establishing God’s standard, it isn’t hard to see that we’ve fallen short of it.
In honesty we can admit, “If perfection is what God wants, I can’t, and won’t make it.” The result is that we acknowledge our helplessness and need for help. It is time to put it in His hands. Only God can do what needs to be done in our lives.
How about some questions to help us put our helplessness to meet God’s holy standard into perspective?
Consider and Confess:
- There are many reasons a person may come to understand their imperfections. What in life has brought you to that conclusion?It is impossible for us to fully understand the perfection of God, so let’s think about the concept for just a minute. Who in your life is the most perfect? Why, or what makes you think of them?
- For you to become more like Christ, what things in your life must go away? (Add to this list as life goes along.) A good example is our speech…Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear…Ephesians 4:29.
- What kinds of things should be added to your life? (Take time to add to this list as time goes on as well.)
- What things have you tried to do to be perfect in your past? Were you successful?
- Have the sins of others affected your life in a negative way? Have your sins affected others like you in a negative way? (The point to these questions is to see that all of us need God’s help.)
- Have you ever wanted to give up since being perfect seemed unattainable?
Looking Forward:
The next step is the biggest thing you will ever consider in your life. There is hope of having a new life, but it must be done God’s way. We will be taking several weeks to discuss this huge opportunity for forgiveness, a clean slate, and a new beginning in Step 2.
Next Step
Step 2
Gospel
We know that a loving God, extending mercy and grace to us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin and offers us an abundant life and greater joy than on our own.