GETTING BACK ON SPACE STATION EARTH

 

Some addicts have been absent from mainstream life for a number of years, especially those who start mainlining on heroin. The deeper people get into the drug lifestyle the smaller their group of friends becomes. At first, especially in the party and clubbing scene where most are exposed to drugs in the beginning phases, everyone seems to be doing some drug or other and the atmosphere is light-hearted and festive. It is fun and pure escapism. They can get away and forget about their emotional hang-ups for a few hours and have a great time.

STEP-BY-STEP REMOVAL FROM REALITY

 

Experimentation with other harder drugs follows sooner or later but the exposure to hardcore addicts is sporadic. With each step deeper into the drug culture, addicts become further and further removed from real life. We must never forget that this is a magical road, that is why God calls it sorcery and witchcraft. Eventually, it becomes a mindset of “them against us”. It is frightening to see how children can sell out their own families and parents to their dealers. They will manipulate, steal from, and assault their own flesh and blood to keep their dealer happy. They will turn on their closest family like raving demons if you interfere with their drugging friends. They become totally alienated from real life. All that matters is getting their next fix and then drifting off to nowhere land. They see no sense in mortgages, car insurance, traffic rules, healthy eating, or even personal hygiene. Only one thing matters and that is to get enough of the drug they use into their veins so that they can nod off into nothingness. They are so to speak either in outer space, or inner space, but for sure spaced out. When you try and speak to them you can see they are not there.

 

JESUS TAKES THE HEAT

 

Detoxification and withdrawal are very much like the re-entry phase of a spaceship back into the Earth’s atmosphere. It can become very hairy and quite critical. That is why we are so grateful to the Lord Jesus for taking most of the heat upon himself. It is quite amazing the number of testimonies of hardcore junkies who have put all their trust in Jesus and come off drugs without experiencing withdrawal. What is very evident though is the incredible presence of the Holy Spirit in their situation. I do not believe we quite understand how spiritual the very nature of drugging really is. I believe that is the reason why God had these two opposing worlds put in the Scripture in the very same context. Especially when we look at Galatians 5, 19-22.

THE SCOPE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

In most translations, the description of the sinful nature which includes the use of drugs, is juxtaposed with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I have 28 different versions of the Bible on my PC including Dutch and Afrikaans. All but three put the fruit of the Spirit in direct contrast to our sinful nature with drug abuse and occultism clearly defined as part and partial of the reason for exclusion from God’s Kingdom. In other words, the power to nullify these evil practices lies within the scope and working of the Holy Spirit. Yet there is a responsibility that rests with us as described in Galatians 5:24:

 

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.”

 

LIVE AND WALK BY THE SPIRIT

 

The crucifixion of the flesh indicates the finality of breaking out of that other world’s pull, very much like the force of gravity, by declaring oneself dead to it. Here we are back with the dead corpse which is being offered a line of coke to snort, whilst it cannot even breathe. How then must we progress back into real life? Galatians 5:25 tells us how:

 

“If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit, we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]”

 

A WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION BEGINS

 

This is the basis of a safe re-entry back into real life, living in the Spirit. Coming back to the discussion we had in the beginning regarding the interface function of the brain and mind between the real material tangible world and the spiritual, the importance of being counselled by the Word of God, must be stressed. When we expose ourselves to constructive Bible study we are looking into a mirror, wherein we can see our own imperfections compared to God’s glory, but simultaneously, should we apply what we see, a wonderful transformation starts taking place. 2Corinthians 3:18 says:

 

“And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendour and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”

 

DR KRIGE AND HOUSE REGENERATION

 

This adapted content was extracted from Regeneration Versus Rehabilitation, authored by Dr Ado Krige, the Founding Director of House Regeneration, a South African drug rehabilitation centre offering a comprehensive discipleship training program. By applying principles of Biblical Therapy, using the Scriptures to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness, House Regeneration counsellors show anyone who has suffered from addiction how to fully understand why they do what they do and how to bring their belief systems in line with the Word of God.