Carrie beth Frabasilio Supporter

First and foremost, your affliction and subsequent use of medications (opiates), has no bearing on your salvation and faith. For someone with diseases/illnesses, any prescribed drug we take to control symptoms, ie pain- a debilitating and difficult symptom, our body becomes dependent upon that medication(s), not necessarily at all addicted. There is a vast difference between the two. 

As long as you are taking it as prescribed, and for medical reasons there should be no issue as to the legitimacy of your use. A diabetic needs insulin, someone with high blood pressure needs statins, etc., they are dependent upon medications to treat symptoms, and chronic pain is a one of the worst symptoms to deal with, as it can affect every part of your life, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Please put any thoughts of negativity away concerning this with fervent prayers and just continue walking with Jesus, becoming perfected with Him.

October 22 2020 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Supporter Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

Being a drug addict doesn’t disqualify us from heaven, only UNBELIEF in Jesus can do that. When we came to faith in Jesus all our sins were forgiven - past, present and future. All these sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus and we are now clothed with the righteousness of Christ. God sees Jesus when he looks at us.

Our bodies are decaying and falling apart because of sin. We get sicknesses and diseases, some can be treated and cured, others will be with us till we die. God knows all this about us. God looks into our hearts to see if our faith is authentic and genuine. Your desire to be drug free shows a repentant heart that wants to please God.

As a side bar, Christians over the centuries have had to use natural opiates and other addicting drugs to control the pain of their incurable diseases. It’s only been in the past couple hundred years that we have had anesthesia and other non-addicting pain killers. Christians have lived and died as drug afflicts for centuries because of their incurable diseases.

The great, good news is that when Jesus comes back he will resurrect all Christians to receive our glorious new bodies. Our bodies will be like the angels, free from sin and free from all sickness and disease. And we get to enjoy these new bodies on the new earth for eternity. I’m really looking forward to that day. I hope you are too.

October 19 2020 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Vestal Supporter Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

Will you be punished, or have the gift of eternal life withheld because of your daily need of opiates? As Carrie Beth Frabasilio and Grant Abbott both eloquently indicated, usage of opiates has zero bearing on your salvation. Even if it were considered to be a sinful act (I'm not saying that it is or isn't), did Christ not take the punishment for ALL of our sins on the cross in place of us (Rom 5:8)?

Is there any difference (sinfully speaking) in you requiring opiates than me requiring a bag of potato chips every day after work? We are both harming our bodies (maybe for different reasons), but the only eternal thing we may suffer for this would be loss of reward, but not loss of salvation (2 Cor 5:10). It is not possible to lose salvation if at any point during your lifetime you believed that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, but rose again (Eph 4:30, 1 Cor 15:1-4).

We sin daily and may never even realize it, as all humans are born into the sinful nature. Our hope is found in knowing that one of the reasons Christ went to the cross for us was due to our occasional failures in righteous living. Paul speaks of his own inner battle with this in Romans chapter 7. We desire that the Spirit will always win, but sometimes our flesh overcomes us and prevails. Regardless, we are still 'sealed with the Spirit until the day of redemption' even when our sinful needs of the flesh take occasion and overcome us.

We can thank God daily for the peace that He has given us through having faith in Christ's shed blood on our behalf (Rom 3:25). We can now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our faith alone in Him is all that God requires of us to enjoy an eternal life in heaven with Him.

It may not work for everyone or under every circumstance, but I can attest that I find the ability to more easily 'put down the bag' if I open my eyes, and remember what Jesus Christ did for me at Calvary and why. God truly does love us, which is the strength we need in overcoming our times of guilt, anguish, fear, anxiety, remorse, sin, failure, hate, depression, anger, sadness, etc...

There is no struggle when we keep in the forefront of our minds the eternal security we have been gifted today as believers who are now and forever in Christ. Every internal battle that we encounter was already defeated by Jesus Christ for us. Remembering this throughout our daily lives assists in allowing the Spirit to effectually begin working in and through us (1 Thes 5:19).

God wants believers to be at peace so that they will in turn bring the correct message of the peace He made with the world through Christ crucified (2 Cor 5:18-19).

February 29 2024 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report