“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
For decades, the recovery world has preached a brutal binary:
“Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Your only choices:
- Absolute abstinence—work the 12 steps, obey the unwritten rules, never drink again.
- Relapse—spiral back to where you were, or worse: jail, institutions, death.”
This ultimatum works for some—about 10%, by most estimates. But what about the other 90%? The ones who can’t (or won’t) surrender to a lifetime of meetings, sponsors, and rigid sobriety?
What if there’s a third way?
The Jesus-Enforced Truce: Moderation, Health, and Spiritual Soundness
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
— Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
I’m not here to attack AA, rehab, or psychiatry. They save lives. But after 7 years in and out of AA, sponsoring men, working all 12 steps, and enduring a 90-day lockdown rehab, I discovered something radical:
Some of us can make peace with alcohol—not through willpower, but through Christ.
For 13 years, I’ve lived this third way:
- No meetings.
- No sponsors.
- No white-knuckling sobriety.
Instead: - A disciplined, Jesus-centered truce—moderation, not excess.
- Health as worship—body as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19).
- Spiritual vigilance—prayer as armor (Ephesians 6:11).
This isn’t for everyone. Some must abstain. But for others—those trapped between AA’s rigidity and relapse’s ruin—there is another path.
Why the Recovery Industry Ignores This
“Woe to you, teachers of the law… you tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but you yourselves are not willing to lift a finger to help them.”
— Matthew 23:4 (NIV)
- Abstinence is safer—easier to preach “never again” than nuanced discipline.
- Big Business—rehabs, programs, and meetings thrive on the idea that only they can save you.
- Fear of Failure—if moderation fails, the blame falls on the individual, not the system.
But Jesus didn’t deal in ultimatums. He met people where they were:
- The woman at the well (John 4)—offered living water, not rules.
- The demoniac (Mark 5)—freed him, then sent him home, not to a program.
The Math of Moderation
This isn’t “drinking like a normal person.” It’s a conscious, Christ-guided recalibration:
- Health first—alcohol only in contexts that don’t trigger addiction.
- Accountability—not to a sponsor, but to God and trusted allies.
- Exit plan—if the truce breaks, abstinence returns.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
— 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
Vigilance is key. But for those who can walk this line, freedom is possible.
Controversial? Yes. Heretical? No.
I’m not saying AA is wrong. I’m saying it’s not the only way. If you’ve tried abstinence and failed—if you’re exhausted by the cycle of guilt and relapse—there is hope.
You might be a candidate for the third way if:
✔ You’ve genuinely tried abstinence and it didn’t stick.
✔ You’re willing to enforce strict spiritual/physical boundaries.
✔ You believe Jesus’ power > addiction’s grip.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
Join the Conversation
This isn’t just theory. I’ve lived it. My book, “Grateful Truce,” dives deeper.
Subscribe. Comment. Debate.
- Have you seen moderation work?
- Did abstinence fail you?
- Is the recovery system too rigid?
Follow me on [Facebook/X/YouTube] for raw talks on faith, addiction, and breaking cycles.
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ESV)
God bless—and choose your path wisely.
Final Thought:
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
— Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
Would love to hear your stories—comment below. 👇🔥
Grateful Truce 
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