12 Steps

Here are the "Twelve Steps" of AA modified to our dilemma of sin in general with Biblical references.  As you apply them, may you find that GOD IS ABLE!

1.  We admitted we were powerless over sin - that our lives had become unmanageable.
Romans 7:14-25 ". . .The things that I do not want to do I do. . .What a wretched man I am!  Who will save me from this body that brings me death?"

2.  Came to believe that God, a power greater than ourselves, could restore us to sanity.
Romans 7:24-25 "Who will save me from this body that brings me death? God will!  I thank him for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord."

3.  Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.
Romans 8:4-7  "Now we do not live following our sinful selves, but we live following the Spirit."
Proverbs 3:5  "Trust in the Lord with all of your hearts and don't depend on your own understanding."

4.  Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Romans 12:1-3 "You must see yourself as you really are. . ."
Psalms 51 "I know my wrongs.  I can't forget my sins. . ."
Psalm 139 "God examine me, and know my heart.  Test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any bad thing in me."

5.  Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Proverbs 28:13 "If you hide your sins you will not succeed.  If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy."
Psalm 32 "When I kept things to myself, I felt weak. . .then I confessed my sins to you. . .and you forgave my guilt."

6.  We were entirely ready for God to remove all of these defects of character.
Psalm 51:12,17 "Keep me strong by giving me a willing spirit. . . the sacrifice God wants is a willing spirit.  God you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for it's sin."

7.  Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a pure heart, God.  Make my spirit right again."
Luke 18:9-14 ". . when he prayed,. . . he said "God have mercy on me.  I am a sinner!"

8.  Made a list of all the persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
Matthew 5:21-24 ". . .So when you offer your gift to God,. . .and you remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift there. . .and go make peace with him. . . "

9.  Made direct amends to such people wherever possible except when to do so would injure them or others.
Luke 15:11-32  The Prodigal Son  "The son said 'Father I have sinned against God and have done wrong against you'. . ."

10.  Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
2 Cor. 13:5  "Look at yourselves closely.  Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. . ."
Hebrews 12:1-2 ". . we should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way. . and. . the sin that so easily catches us. . ."

11.  Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Romans 12:1-2  ". . .But be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you. . . "
Philippians 4:4-8 ". . .pray continually. . .and God's peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ."

12.  Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Psalm 51:13  ". . .Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong. . ."

Broken Dreams

As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone

I hung around and tried to help
with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How could you be so slow" -

"My child," He said, "What could I do?
You never did let go."