James 2 - GNTD & NBA93

Addictions come in many shapes and forms, whether it’s lust, alcohol, substances, gambling, gaming, or even excessive use of your mobile phone and social media. There is professional help to get as well as counselling from your priest or pastor.

Also, read the Bible and lay your addiction before God in prayer. Here are some passages from the Word of God to reflect upon.

James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

We all have weaknesses within us that can make us fall and lead to an addiction. Acknowledging this, and admitting that you struggle with addiction is an important step to be free from it.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Addictions don’t come from God, but from the world and our desires, lusts and pride. We can rely on God wanting us to be free from any addiction.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

You may feel that you can’t break your addiction. But the Bible tells us that God can. God will provide the way of escape. Turn to God, turn from your addiction. Let God fill you with his presence.

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

Addiction is many times when something takes control over you. Those things that are not helpful in your life and dominate your thoughts and desires you may need to cut out of your life.

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Addictions come from this world and not from God. In the end, addictions replace God as the number one in our lives. It’s not just about addictions, but also about our souls.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Lay your struggles before God. Ask for God’s protection and deliverance.

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

This is the promise of Jesus Christ, that when he sets us free, it is real freedom.

This article is not intended as a replacement for medical or therapeutic help or treatment for addiction, but a complement and inspiration to those who battle addiction.

Warning against Prejudice

1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. 2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. 3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,” 4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.

5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich! 7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.

8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. 10 Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. 11 For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder. 12 Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Actions

14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.

18 But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear. 20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.

25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.

26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

Ǝṯeere ɔṯṯathisi-na mac.

1 Liyǝŋgǝri liinyi, Ǝṯeere ɔṯɔṯi lizi-nǝ mac, kaka mithiŋǝ-gwɔ ṯǝmminǝ ṯǝthi Kweeleny kwǝri kwǝni Yǝcu Kwɔrɔstɔ kwir Kweeleny kwǝthi ŋinith. 2 Mǝ kwɔrṯɔ iila kweere ki-lɔḏɔŋw-na laalɔ kwɔginna yaaṯima yǝthi ḏahab, nǝ yirethi yisaaw tok, mindaŋ mǝ kwɔwaay ǝnḏǝ tok kwɔginna yirethi naana yir lijǝŋgwu, 3 mindaŋ mǝ iiɽinǝ ŋgwa kwɔginna yirethi yisaaw ethǝccǝŋw, “Min fǝḏlǝk naanalɔ kwɔrsi-la-ŋgwɔ kwiccaw”, e-ta nǝccǝ kwɔwaaya-ŋw, “Rillathila kinanaŋw, ya a-naanalɔ kɔnɔŋw kwurǝyulu ki-ŋwaara-na ŋwiinyi”, 4 e-ta ŋaaŋa lǝni-pǝ limǝ kette ɔṯṯathisi-naŋw daŋgal-na, nǝ ǝṯaari haakima ǝfkǝr-yi wigii. 5 Niŋnar-ṯi liyǝŋgǝri liinyi lamɽa-nyji! Allah witi wǝṯi alla lɔwaaya-na lǝthi ṯurmun ethisi ruusi lɔrṯɔ lǝthi ṯǝmminǝ nǝ ethi mɔrthathi ki-ŋeeleny-la ŋǝccǝŋwsi-ŋi wa@ḏa kila lǝṯi amɽi ŋunduŋw mac-a? 6 Laakin ŋaaŋa lǝni-pǝ limǝ ǝrri kwɔwaaya-lɔŋw! Ǝyǝ-ŋǝ lir kila lǝṯi-ŋǝsi ǝwindi-ndi yǝy-lɔ, nǝ lǝṯi-ŋǝsi mɔmlɔttatha mahkama naana kinḏaɽ-kinḏaɽ, lɔrṯɔ liti lir-ṯǝ mac-a? 7 Ŋundu-ŋǝ liti lir-ṯǝ kila lǝṯi andisasa yiriny naana ŋiɽaŋali ŋigii kiya yisaaw yǝnyjicǝr-ŋǝsi mac-a?

8 Ŋǝsi ǝrri ŋǝni ŋɔvthanna mǝ iinyici sherii@a naana kwǝthi Ŋeeleny, ŋir kaka ŋɔlɔɔthɔna Kiṯaab-na Kirilinǝlɔ ter ŋaarɔŋw, “Ǝṯamɽi jaara kwɔɔŋa kaka nǝṯamɽi rogɽo rɔɔwa.” 9 Laakin mǝ ɔṯathisina tǝ, nǝni limǝ ǝrri ŋikiyaŋi, e-ta ǝŋǝsi Sherii@a kette kaṯṯi kaka mǝgwɔ kii-nǝ. 10 Kaka mǝ kweere mithǝ Sherii@a tatap mindaŋ mɔŋw akkɔ kwɔtɔpɔt puɽucur, ŋwɔni kwɔmǝ-ŋwɔ akkɔ tatap puɽucur. 11 Kaka nɔrɔŋw-ṯǝ ŋgwa kwette-kwette kwaarɔŋw, “Ǝṯeere ǝrri ŋiijinǝ mac.” Nǝŋwaarɔŋw kwokwony, “Ǝṯeere kette ḏimmiya mac.” Meere ǝrri ŋiijinǝ mac, laakin mŋ kette ŋundu ḏimmiya tǝ, nǝni kwǝmǝ kii Sherii@a-na. 12 Ŋwɔṯaŋw ǝṯisi andasi, na ǝṯisi ǝrri tok, kaka kila linḏirsi ethisi ǝccǝ haakima sherii@a-gi kwǝthi hɔrriiyya. 13 Kaka niti ninḏi-gwɔ Allah ethathici ŋgwa ŋimɽiyǝ-nǝ mac, kwinḏiŋw ethi ǝccǝ haakima, ŋgwa kwiti kwir kwimɽi mac, laakin ŋimɽi tǝ ǝṯir ṯiinyi hɔkwɔma.

Ṯǝmminǝ-ŋǝ ŋothɽor-ŋi.

14 Liyǝŋgǝri liinyi, faayitha kwundǝr kwǝndu mǝ kwizi kweere aarɔŋw nyii kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ, laakin mɔŋweere akkɔ ŋothɽor ŋeere mac? Kwǝthi ŋɔma ethi ṯǝmminǝ kitha ṯɔrtɔtɔŋw kilǝthi-a? 15 Mǝ aŋgalɔ kweere kwir kwɔr alla kwɔrɔ kwaaw naani kinaŋw linaanɔ ŋwɔvdɔṯṯɔ nǝ liira ethneya-na tok, 16 ethisi-mǝ kwette kwaalɔ ǝccǝŋw, “Nḏir laami naana, fuuthur kǝniny naana a bee tok.” Liti limǝ-ŋwsi inḏǝthǝ kwomne-ŋgwa kwiiracasi mac kwǝthi yaŋna yeeŋen, e-ta faayitha kwundǝr kwǝndu? 17 Nǝr-ṯoroŋw tok ŋǝthi ṯǝmminǝ, mɔŋworo ṯiira ŋothɽor-na mac tǝ, nɔŋwɔni ṯaayɔ.

18 Laakin ya a kwizi kweere aarɔŋw, “Ŋa kwǝthi ŋa ṯǝmminǝ, nǝ nyii tǝ, ninyǝthi ŋothɽor.” E-ta nyii ǝŋnici nyǝccǝŋw, “Baaŋicany-ṯi ṯǝmminǝ ṯɔɔŋwa ṯiira ŋothɽor-na, nǝ nyii tok ŋǝ baaŋaci ŋothɽor ŋiinyi ṯǝmminǝ-thi ṯiinyi.” 19 Aw ŋa kwǝthi ṯǝmminǝ rac ethaarɔŋw, Allah wir wɔtɔpɔt; ŋisaaw-pa kǝniny beṯṯen! Nǝ shayaaṯiin tok ǝṯir ǝmmini tig-tig lɔnḏɔthɔ ŋithenya. 20 Ŋa kwir kǝɽiyǝŋ ŋgwɔ! A kwɔnaŋna ethi baaŋaci ŋaaŋwɔ ethǝccǝ ŋaaŋwɔŋw, ṯǝmminǝ ṯiira ŋothɽor-na ṯiti ṯǝthi faayitha-na mac-a? 21 Ibraahiim kwir papa kwǝri kwiti kwusuuɽunnǝ ŋothɽor-ŋi mac-a, kinaŋw mɔŋw rillici Allah tɔɔrɔ-lɔ tuuŋwun tǝni Is-haag ki-ŋwɔthgwun-lǝ? 22 Ŋaaŋa lǝthi ŋɔma etheese-pa ṯǝmminǝ ǝṯir iilathisi ŋothɽor-ŋi ŋaalɔ cerge-cergec, mindaŋ nǝ ṯǝmminǝ ṯuuŋwun oro min-min ŋothɽor-ŋi. 23 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝ ŋiɽaŋal ŋǝthi kiṯaab ǝthi yǝnǝ ŋaarɔŋw, “Nǝ Ibraahiim ǝmminici Allah, mindaŋ nǝ Allah ruusi ŋunduŋw kwirllalɔ ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi ṯǝmminǝ ṯuuŋwun.” Mindaŋ nǝr ǝnyjici Ibraahiim-ŋwɔ yiriny yǝni methgen kwǝthi Allah-ŋa. 24 Ŋimǝsi ese-pa nǝṯi-gwɔ kwizi suuɽunni ŋothɽor-ŋi nǝreere ǝni ṯǝmminǝ-thi ṯɔɽɔk mac. 25 Nǝrṯoroŋw ŋǝthi kwiijin kwǝni Raahaab kwusuuɽǝ Allah ŋothɽor-ŋi kinaŋw mɔŋwsi aalanni kila lɔɔsarsi, mindaŋ nɔŋwsi mǝcci ethi avri nyettec ṯaay-thi ṯir ter. 26 Ŋwɔṯaŋw mǝ aŋna ere ǝthi ṯigɽimǝ-nǝ mac tǝ, nɔŋwɔni waayɔ, nǝ ŋwɔṯaŋw tok, ṯǝmminǝ ṯiira ŋothɽor-na nɔŋwɔni ṯaaya tok.