July 26, 2017 Show with Mike Abendroth on “Sexual Fidelity: No Compromise!”

Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania it's iron sharpens iron a radio platform on which pastors Christian scholars and theologians Address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.

Proverbs 27 verse 17 tells us Iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. Matthew Henry said that in this passage quote we are cautioned to take heed whom we converse with and Directed to have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.

It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next hour. And we hope to hear from you the listener with your own questions. Now, here's our host. Good.

Afternoon Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Lake City, Florida and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live-streaming at iron Sharpens iron radio .com. This is Chris Arns and your host of iron sharpens iron wishing you all a happy Wednesday on this 26th day of July 2017.

I'm so delighted to have returning to iron sharpens iron as our guest today Mike Abendroff pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts adjunct professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of Jesus Christ the Prince of Preachers and the sovereignty and supremacy of King Jesus bowing to the gracious Despot, he's also co-host of no compromise radio.

And today we are addressing one of his books sexual fidelity No compromise and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to iron sharpens iron Mike Abendroff.

Well, I'm so glad to be back on. Not in Massachusetts, but if I wasn't message to where even the Republicans are Democrats.

That they're the same party as far as.

Somebody.

Somebody Somebody once told me they are the Republicans and Democrats are the same crime family different cartel.

Well, I just got back from Europe speaking and Inevitably, Switzerland or maybe in Germany or England and we would talk about the Lord and his word and the Lord Jesus the theological issues and Then you know people say what's really on their mind for the end and then they would look at me.

They didn't they weren't concerned about Covenant Theology hypostatic Union Eschatological views we want to know about Donald Trump and in studio with me is my co-host the Reverend buzz Taylor.

Don't get used to it Mike. You said something about a dinner party, but is that what you were just talking about now or is this something different?

Oh, it was interesting, you know, how God is just rating all kinds of things and including this dinner. And then there was a concert afterwards. And so it was my food is at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center Outside of Santa Cruz, California, and there were four of us.

And so we had to sit and again, it's a Christian call a small talk. And it was this man's birthday next to me and he said so are you a Jesus follow though? Well, that's interesting way to go about it.

He was not necessarily a Jesus follower at least not the Jesus of the Bible. He was from trained by Bill Church in Redding, California, and they had a special I just want you to know that my wife Mike.

Why is it that you are the theological? Lunatic magnet wherever you go. Nice have a nice dinner and then all of a sudden crazy people who exchange dreams for biblical revelation poor people.

Mm-hmm.

Mad too because when you when you place anything on par with it just are redeemed we still need revelation outside of us because We are fallen and we can't trust ourselves. And the Reformers would talk about extra not outside of ourselves.

And so I'm glad for your audience and the way you teach we look not to ourselves. But we look for the Lord Jesus in his word. Which is outside of ourselves. And Hebrews 1 says in these last days you want to know how God speaks?

It's not through angel dust pixie dust feathers or anything else. It's the external Word of God and I'm thankful for that. And the reverend Buzz Taylor has something.

Who shot them.

Well, I said to my wife I'm not against feathers, you know, I need a nice pillow and stuff like that. But if that is what you need for evidence. You know people are exchanging this external evidence for the working of God and it reminds me the book of Hebrews.

Can you imagine these? recipients of that ritual Temple its beauty. It's a grandeur. It's marble. It's gold the trumpets the incense the Sacrifices. I mean it just had to be a marvel and they were thinking Why get persecuted when we can go back to that great temple and the writer of Hebrews says he does say listen.

You've got Jesus. And so you've got it all cream. He is Superior and if you have Jesus, you've got everything if you don't have him, you've got nothing. So just made me be reminded again. And thankful to the Lord that he has shown me we need to go back to the Lord Jesus and who he is found in the word and in the word alone and all these other people come and go and they're just tossed to and fro and.

So I just had both how could people demean God's Word and then sadly sadness these people were just rudderless, you know.

It's interesting it's kind of a Providential occurrence that you even brought up those feathers because I had just heard about a week ago from The woman who led me to the Lord 30 years ago. Susan. She told me that she was listening to Catholic radio and there was a serious discussion and I do highlight that word serious discussion amongst the Roman Catholic panel and they were talking about the sacred relics in the Vatican and they included Either a feather or feathers from the wings of Michael the Archangel.

Oh.

There you have it. But I did go to a particular church a Roman Catholic Church and in one a little kiosk highlighted it was Mary and the Latin phrase is Mary destroying the heretics and it was Mary with this large cross.

It looked like almost a lightsaber and she was destroying both Luther and Calvin and their writing really.

Wow.

Yeah, that's really what they believe and you know Council of Trent has not been rescinded.

That's right. We have to keep reminding folks because there are many Catholics and Protestants who are ecumenically minded who behave as though Council of Trent is nothing more than a relic That you can pick and choose.

Whatever is relevant to today as binding upon your Catholic Church. But that is not true, this is a Council that produced dogmas that the church for all ages the Catholic Church For all ages is obligated to obey and those anathemas against us still stand and they include the anathemas regarding the Protestant understanding of justification by faith and I've had Catholics say to me.

Well, you know, I agree with you. I believe that we are saved By grace alone through faith alone and that works are only a necessary fruit of that saving faith. And I said well Even that is under the anathema of the Church of Rome.

If you're a Catholic your own church is an anathema against you because even saying that good works are a necessary sign. But they are only a an evidence or fruit of saving faith. Even that has a curse upon it from Rome.

Well, it's amazing and I totally agree with that. Chris, here's the amazing thing. What Catholics do and sadly some Christians and every other religion what they do when you meet. Your you know, you know, you're a girlfriend and you're thinking about marrying her.

You do not say, you know what? I'm gonna judge you for 30 years on what kind of woman you are and what kind of cook you are and what kind Of host you are. And then if it meets my criteria. After 30 years, I think about I'll think about marrying you.

After you do all these things then I'll accept you. And Christianity. Biblical Christianity. Can you imagine a justification by faith alone God declares us? When we're saved he declares us righteous. Christ fulfills the law for us and God sees us as if we did that forensic alien righteousness.

And Christ Receives our sins by imputation and God Accepts us at the very beginning. So then to go back to the wife analogy. The wife would be free to be a host to have hospitality. To cook because she knows she's already loved and she's not trying to walk on eggshells.

So I feel sorry for my Catholic friends. Well, my grandmother was alive Roman Catholic. How would you like to live your whole life wondering am I accepted by God or am I not? It's a good way to grind out works of the gospel that God.

Amen. Well before people start wondering if they tuned into a rerun because we're not talking about the subject that we advertise I think we should get to our topic today, which is your book sexual fidelity No compromise, and I want to read the Description that your website gives for this book.

Written in no co style which is an abbreviation for no compromise. Always biblical always provocative always in that order sexual fidelity is internationally arranged and 30 pungent chapters So that the readers will study one chapter per day with the hope of establishing consistent and biblical thinking about sexual purity.

The book's purpose is to saturate the reader's mind on a daily basis to think correctly about sex and how it relates to Christ and his church. And I understand Mike that this actually developed from this book developed from men's discipleship classes at Bethlehem Bible Church the church that you pastor in West Boylston, Massachusetts and This basically sprang out of father and son discussions during this.

This study sure did Chris. And what happened was both with the men's discipleship group and especially with my son. No, I had to talk with my son. About sex and God's design and maybe we can talk about that a little bit to him.

Listen son, you can ask me and I'll give you the answer. And We just had an open communication on the radio. It wasn't, you know in an inappropriate would show maturity. And so I just wanted to have a good talk with him and one day he said we were downstairs lifting weights and hanging out.

It wasn't some kind of you know, catechism moment, but he just said dad. I don't think I have the gift of single. And so I said, all right son, thank you. And then I said something to him and I put it in a book.

You know.

In.

Light of who Jesus is as well. That's why I almost led you with the discussion of justification my faith alone early because I don't want to talk about sex to be Strictly moralism or what Mormons could discuss or what even Roman Catholics could say to talk about it?

And that is in the framework of all of the Books of the Bible in a biblical theological kind of way, but that's how it started. So I began to talk to him about a variety of subject and then I thought you know what?

How often do I need to talk to young men and older men about this topic? We get conferences. Would you please address this in a in a in a nice manner and you know in a non lurid manner? In a biblical manner, and so I thought you know what?

I might as well start writing these things down so we could just pass it on to anybody that could benefit. And so that's how the book sexual fidelity came about.

Let me make sure our listeners have our email address if they'd like to join us, it's Chris Arnzen at gmail .com chris Arnzen, that's a Z as in zebra en gmail .com and please give us at least your first name your city and state and your country of residence if you live outside of the good old USA and Obviously a subject like this may lend itself to people Asking personal and private questions and we are more than happy to honor your request to remain anonymous if it's about a Personal and private matter, but if it's not about a personal private matter Please at least give us your first name city and state and country of residence if you live outside of the USA.

What do you think?

That.

The church at large is getting wrong. When it comes to the subject you would think it's just a no-brainer that I think most People in the United States whether they are Christians or not they understand that biblical morality includes monogamy and includes that sex is only for married couples and.

That it's.

Sex is only between a man and a woman. I think that even your average homosexual or person involved in that activity or a person who is just an agnostic or atheist. They have an understanding that that's what the Bible teaches not that they agree with it.

So what what are we getting wrong as Christians on this subject? I?

Guess what happens Chris and buzz as we as Christians we either underdo something or overdo it. You know if six o 'clock is biblical theology is a Bible's view of this. Theology of sex and we were at five o 'clock or at seven o 'clock or we go even farther.

I think you'll see with the cyclical paddle of a pattern of things, you know in the old days, maybe more Victorian Prudish let's not talk about it. There are some commentators that I've read even from the last 20 years that have said it would be Inappropriate to teach through song of Solomon on a Sunday morning in a public setting.

For the Lord's Day worship. Wow kind of that. Yeah, it's that attitude now, of course, I'm not promoting at young juniors. Let's bring a bed up on the platform. Well, he did that he brought it up. I don't call it even platform for him it was on a stage.

You know, he was trying to get couples to be together on a regular basis. And then he was up on the roof and and this is who? This is true. Ed Young jr. Wow, Ed Young jr.

I used to when my early life as a Christian Ed Young senior was a part of my staple.

Diet of.

TV evangelism and I did For years really love and grow from the dad. Not that I today would agree with everything that he taught But I think I would be in largely in a lot of agreement with him. But the Sun seems to have gone off the rails, I guess I.

Know and you know what? I think he paved the way. How do you get attendance up and giving up and excitement for the church at least for the men's perspective? It seems like sadly they'd have these eight-week series and of course then Driscoll did it and Driscoll became infamous.

With his overseas talk and some of the things he would do here in the state with this topic including his book. Which I think said way too many things and with my son I can talk about more specific things.

But in public passages of the Bible, what does Proverbs 5 say? What's a song of Solomon's say. What does first Thessalonians? It is God's will fear. Can you be forgiven for say have a chapter about how you can wear white on your wedding day?

Even if you're not a virgin because how does God see you. God sees you?

Righteousness.

Jesus was sitting see them as that. I try to just say let's go back to the Bible because my own opinion it will fade it doesn't really matter. But if I want my grandkids to read it What is a relevant truth and that is Scripture and that's why when I write books I'm thinking You know, I this book should be able to be read in India in Germany in America in Iceland by Eskimos because it is God's unchanging word and if I throw in all kinds of modern anecdotes and and Cultural references to try to quote make it relevant and quote.

I'm just going to defeat the purpose. So take care of itself like Luther when asked how did he start the Reformation? Luther said I I preached and I went to bed because the Word of God did it all. Amen.

Well, uh this discussion on sexual fidelity could hardly Be adequate if we didn't bring up a sin that seems to be plaguing especially men, although not exclusively men and a sin that from what I hear is even a Huge problem not only amongst members of evangelical churches, but even pastors in Evangelical churches.

I don't know how these statistics are developed. I've heard Todd Friel on wretched Gives some pretty alarming statistics that I wonder how on earth could he know those things, but I've heard that That this is the pornography is a huge problem even in the pastorate in the conservative evangelical church.

Is that What you have found in some way and according to some statistics somewhere.

Yeah, I've seen that as well. I don't know if that what they mean by pastor. It's almost like when you say we're gonna do a study in a survey. I mean, you know, you're trusting alone in Jesus Christ the God man, you know death burial resurrections epidemic.

Pandemic. I filters on my computer and it blocks it out. You know, how do you get sex information in a holy way off the internet? You don't you don't want all those links and so it becomes difficult sometimes women.

But maybe I shouldn't use the word struggle. Some of them don't struggle at all. They just do it. They're remorseful afterwards, but they just do that. I think the way pastor should treat this though.

You know, I've got this problem and what it's whatever. I want to try to remind them early on that. Since God doesn't see them as that's the porn guy. He doesn't identify them that way. Then I'm not going to either there's a long line of sinners in this church.

So I'm going to treat you when I see you on Sunday. Like another Christian and I'm not going to identify you as that because I don't think that's the way the Bible identifies you. Now if somebody's not a Christian, of course.

It's a completely different thing and remind them first who they are in Christ and what Jesus has done. And why it's important to trust in him even now and ask forgiveness and how powerful the gospel is and how sanctification does follow.

Justification. Lots of times. I think laziness I think it has to do with Christian men oftentimes laziness and so I would tell my you have testosterone and it's knocking at your door and What is it trying to tell you?

Well, if you're playing Call of Duty part 5 25 hours a week. You are not helping yourself because testosterone Should make you go out and say to yourself I'd like to act in a godly way and go in a godly woman so I can just have a companion for the rest of My life which includes having sex with my wife.

That's what it's driving you to do. So if you bypass to win a wife and just say I'm just going to get on the computer To me that that's the baseline. It's it's laziness. So to with a man who's married the man just is and he doesn't want to win a wife.

He obviously has the keys to her heart. He's the one who first Got her to say I do and now he's just too lazy. He doesn't want to deny himself. He doesn't want to love her. He doesn't want to talk to her and cherish her and care for her.

What's easier? Well, it's easier just to go downstairs to the computer and some people who are struggling with pornography. Maybe you might want to ask yourself the question. Am I lazy? Is that factoring in?

Yes, and well, I think that it is obvious that you have I don't know if you ever personally had this problem or addiction or difficulty with pornography, but at least you took an initial step to prevent Going in that direction by something you said you have some kind of blocks on your Your computer so that you cannot view Pornographic material and therefore that is obviously a recommendation.

Or one of them so I'm assuming many recommendations that you could offer to Christians to Prevent either that sin from creeping into your life or from returning to your life. And I'm assuming that another good way.

I know a lot of folks whose Email addresses are identical to their wives. They have this. In other words, they share the same email address and That that might prevent the those those intimate private conversations with members of the opposite sex that begin as pure and wholesome perhaps at least in motivation and then have tragically turned into flirtation and then sometimes all too many times manifest themselves in adulterous relationships.

So there are things that we can do that that are not foolproof, but that at least of roadblocks. Am I right? You're all muffled brother. I couldn't hear what you were saying.

Okay. How about now?

Perfect.

Okay, I put my phone to my shoulder for a second because I wanted to look up this particular illustration in my own book. By the way, I finally have a book. I completely agree with 100

I.

Although it's interesting when I first began to preach I was preaching through the book of Mark 20 years ago the gospel of Jesus according to Mark and and The the guys at our church didn't give it up on the website or they lost it or something like that I was very bugged.

It took me a long time to prepare those messages. We preached it over a few years and I was I was perturbed that those sermons about the gospel mark weren't up on the website but now looking back and thinking about how moralistic those sermons were and Probably filled with more law than gospel kind of hard to do I guess unless you're an expert like me at taking the gospel of Jesus According to Mark and turn it into law.

So now I praise God those sermons were lost. The lost sermons of Mark.

Now if you could you've used this term, in fact, it was Used in a negative way on your website in regard to Your book in other words that your book was not Moralistic if you could explain further for our listeners.

What exactly you mean by that?

Sure. Well be accountable. Let your wife, you know, see your website if she wants to see your phone here check my check that my wife doesn't know. She said honey. I'd like to see your text. To people that you talk any kind of female conversation.

I just say here you go. There's I don't think there's anything wrong with and if we're just and I think I do know what. I don't look at pornography. I don't text the opposite sex. I don't search around on Facebook.

I don't stare at a girl for more than two minutes. I don't check her out and we have all these things that we do or don't do and we have the list. Then we could think you know. We've created a new list kind of neo-nomian list and we say you know what we do these things and we don't do these.

Other things therefore were good and I think you know what Pharisees were really good at lists and their heart was I think a lot? of this has to do with the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and who he is and I would say If you're listening today and you struggle with sexual temptation, if the only thing you do is study books about sexual purity study How to block things on your website or reading the Gospel of John and Read about this great Messiah who was prophesied of old who can change people.

You can not only change water into wine and you can not only touch lepers and heal them. He can walk on water. But he can change the hearts of people and give them new appetites and new desires and God has not just justified us.

He's also regenerated us and he knows about struggling sinners, and he was tempted in every way as we are yet he's without sin, and so that's why it's so important to focus on this high priest and Think even about Jesus when you know you have a bad prayer life.

I could say you know how many hours you pray without ceasing and there's nothing wrong with. With quoting that passage at the end of the day who he is and think about him even praying that you'd like to have pray For you.

Is there anybody more kind that you know of kinder than Jesus who you'd like to have prayer for you? Well, if that's the case that there's nobody better. Aren't you glad that Jesus? Makes intercession for us even today even about these things and so I want to make sure it's a Christ centered Discussion about sexual purity and sin not just a bunch of do's and don'ts.

And we have to go to a break right now. If anybody would like to join us with a question of your own our email address is chris arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Please give us your first name your city and state and your country of residence if you live outside of the USA.

And please only remain anonymous. It's if it's about a personal and private matter. Don't go away. We'll be right back God willing with Mike Eben broth and more of sexual fidelity right after these messages from our sponsors.

Chef Exclusive Catering is in South Central, Pennsylvania. Chef Exclusive's goal is to provide a dining experience that is sure to please any palate. Chef Damien White of Chef Exclusive is a graduate of the renowned Johnson and Wales University with a degree in culinary arts and applied science.

Chef Exclusive Catering's event center is newly designed with elegance and style and is available for small office gatherings bridal showers engagement parties and rehearsal dinners. Critics and guests alike acknowledge Chef Exclusive's commitment to exceeding even the highest expectations I know of their quality firsthand since Chef Exclusive catered by most recent iron sharpens iron radio Pastors luncheon.

For details call 717 -388 -3000 That's 717 -388 -3000 or visit Chef Exclusive .com. That's Chef Exclusive .com.

Paul wrote to the church at Galatia for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God or am I trying to please Man, if I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Hi, I'm Mark Lukens pastor of Providence Baptist Church.

We are a reformed Baptist Church and we hold to the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. We are in Norfolk, Massachusetts. We strive to reflect Paul's mindset to be much more concerned with how God views what we say and what we do Than how men view these things.

That's not the best recipe for popularity. But since that wasn't the Apostles priority, it must not be ours either. We believe by God's grace that we are called to demonstrate love and compassion to our fellow man and To be vessels of Christ's mercy to a lost and hurting community around us and to build up the body of Christ in truth.

And love. If you live near Norfolk, Massachusetts or plan to visit our area Please come and join us for worship and fellowship. You can call us at 508 -528 -5750. That's 508 -528 -5750 or go to our website to email us.

Listen to past sermons Worship songs or watch our TV program entitled resting in grace. You can find us at Providence Baptist Church Ma .org that's Providence Baptist Church ma .org or even on sermon audio .com.

Providence Baptist Church is delighted to sponsor iron sharpens iron radio.

One sure way all iron sharpens iron radio listeners can help keep my show on the air is to support my advertisers. I know you all use batteries every day. So I'm urging you all from now on to exclusively use Battery Depot calm for all your battery needs at Battery Depot calm.

They're changing the status quo. They're flipping the script. They're sticking it to the man. In other words, they'd like to change the battery industry for good by providing an extensive inventory of top-of-the-line batteries.

There are uniformly new dependable and affordable. Ordering from Battery Depot calm ensures you'll always get fresh out-of-the-box batteries. You can count on to work properly at competitive prices.

Whether you need batteries for cordless phones cell phones radios Pcs laptops tablets baby monitors hearing aids smoke detectors credit card readers digital cameras electronic cigarettes GPS's mp3 players watches or nearly anything else you own that needs batteries go to Battery Depot Calm.

Next day shipping available all products protected by 30-day guarantees and six-month warranties. Call 866 403 3768 that's 866 403 3768 or go to Battery Depot calm. That's Battery Depot calm.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said.

Give yourself unto reading. The man who never reads will never be read. He who never quotes will never be quoted. He will not use the thoughts of other men's brains. Proves that he has no brains of his own.

You need to read.

Solid ground Christian books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of preachers to heart. The mission of solid ground Christian books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and future and To publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.

Since its beginning in 2001 solid ground has been committed to publish God-centered Christ exalting books for all ages. We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid ground books .com That's solid ground books .com and see what priceless Literary gems from the past or present you can unearth from solid ground.

Solid ground Christian books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of iron sharpens iron radio.

Have you been blessed by iron sharpens iron radio. We remain on the air because of our faithful sponsors and because of listeners like you. There are four ways you can help. First Do you know potential sponsors who may wish to advertise their goods or services on iron sharpens iron radio?

Second whenever possible purchase the products or use the services that our sponsors advertise and Then let them know that you heard about them on iron sharpens iron radio. Thirdly you can also donate to iron sharpens iron radio by going to our website at iron sharpens iron radio Calm and click support at the top of the page.

But most importantly keep iron sharpens iron radio in your prayers. We hope that iron sharpens iron radio blesses you for many years to come.

Hi, I'm pastor Bill Shishko inviting you to tune in to a visit to the pastor's study every Saturday from 12 noon to 1 p .m Eastern Time on WL ie radio www .wl ie 540 a .m. Dot-com. We bring biblically faithful pastoral ministry to you and we invite you to visit the pastor's study by calling in with your questions.

Our time will be lively useful and I assure you never dull. Join us this Saturday at 12 noon Eastern Time for a visit to the pastor's study because everyone needs a pastor. Welcome back.

This is Chris Arnzen if you just tuned us in. Our guest today for the full two hours with about 90 minutes to go is Mike Abendroth and We are discussing his book sexual fidelity No compromise if you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own.

Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris ar n z n at gmail .com. Please give us your first name at least your city and state of residence in your country of residence if you live outside of the USA and Please only remain anonymous if it's about a personal and private matter.

We do have a question from Mike. I'm sorry from Gordy in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He has two questions. Actually, the first one is I've come to the conviction that there is no such thing as sexual addiction.

And that victory in the war with this particular sin is a matter of God dependent discipline. What are your thoughts?

Well, sometimes we use words like addiction or I've got a syndrome or a disease or something like that. God has put it into our Image that we will do things Regularly and it will become very simple for us to do.

And so when you first drive a car You have no habitual. And so you just you know turn off the radio. Nobody talk pay attention hands ten and two and pretty soon you drive for five weeks six weeks seven weeks and you can just drive perfectly because God has developed us and made us as Habit forming people.

So I think we could have habits and if you're watching pornography every day or something bad every day Then you will develop those habits. And it seems like an addiction, but I wouldn't call it that because if you call something sin Then there's hope and sin can be forgiven.

Can addictions beings be helped? Maybe yes, maybe no, but God and his indwelling word and union with Christ. And so I would not prefer addiction, even though I know what the world means by it.

Yeah, and I mean couldn't the word in some sense be rightly used. I'll give you an example. I am a person Who was delivered by God's mercy from? Drunkenness habitual.

Drunkenness and.

There is a difference between the person Who never drinks and then one night at a wedding or on New Year's Eve or during some celebration? They get bombed out of their mind. That is still a wicked sin.

But at the same time it is different from the person that habitually Every day gets drunk like I had the habit of doing so. Isn't there some way you could use the word addicted? In the sense that you're not undermining the fact that it's a sin.

It's not just some Biochemical thing that that I know that a lot of people who are drunkards and drug Addicts for lack of a better term. They use the term addict as some kind of a way to lessen the severity of their personal responsibility.