MH page 173

Although the will has been depraved and weakened, there is hope for him in Christ. He will awaken in the heart higher impulses and holier desires. Encourage him to lay hold of the hope set before him in the gospel. Open the Bible before the tempted, struggling one, and over and over again read to him the promises of God. These promises will be to him as the leaves of the tree of life. Patiently continue your efforts, until with grateful joy the trembling hand grasps the hope of redemption through Christ.

Spiritual hope through the gospel and the promises of God provides strength for those struggling against addiction. This paragraph focuses entirely on spiritual encouragement, divine agency, and religious coping.

You must hold fast to those whom you are trying to help, else victory will never be yours. They will be continually tempted to evil. Again and again they will be almost overcome by the craving for strong drink; again and again they may fall; but do not, because of this, cease your efforts.

Sustained support and persistence are necessary in helping individuals who face recurrent temptations and relapses. It addresses the necessity of continuous support and perseverance in addiction recovery ministry despite relapses.

They have decided to make an effort to live for Christ; but their will power is weakened, and they must be carefully guarded by those who watch for souls as they that must give an account. They have lost their manhood, and this they must win back. Many have to battle against strong hereditary tendencies to evil. Unnatural cravings, sensual impulses, were their inheritance from birth. These must be carefully guarded against. Within and without, good and evil are striving for the mastery. Those who have never passed through such experiences cannot know the almost overmastering power of appetite or the fierceness of the conflict between habits of self-indulgence and the determination to be temperate in all things. Over and over again the battle must be fought.

Recovering individuals often battle strong hereditary tendencies, weakened willpower, and intense physiological cravings that require careful safeguarding. It makes assertions about hereditary traits and physiological cravings passed down from birth alongside practical advice on guarding against relapse.

Many who are drawn to Christ will not have moral courage to continue the warfare against appetite and passion. But the worker must not be discouraged by this. Is it only those rescued from the lowest depths that backslide?

Workers should not be discouraged when some individuals lack the moral courage to maintain the fight against appetite and passion. The passage offers pastoral encouragement regarding the variable outcomes of rescue work and addresses perseverance in ministry.