Does the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Contradict the Christian Gospel?

By Chad Prigmore

Does the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous directly contradict the Christian gospel message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone?

From the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Page 13: "There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch. I have not had a drink since."

There is no forgiveness outside of faith in Jesus Christ.

• Romans 3:23-25,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

No one comes to the Father except by Jesus Christ.

• John 14:6,  Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'

There is a very clear contradiction between the false gospel of Alcoholics Anonymous and the true gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.