AC 8539[2]
... before regeneration
all good is procured by means of truth,
but that after regeneration
man is led of the Lord by means of good;
and that the former state is
signified by "the six days" which precede the seventh,
and that the latter state is signified by
"the seventh day" or "the Sabbath."
From this it is also plain that the former state
was represented by the journeyings
of the sons of Israel in the wilderness forty years,
and that the latter state
was represented by their introduction into the land of Canaan.
The case herein is that man is outside of heaven
so long as he acts from truth and not from good;
and he comes into heaven when he acts from good....
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This is a perfect illustration of how AA works. AA is a living laboratory of hopelessly sick men and women coming into a [sometimes reluctant] hope-building knowledge of God. The quote describes how AA works, as the partly-rebellious (detoxing but willing) newly sober person does what (s)he is told, leaves old playmates & playgrounds, takes direction from the sponsor, begins service work, goes to hundreds of meetings & works Steps even if sometimes reluctantly. That is Reformation.
Later as steps are accomplished and the rebirth occurs [pg. 63 of Big Book: 'we were reborn' + Step 3 prayer], and as Step 5 cleanses, and as we walk away from old
character choices by an act of our will with God's aid at Step 7, and step 9
triggers restitution & reconciliation with family, friends, employers and
others, then Regeneration is often happening by then. Intuitively "doing
the next right thing", God leading even if we forget to ask Him to. It is Willingness, Honesty and Openness bringing about that reciprocal flow
between each of us and God.
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