December 2000 chaplain's corner

The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.

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Last month I gave you the second of three messages from Paul's letter to Philemon. In this New Testament letter we have been learning from the Apostle Paul how to disciple a believing inmate by examining how he worked with the fugitive criminal offender, Onesimus. In a very real sense, Paul was Onesimus' unofficial "Chaplain."

The man Onesimus sinned against, the victim of his crime, was a Christian believer, whom Paul had previously led to faith in Christ. That man's name was - Philemon. We read beginning at v.8 the following words from Paul:

Philemon 8-21

8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,

9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you - being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ -

10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,

11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

12 I am sending him back. * You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave - a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, I will repay - not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self

besides.

20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

* verse 12 - NU text reads: "I am sending him back to you in person, that is, my own heart."

To briefly review discipling principles from this text: we saw the importance of truly loving the inmate in verse 12. In verse 13 we understood that we should give them a ministry to perform to help the progress of the gospel. Then, again in verse 12, we stressed the principle of teaching inmates to make restitution and seek reconciliation. Finally, we saw last month from verses 15-17, the absolute importance of stressing to the regenerated inmate the fact of their new identity in Christ.

This month, we come to the final two principles for discipling a Christian inmate in their life of faith in our Lord.

The first of these is a little obscure, but tremendously important. Look at verse 15 again with me:

15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

Here Paul reminded the victim of crime, Philemon, that God was in control of the events that happened, all along. They served His redemptive purposes. This is a reminder about God's sovereignty and ordering of all things. Surely, the criminal Onesimus, must also have been taught this fact. Chaplains need to teach inmates they are discipling the true biblical attributes of the God they have come to know in Christ. For inmates comfort and growth, one of the most important attributes of God is His sovereignty. Teach them that God is in control, He is sovereign, He rules and orders the universe, which the inmates are part of. All things are working out ultimately to serve God's cause and design. Nothing takes Him by surprise or causes Him to be perplexed or thwarted in what He planned to do. God's sovereignty means His total rule. He answers to none, all answer to Him. It also means His total independence, no one can question His action.

Onesimus had departed, actually run away from his master Philemon. In the departure he had also stolen something of considerable value. That was, from man's perspective, bad. But in God's sovereign design, it eventually caused Onesimus to flee all the way to Rome and to somehow be brought to the place of Paul's imprisonment, where the Apostle led him to true saving faith in Jesus Christ. God had been in control all along, not that He ever sponsored Onesimus' sin, but He allowed events to take place that in time brought Onesimus to Himself in true repentance. Onesimus and Philemon and Paul are going to spend eternity together worshiping the One who died and rose again for them in heaven!

Jails and prisons are bad places where a lot of bad things happen. The enemies of the inmates faith (from the Devil - to all those that don't know God and want to hurt them) want to destroy their faith in the Lord. Often, when trying times come, unbelieving inmates will be right in their face to say in effect, "Where now is the God you serve?" At times like that, they must know He is still on His throne, in control, and that it is all working together for His ultimate purpose, even for them (see Gen. 50:20, Romans 8:28). Teach inmates the sovereignty of God.

"he departed for a while (BAD) for this purpose, that you might receive him forever," (GOOD)

One of the best sources for teaching God's sovereignty, is the Old Testament book of Daniel, especially chapter 4.

There, we have the testimony of a man whose sin of pride when he was the powerful ruler of ancient Babylon, brought him to a place even lower than Onesimus, the runaway slave. Yet through it all, he too came to saving faith in the Sovereign Lord, who ultimately redeemed him at the cross of Christ. Hear these words from the ancient king.

"I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation..

(Dan. 4:2,3)

...In order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men. (Dan. 4:17)

...At the end of my time, I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Dan. 4:34,35)

God is totally Sovereign, He, not man, nor any evil spirit, ultimately is in control. Teach your inmates that truth.

Finally, we come to the last principle from our text. For us that serve as chaplain, it is the best proof of our Christ-like love. Note again the words of Philemon 18,19a

18 But if* he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, I will repay -

* can be translated, "since" or "if, as is the case,"

Here we see the practical principle of being willing to spend out of your own resources to support an inmate's spiritual growth. At times, like Paul said he would do with Onesimus, it means purchasing things for them out of your own funds. Jesus taught where a man's treasure was, there his heart would be also (Matt. 6:21). It is possible to give money and not really have our heart involved. One can give without love, but is impossible to really have our heart in a ministry and not what we have in our bank account. We always make a way to afford what we love.

When Paul wrote "since he has wronged you" referring to the value of the thing Onesimus had stolen - and more likely than not, sold to support his sinful way, and then said "Put that on my account. ... I will repay -" he meant he would cover the cost of the damages.

In a beautiful way, that mirrors God's love for sinners at the cross of Christ. Theologians call this the doctrine of imputation. To input means "to credit to the account of". The sinners guilt and shame was put on Christ's account, and He paid for it with His precious blood, with giving His life as a perfect sacrifice for sin. Rom.4:3-6 and 2 Cor. 5:21 go even further and teach that Christ's perfect righteousness was imputed, or credited to the believer's account.

The words of the chorus "He Paid A Debt He Did Not Owe" written by Ellis J. Crum speak about the same thing:

"O such great pain my Lord endured, when He my sinful soul secured. I should have died there but Jesus took my place, so now I sing a brand new song - 'Amazing Grace,' Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay."

In other words, I owed a debt I could not pay and Christ Jesus paid the debt He did not owe, since I needed someone to wash my sins away. This principle of paying for those who cannot pay their own debts continues in a non-redemptive sense when Christian chaplains spend out of their own resources for the benefit of those the Lord has given them to love and disciple in the faith. Your spending cannot redeem men, but it can mirror the love of the One whose shed blood did redeem them(1 Peter 1:18,19).

Many chaplains impoverish themselves to provide spiritual resources, Bibles, study materials even courses for the inmates that demonstrate saving faith in Christ. If that describes you, chaplain, be encouraged, you're following the Biblical example of Paul - who followed the example of Jesus Christ!

Thisprinciple of spending out of your own because God's love for inmates prompts you to do so, goes beyond the realm of money. Often it means canceling personal plans and desires to be available to them and to minister God's love and truth to them. God's definition and example of love always includes sacrifice.

So we see from God's word in the letter to Philemon, discipling Christian inmates should include:

1. Loving them to the point they know it, and trust you.

2. Giving them a ministry to perform for the furtherance of the gospel.

3. Encouraging them to go back and make things right. Make restitution and seek restoration.

4. Giving them a totally new personal identity in Christ. They must think of themselves as God's true

children with His true nature dwelling in their hearts and minds.

5. Teaching them about the sovereignty of God, especially as it applies to their personal tragedies.

6. Being willing to spend yourself and your resources for their spiritual needs.

Next month, Lord willing, I will begin to answer some good questions that many chaplains asked about correctional chaplaincy ministry at our recent Chaplain Enrichment Seminar in California. Until then, keep on being light in that dark place that you serve. You're there to represent the God revealed in the Bible.