March 2001 chaplain's corner

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

Chaplain's Corner - March 2001

Rev. Rich Hines

Continuing our series on answering questions submitted by correctional chaplains - this month I want to answer the following multi-part question:

"How now and in the future - if we are doing Bible study which deals with homosexuality and other moral issues, do we deal with the 'diversity' and 'tolerance' issues and 'hate crime'? If we speak about these things based upon the Bible, is that considered illegal and a crime? "

If you are accurately teaching what the Bible says about repenting from the sin of homosexual behavior and "other moral issues," ones that are controversial in our social-political era, what you teach and counsel now should not change in the future. Even if our society and its laws come to call the Bible's teaching a "hate crime." Even if teaching it becomes illegal, we must continue to hold forth the word of life. Truth does not change. God does not change. Jesus Christ still turns sinners into saints.

Some of the moral issues that already are controversial are: homosexuality (as noted in this month's question), abortion (when and where human life begins), euthanasia (so called 'mercy killing') and genetic engineering (cloning). Add to that list what the word says about false religion. Our society seems tolerant of everything except absolute truth.

Many years ago, officials in a large county forbade female Christian volunteers from continuing their ministry with young girls in the Juvenile Hall because they taught them from the Bible that abortion was murder, and a sin against God. These ladies also faithfully taught Christ's forgiveness through His cross, and with that forgiveness a new way of life.

Depending on where you serve as a correctional chaplain, administrators may assume your teaching on "moral issues" is illegal, or at least grounds for immediate censure or termination, even before that becomes actual law.

I can envision a day when clergy malpractice suits will be filed against Bible teachers for speaking about the eternal judgement of God in hell-fire of unrepentant, unbelieving sinners. Whatever happens, we must speak Biblical truth. We must speak the truth in love, but we must speak it! We must fear God rather than men.

The New Testament minister is always called to deal with sin; to call it sin against a Holy God, and to call men and women to true repentance. The giving of the gospel, the "good news" in the pages of the New Testament is never divorced from pointing out the sin of the hearers and calling them to repent, to turn from it, in order to by faith, embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Paul summarized the heart of the gospel ministry with these words in Acts 20:21,

"Testifying to Jews (the religious) and also to Greeks (the secularists), repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

As the resurrected Jesus met the astonished and assembled Apostles we read in Luke 24:44-47:

44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."

45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 2:22,23/36-40 (Peter preaching the gospel)

22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, As you yourselves also know -

23 Him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

24 whom God raised up,...

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."

Acts 3:13-21 (Peter preaching the gospel to a crowd that gathered after a lame man was restored to perfect strength)

13 "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.

14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,

21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."

Acts 10:38-43 (the gospel being preached to Gentile seekers of God's truth)

38 ...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging Him on a tree.

40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

43 To Him all the prophets witness that through His name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."

Acts 14:14,15 (Paul & Barnabas preaching to Gentile idol worshipers about to worship them - a sin, for false worship is idolatry)

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this (that they were about to sacrifice to them) they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out

15 and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn (or repent) from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them."

Acts 17:29-31 (Paul preaching to idol-worshiping philosophers)

29 "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, (meaning the creation of God) we ought not to think that the Divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. (Most people in our time would say, "How culturally insensitive and intolerant!" )

30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked (in that He did not intervene and eternally judge this sin), but now (since Jesus has died and risen again) commands all men everywhere to repent,

31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this (coming judgement) to all by raising Him from the dead."

So the giving of the gospel, the "good news" in the pages of the New Testament is never divorced from pointing out the sin of the hearers and calling them to repent. By faith, men and women are to turn from sin and embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Remember, when Jesus offered eternal life to the woman in John 4, He also pointed out her sin. She could have the kind of "living water" He offered, but she was to repent of her sexual immorality.

Whereas there are long lists in the word of God of specific sinful attitudes and actions, the primary sin the Bible is concerned about and calls men to repent of - is the sin of unbelief. Often it is represented by man-made religion, i.e., idolatry. Unbelief is at the core of all disobedience to God's law. All other sins of the flesh really start with this sin of the heart.

To be specific from the New Testament as we look at this month's question:

I want you Bible-believing chaplains, to consider two New Testament texts: Romans 1:18-32 and 1 Cor. 6:9-11

These deal with homosexuality and other controversial moral issues of our day.

Romans 1:18-32 In verses 18-21 note: God's Issue with Mankind

18 ... the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Unbelief Characterized in Idolatry

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and fourfooted animals and creeping things.

God's Partial Judgement - Turn men over to their own sin, immorality

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Specifically - Homosexuality

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. (NOTE IT - homosexuality is "against nature" which means no one was made or born that way)

27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

And a Mind Unable to Discern Right from Wrong

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evilmindedness; they are whisperers,

30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;

32 who, knowing the righteous judgement of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

1 Cor.6:9-11 - Note the cure - V.11

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor transvestites, nor homosexuals,

10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

I am sympathetic to the stress the chaplain that asked this month's question faces. We must know when and where and HOW to take a stand for the truth of the gospel. This requires strength and wisdom from God. To underscore the seriousness of the threat against preaching the life transforming gospel of repentance from sin at the same time as recognizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ - to inmates, I recently learned about what happened in a large county jail system.

There, the Sheriff has published and placarded the following statement in all of the county's jail facilities:

"... I commit myself to...courage to stand against racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and bigotry in all forms."

On the surface there is nothing wrong with that statement. Personally, I think the statement was motivated by political interest. "Homophobia" literally means "fear of homosexuals" and is used to describe the motive behind violence aimed at them. The Bible-believing Christian is never to use violence in communicating the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The problem underneath the Sheriff's statement is that the public will tend to think of those that practice homosexuality as just another race of humankind. The Sheriff's statement clearly equates "Homophobia" with "Racism."

Homosexuality is not another kind of race or an acceptable alternate lifestyle, it is a sinful act of rebellion against God as Creator and Lord. Pointing out someone's sin so that they might turn from it to God is an act of love for them. Whereas prejudiced statements and what they lead to against any race are sinful and wrong, since all human races are made after God's image with the potential of knowing Him. By contrast, a loving and concerned statement against a persons sin, no matter what race they are, in order to lead them to repentance, is always right.

Let me close this month's Chaplain's Corner by showing you this from two passages in the Book of Revelation.

Rev. 5:8-10

8 Now when He (Jesus) had taken the scroll, the four living creatures (holy angels surrounding the throne of God) and the twenty -four elders (symbolic of the raptured church in heaven) fell down before the Lamb (Jesus), each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints,

9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."

So according to the end of verse 9, some people from every tribe, language, people and nation (the word here means race) will know and enjoy God forever. So here, race or family tree in and of itself is not a blockage to enjoying heaven for all eternity. Race is not a moral issue, racism - hating people for their race and being against what they are by birth is an issue, for it is sin.

But note the difference in:

Rev. 21:6-8

6 And He said to Me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral (meaning all practicing fornicators including those involved in homosexuality), sorcerers ( the word includes drug users), idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Here, what God lists as sinful practices, unless by faith repented of, do block the sinner of any race, from heaven. The particular sin must be told for what it is. An appeal to repent from it in turning to Jesus Christ to save one from it, must be given by the faithful gospel minister in the correctional setting. I pray you chaplains will find ways, even in our truth suppressing environment, of doing that.

"Rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith." Titus 1:13