May 2002 chaplain's corner

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

Chaplain's Corner - May 2002

Rev. Rich Hines

This message is primarily for those who call upon the name of Christ as their own Lord and Savior, and are serving as correctional or rescue mission chaplains within the United States.

This month I want to speak about a rarely considered aspect of evangelism as it applies to you and your ministry in the Correctional Facility or Rescue Mission. I want you chaplains to biblically consider - just how far reaching giving, spreading and teaching the gospel of Christ really goes.

Normally in historical usage and recent church history, evangelism has been thought of as simply giving the basic gospel facts of Christ's death and resurrection to guilty pagan sinners. God blessed or "successful" evangelism has been seen as the apparent favorable response to that message, evidenced in people praying "the sinners prayer," or coming forward or raising a hand at the right moment, or even going so far as to be baptized in water.

What I want you to consider is that from the New Testament we actually are given a much broader, much more comprehensive picture. Biblically, to do the work of an evangelist is to minister with people to the end that by God's grace, we see them established and growing in Christ. That's more than just announcing the message. It is even more than seeing someone make a verbal or ceremonial response (like confessing Christ in New Testament believer's baptism).

Evangelizing people includes both the proclamation and establishment of the truth of Christ in their lives. To borrow terms from the medical field as an illustration, the evangelist's job is a combination of spiritual obstetrics and spiritual pediatrics. In other words, we need to think of edification and teaching people to live the Christian life as part of evangelism - not as something more, or in addition to it.

To be sure no one can begin to live and grow as a child of God until they are truly born of God. Of course, no one can be born of the Spirit until they cognitively know certain gospel facts and properly respond to them. But establishing someone in the faith goes far beyond the moment they appear to repent and place their trust in Christ for His salvation.

Three passages from the Holy Spirit through the Epistles of Paul show this. The first passage in this month's message is negative, expressing the Apostle's doubts about his hearers true salvation in Christ. The last two are positive, in effect explaining why the Apostle knew that the ones he wrote to were truly converted.

First - consider Galatians 4:16-20

16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

The serious problem that occasioned the writing of Galatians was the newly planted churches were giving in to the false teachers' legalistic message about salvation, thinking they could save themselves by keeping the law and ceremony. Galatians was Paul's first Holy Spirit inspired letter, written in 49 AD, a year or two after the churches were started. It shows the heart of the great evangelist. Of his 13 inspired New Testament letters, it is by far his most emotional writing.

Acts chapters13 and 14 records how he had passed through the cities of Southern Galatia, proclaiming the gospel message. At the end of this trip, Paul re-checked on these people that had professed faith in Christ , "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.' " (Acts 14:22).

Soon afterwards pretend Christians, who were really law preachers, arrived and taught a false gospel contrary to what Paul had been given by Jesus Christ Himself. As he wrote the Galatians, he was stressed and felt estranged from them. Note it again in verses 16-18:

16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I (literally)- keep on telling you the truth?

17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, (meaning from God and His blessings)

that you may be zealous for them.

18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. (meaning the only

spiritual courting that's good is that which truly draws you close to God, and I always want to do that).

Then note how he was struggling for their very eternal lives. He doubted their true salvation

19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again (there's pain involved in that) until Christ is formed in you,

20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

He doubted their true spiritual birth from above, because he wasn't seeing the obvious presence of Christ's Spirit in them. That's how we need to look at evangelism, as seeing Christ formed in people! That's a whole lot more than hearing them pray to receive Christ, as good as that is.

The verb "formed" in Galatians 4:19 comes from the noun that expresses the nature or essence of a thing. An expository dictionary of New Testament words says the word: "refers, not to the external and transient, but to the inward and real." As used in Galatians 4:19, it speaks of the change of an inner moral conformity to Christ's nature.

As a true biblical evangelist in verse 20, Paul wanted to be back among and "with" them so that he could continue his evangelism with them, to the point that he truly saw this change in their character. Then and only then, could he rightly change his tone, or the way he sounded as he spoke of them. Does your evangelism in the jail, prison or rescue mission have that same goal - to see Christ's nature overtake the persons you minister the gospel to? To see Christ formed in them?

As I say that, I realize from personal experience in jail chaplaincy, just how difficult that is, especially in terms of time. This is also true if you are ministering in a state system Reception Center, where inmates are only there a brief time for classification and are then sent off to another facility to serve their sentences.

But even in those situations you need to sense a responsibility to form alliances with Bible-believing chaplains to continue the work of evangelism you started with any individual. If you find they are being sent to a place where no valid Bible discipling ministry takes place, then you can at least beseech a Sovereign God, to overrule in His perfect time to get the individual to a different place where they can be further evangelized, or to change things where they are.

Next, I want you to consider what the Apostle wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-7 (in about 51 AD no more than six months after his brief time in Thessalonica).

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

in the sight of our God and Father,4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much

assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the

Holy Spirit,

7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.

This passage is very positive. Paul is explaining why he and his fellow evangelists were so thankful to God for these people. In verses 2-4 he said he was thankful for having been convinced of their true election to salvation by God. The basis of this "knowing for certain" was the evidence of what only Christ's Spirit could have produced in them - deeds of faith, exhausting labors of Christ-like sacrificial love, and an endurance of hope that waits patiently for His coming and doesn't cave in under pressure while it's waiting. He also saw they were now truly God-centered.

Further, in verses 5-7 he said in effect that even as he was giving them the gospel teaching, there was an evidence of the Holy Spirits' power. It was in their response to the teaching. In verse 6, he said they literally "mimicked or imitated" the Lord Jesus. In verse 7, he added that they became examples for other Christian believers to follow. Biblical New Testament evangelism seeks to see lives changed. To be changed constantly by Jesus Christ, the living Lord. That's a whole lot more than hands raised and chapel attendance.

It might be really revealing to you to do some research if you can, to find out how your chapel attendees and counselees live; back in the dorm, or in the cell block, or on the streets, after they've publicly professed saving faith in Christ. Do that, and you'll know if God has begun to work in their lives or not, if they've been biblically evangelized or not. Of course, ultimately the One that makes the gospel change in people is God, the Holy Spirit - not any of us. He is the greatest Evangelist.

Lastly, I want to consider the passage in Philippians 1:3-7, written in about 61 AD, about 10 years after the people addressed came to a saving faith in Christ.

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,

5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

6 being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in chains and

in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

These five verses form one long, typically Pauline, sentence. Here, Paul explained his joy and thankfulness to God for the evident salvation, the evangelization of the Philippian people. The main reason he was convinced of their true salvation was their continued fellowship (participation) in gospel outreach.

In verses 6 and 7, he further explained his thinking. First, he stated a theological truth about God's salvation in the lives of real people. Since God initiates it, He will finish it at the Day of Jesus Christ. Then, in verse 7, he also explained his thankfulness and joy that was based on what he knew for certain happened in and through them.

In the closing phrase of the sentence, the last phrase of verse 7, Paul said: "you all are partakers with me of grace."

That means they were fellow-sharers or co-participants of God's grace, the grace of true salvation, together with Paul. The first evidence of that saving grace was that they, like Paul, suffered persecution for Christ. You see that in verse 7 in the reference to "chains." The second evidence was that they, like Paul, stood for the "defense and confirmation of the gospel."

True evangelism, which depends on God's powerful grace, is concerned with and participates in, the defense and confirmation of the gospel. That word "defense" in verse 7 is a technical word meaning the closing argument for acquittal by a defense attorney at a trial.

As used of giving the gospel message it refers to a logical presentation of the facts of the Christ case. 1 Peter 3:15 says to every Christian believer, "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense (the same word as in Phil. 1:7) to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."

That's where most evangelicals put evangelism. With giving a speech in defense of the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ. It can be preached, taught or written. It is the communication of gospel facts. But the point this Scripture in Philippians 1:7 makes is that even though evangelism must include that "defense," it must go further to see the same gospel "confirmed" in the life of individuals.

That word "confirmation" in verse 7, means the establishment or firming up of a thing. Biblical evangelism establishes the gospel of Christ in a person until they evidence Christ's true presence. This establishment means Holy Spirit produced fruit - even the fruit of true Christlikness.

So your call as Chaplain is to be an evangelist, as well as pastor to the inmates or residents. Your evangelism must include giving the right biblical historical facts about Christ and His claims on the lives of sinners. But it must go further and seek to establish His message into their lives so that they are really changed by Him.

It isn't wrong to be happy about "professions of faith," but if you would mimic Paul the great Christian evangelist, your real rejoicing will be over seeing Christ truly "formed" and "established" and fruitful in the lives of those you minister to.

In addition to Paul, the Apostle John wrote in 3 John 4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." That means that they are actually evidencing Christ, who is the Truth, living through them.

May God give you the same heart for evangelism as modeled by the Apostles Paul and John, in your ministry for His glory. The results are always ultimately up to Him, but the responsibility to do the complete job of announcing the gospel message and teaching people to live it out are yours. If they never really respond properly, He is still glorified in your ministry - if you have followed the biblical pattern of evangelism.

Rev. Rich Hines

Minister To Chaplains