August 2004 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain's Corner - August 24, 2004
Rev. Rich Hines
Christian Chaplains Need To Be God's Advocates, Not Inmates
This message is prepared especially for those in the United States that call
upon the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve
as a chaplain in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue
mission.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV),
copyright 1979,1980,1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any
deviation from the NKJV text is within parenthesis signs ( ). These
usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting, to help apply the text to today's
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text.
This month I want to address an occupational hazard that correctional chaplains
face. In an effort to show inmates love, and become their friend, some
chaplains succumb to the temptation to become an advocate for and defender of -
just about every inmate concern - rather than a messenger to them from the true
God. Doing both can confuse the gospel message.
Don't get me wrong, there are times when speaking up about
inmate concerns does serve righteousness. You need biblical wisdom to
decide which inmate concern is the right thing to pursue. But all too often
chaplains (especially volunteers) find themselves supporting and representing
the wrong causes. These wrong causes are things that come from the inmates and
ultimately are not in the inmates best interest
spiritually and eternally.
One of the greatest temptations seems to be to side with the inmates who say
they were punished unfairly or worse than they deserved.
Biblically, the prototype of this kind of complaint came from Cain, who in
Genesis 4:13 said to God:
"My punishment is greater than I can bear"
Cain then proceeded to express a fear that he would be a hunted man and be
killed by other men (as he had killed his own brother, Abel). God graciously
placed a special mark on him and told him of his protection from such a death.
But in ingratitude, Cain went on to live a godless life. Cain's godless
lifestyle passed on to his descendants, so at the end of Genesis 4, God's grace
raised up and blessed a godly man named Seth who taught his descendants to call
on the name of the LORD.
Apart from the grace of God touching the inner heart of a man, he will remain
self-centered. In the inmate culture, this fleshly lifestyle of complaining and
defending self is developed to a high degree. Like Cain, they generally think
they got a "bum deal." They like to compare themselves to other
inmates rather than to think of God's righteous standard and His holy justice.
In this regard an important man of faith to consider is Ezra, the Old Testament
scribe and Bible teacher. He lived in a very important time. His whole nation
had been punished for unrepentant idolatry and disobedience to God's
instructions. As one man, the Jewish nation had received a 70 year sentence of
slavery in
But only a fraction including Ezra, responded to God's
grace and returned. Having returned, most of those who accepted this freedom
(offered by God) immediately began to turn back to the sinful ways of their
forefathers. The very sins that had brought the 70 year
sentence on the former generation.
When godly Ezra heard what was going on, he sat silent for many hours in horror
and shame. Then, he spoke to God about the sin of his people. Note and teach
about his prayer in Ezra 9:6-10:
6 And I said: "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my
face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and
our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for
our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been delivered into the hand
of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder and to
humiliation, as it is this day.
8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to
leave us a remnant to escape, and give us a peg (tent peg) in His holy place,
(a reference to a little hold in Jerusalem) that our God may enlighten our eyes
and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He
extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? (after
God's goodness and grace). For we have forsaken Your
commandments,"
Ezra must have felt like "How UNTHANKFUL for Your grace and mercy can we
be?" He continued his prayer and reflected on the past punishment of the
70 years captivity, which they had recently been released from. In Ezra 9:13,14
he said:
13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great
guilt, SINCE YOU OUR GOD HAVE PUNISHED US LESS THAN OUR INIQUITIES DESERVE, and
have given us such deliverance as this,
14 should we again break Your commandments, ...?" - Show this verse to
your inmates!
In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter echoed this truth (that we should not
complain about a sentence against us allowed by God, because He really punishes
us less than we deserve), as he taught the believers in Christ:
"For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures
grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, WHEN YOU ARE BEATEN FOR
YOUR FAULTS, YOU TAKE IT PATIENTLY? But when you do good
and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God." (1
Peter 2:19,20)
Here the additional lesson is that suffering FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE is
"commendable."
The truth that we really have not gotten what our sins deserve offends
self-centered sinners. But you need to tell that truth. Inmates need to learn
to see things differently. The last thing they need is to be coddled in their
self-pity.
Here's an example of what I'm talking about. A while back I visited one of the
state chaplains that has attended many of our
Seminars. I visited him at his maximum security facility. He even had me give a
Bible study to some death row inmates that he and his assistants had been
ministering to. I relished the opportunity. The chaplain that regularly led
these men in Bible study (who was my chaplain friends
assistant) was also in attendance.
My teaching was from Philippians 3:8-10 on Christian faith and life - and how
it needed to center on Christ. After I finished the lesson the normal procedure
was to have a time of "prayer and praise" with the group. This
"prayer time" was led by the chaplain who regularly taught these men.
One inmate in attendance had just that morning received news that the Governor
of their State had issued a stay of execution for him. The other inmates and
this death row chaplain were excited and wanted to rejoice for him. But he
proceeded to unveil his true heart. Rather than thanking and praising God for
His mercy, this man's self-centered bitterness leaked out all over the place.
He went on a tirade about how unjust his many trials had been and how he never
deserved the sentence he had originally received. He obviously knew nothing of
the message of Philippians 3:8-10 I had just given. I don't think he was a true
believer, just a prisoner playing the "religion" game.
What shocked me the most was the chaplain in attendance agreed wholeheartedly
with him!
Even if he was unjustly found guilty (which was probably not the case), his
bitterness and pride should have never been encouraged. That chaplain had
succumbed in his desire to be the inmates friend, to
becoming the ally of their wrong thinking and bad attitudes. In this error, he
had become their advocate, not God's.
The Prophet Jeremiah was of the generation in
The invading Babylonians left him behind with the poorest of the razed land, who had nothing. Yet Jeremiah remained a faithful servant of
the LORD and as His advocate wrote the following words from the breath of the
Holy Spirit. In them we see Jeremiah was the opposite of the chaplain that
served the death row inmates.
Lamentations 3:22 - 41
22 Through the LORD's mercies WE are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is Your
faithfulness.
24 "The LORD is MY portion," says MY soul, "Therefore I hope in
Him!"
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
The reader must put these verses in their historical and emotional context.
Jeremiah used the words "we" "my" and "I." He was
in the midst of the shock of seeing
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the
LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him; (this is
a very important verse)
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust there may yet be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, and be full of reproach.
31 For the Lord WILL NOT CAST OFF FOREVER.
Here the theme is that God is behind the sentence and yet, the Divine Judge
offers hope because the hardship of the sentence is not FOREVER. Rather, this
Divine Discipliner is full of compassion and mercy. His purpose is never to
drive a man from Him. Rather His chastening is to draw him to Him.
32 Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the
multitude of His mercies.
33 For He does not afflict willingly (lit. "from
His heart"), nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under one's feet all the prisoners of the earth, (this applied to
ancient
35 to turn aside the justice due a man before the face of the Most High,
36 or subvert a man in his cause - the Lord does not approve.
As the prophet continued, he was reminded of God's sovereign control of all
that comes to pass. Note it in verses 37,38
37 Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded
it?
(In other words, nothing happens apart from the Lord's directions and sovereign
will.)
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe (bad, in the sense of
calamity) and well-being proceed?
39 Why should a living man complain (or "murmur"), a man for the punishment
of his sins?
Since God shows His sovereignty, why should any guilty sinner murmur against
the calamity he finds himself in? He shouldn't! Rather sinners (and Jeremiah
included himself as a sinner here) ought to examine their doings and turn in
repentance back to the God that keeps His promises.
40 Let US (this plural "us" included Jeremiah himself) search out and
examine OUR ways, and turn back to the LORD; (the Covenant - Promise Keeping
name of God)
41 Let US lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.
That God of heaven has given the greatest promise of all in His Son - the Lord
Jesus Christ. In Him alone is eternal life,
forgiveness and freedom from ETERNAL INCARCERATION. Representing this great
truth rather than aiding and abetting inmates wrong
and bitter attitudes of suffering "injustice," is what you're called
to do. Be God's advocate to inmates rather than their sinful mouthpiece and
representative to "the system."
Teach inmates that rather than being bitter and having a complaining attitude
that wants to murmur about their incarceration, they need to be thankful they
have suffered less than their sins deserve. They aren't yet in eternal
hell-fire. By God's grace and mercy in Christ, they can escape that eternal
incarceration.
Teach them that God has allowed their sentence to correct them, to teach them
about His holiness and justice. Teach them to heed the prophet's teaching to
"SIT ALONE AND KEEP SILENT, BECAUSE GOD HAS LAID IT ON HIM." (Lam.
3:28). He (God) has done that for His good purposes in their lives, even to
drive them to Christ.
Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains,
"for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ"