April 2004 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain's Corner - April 8, 2004
Rev. Rich Hines
The Death And Resurrection Of Christ Should Drive Away All Fear
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.
In preparation for our upcoming Chaplain Enrichment Seminar this June in
We all agree that "Fear" is at or near the top of the list of inmate
issues. Inmates have a fear of the system, of other inmates and of what's going
to happen to them (especially if they're pre-sentenced jail inmates). They also
fear what God may do to them, or allow to happen to
the ones they love. They fear that someone in their family may die and that the
authorities may not let them attend the funeral. They experience the fear of
many other things, including the fear of death. A lot of their fears are
related to guilt. That's exactly where you chaplains need to make the gospel
real to them.
Christian chaplains have the privilege and responsibility to tell inmates and
residents of the Christ who came to deliver His people (true believers) from
all these fears and more, through His death and resurrection.
When the Apostle John saw the glorified Jesus in all His Holy, Divine splendor
and authority, he fell at His feet as if dead. And Jesus said to him:
"DO NOT BE AFRAID; I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
forevermore. Amen." (Rev. 1:17,18).
THE REALITY OF A RESURRECTED LORD, RE-ASSURES AND COMFORTS
TRUE BELIEVERS.
The original disciples of Christ (minus Judas) were hiding in fear of the
authorities after His arrest, illegal trial and execution. On that first Sunday
afternoon after Jesus' death they had heard reports of His resurrection, but in
unbelief thought these reports were not reality. So they were still hiding in
fear. They had not really listened to and believed Old Testament prophecy and
Jesus' pre-cross predictions of His resurrection (like in Matthew 16:21; 17:22,23; 26:27-32).
So, it's recorded in John 20:19-21 -
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week (Sunday),
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, FOR FEAR OF THE
JEWS, (meaning the Jewish religious leaders) Jesus came and stood in the midst,
and said to them, 'PEACE BE WITH YOU.'
20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the
disciples were glad when they saw (here the word 'saw' means to know with
understanding after considering) the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, 'PEACE TO YOU!' "
Help those you shepherd understand Jesus' disciples were hiding because of the
fear of what men might do to them. They were in fear of the legal authorities.
They were struggling with the fear of actually having to die for Jesus' sake.
Then the Resurrected One appeared and twice calmed their fears with the word
"PEACE!" His physical victory over death (He showed them His hands
and His side, and had them examine His physical wounds) brought an
understanding that He had overcome what they feared the most - death. As a
result the text says they were "glad." They rejoiced in resurrection
reality.
RESURRECTION REALITY OUGHT TO CALM EVERY FEAR A TRUE BELIEVER FACES.
Next, consider Hebrews 2:14-16
14 Inasmuch then as the children (i.e. the children God the Father gave to God,
the Son, those who are and by God's grace will be believers) have partaken of
flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same (in order) that He
might destroy (reduce to inactivity, render inoperative) him who had the power
of death, that is the devil,
15 and release (loose, set free) those who through FEAR OF DEATH were all their
lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aide to the seed
of Abraham.
RESURRECTION REALITY IN CHRIST, RELEASES BELIEVERS FROM THE
POWER OF FEAR AND FROM SIN.
This passage speaks not only about the removal of the enslaving fear of
physical death, but also of deliverance from sinful activities, which the devil
as the tempter, sponsors. That relates to another thing chaplains have said
inmates and residents fear. They fear not being able to change their sinful way
of life. They fear being stuck in their addiction, not only to drugs, alcohol
and immorality but also to every other sinful habit that keeps putting them in
jail or on skid row.
The key to this passage is in verse 16. The One who became flesh and blood,
even Jesus, died and rose again so that BELIEVERS could be free from sin's
power and it's attending fears. How do you point out
that the promises of this Hebrews passage relate ONLY TO BELIEVERS? By helping
them understand the phrase "AIDE (to lay hold upon, here as to reach out
and rescue) TO THE SEED (meaning descendants) OF ABRAHAM. The seed of Abraham
can only mean those who are his spiritual children, which is to say those who
are true believers like Abraham was.
For true believers, the risen Lord Jesus has rendered the devil and his power
to keep an individual in sin, inoperative. Through His death and resurrection,
Christ has made it a real possibility that a believer does not have to go on
sinning. Connected to that truth in verse 14, is the truth in verse 15 that a
believer is loosed and set free from the enslaving fear of death.
But what about the inmate's fear of a long sentence and of
doing time? Show them Psalm 31:9-15, which was David's account of, and
prayer during his own time of rejection, suffering and experiencing the fear of
what man might do to him. Though not physically incarcerated in a jail or
prison, so many of David's expressions here fit perfectly with what an inmate
faces.
Psalm 31:9-15
9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; my
eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!
10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with
sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.
11 I am a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and
am repulsive to my acquaintances; those who see me outside flee from me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the slander of many; fear is on every side; While
they take counsel together against me, they scheme to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from
those who persecute me.
Verses 9,10 parallel the grief and silent tears that
many inmates experience. Some, like David, know it was their sin (their
"iniquity") that caused their present situation, even incarceration.
In verse 11, the Psalmist said he was a "reproach." To both his
enemies and some that had been his friends and acquaintances,
his name was like a curse word. They cursed him to make him feel he was a
disgrace. This same thing happens to inmates, both from others in the facility
and on the outside. Then in verse 11 he went on to say that those who knew of
him went the other way when they saw him coming into view. Again, the inmate
often has this experience.
They are also, like David in verse 12, "forgotten like a dead man,"
and are "out of mind." Often, no one they knew before incarceration
cares to come and visit them. Many regard them as good for nothing, like a
broken piece of pottery. In verse 13, also like David, they hear about someone
putting a "bad jacket" on them, even to the point of plotting to
attack them and kill them, which again brings up the fear of death.
The answer to all this kind of stress and rejection is in trusting the Eternal,
Covenant-Making God. That's what David did in verses 14,15.
They can by God's grace, do the same thing. With David of old they too can say
"my times (in context, the times of the kind of trouble verses 9-13 have
spoken of) are in Your hand;."
The great Covenant-Making God, Yahweh, the LORD, is the one who made total
deliverance possible through keeping His covenant promise. He did this by
coming into this world as Jesus, the Christ, to save those that would repent,
and in faith follow Him.
David trusted in His future coming. Today, we can know by God's word that He
came as Jesus and accomplished complete deliverance for those who trust Him
through His death and resurrection. God was faithful to the covenant He made to
provide this salvation. Inmates and residents can trust His hands to hold them
and guide them through anything man or this sinful system of unbelief all
around them can do to them.
Through Christ alone, any believing inmate can do time victoriously. That's
what Paul meant when he wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13).
That verse is in a context that is talking about suffering, about being abased
or put low. Quite literally Paul was talking about doing jail time with a death
penalty hanging over his head. That's what the believer Paul, was saying he
could do through the Resurrected One who always strengthened him.
Finally, what about inmate fears that God is going to get them by bringing on
them some terrible sentence or by doing something to their loved ones on the
outside?
Again, if an inmate truly repents and commits himself
or herself to following Christ they have hope. The biblical truth is that for
the believer, Christ has already borne the penalty for all their sins, and they
do not have to fear God's eternal judgment on their sin. In His plan for moral
order they may have to serve a life sentence of incarceration, but that is
nothing compared to a Christ less eternity.
Colossians 2:13,14 is written to those who through
faith had died and risen with Christ by being "in Him."
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, (meaning the no person status of being outside the covenant) He
(God, the Father) has made alive together with Him (Christ), HAVING FORGIVEN
YOU ALL TRESPASSES,
14 HAVING WIPED OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS AGAINST US, WHICH
WAS CONTRARY TO US. And He has TAKEN IT OUT OF THE WAY, HAVING NAILED IT TO THE
CROSS.
Also show those who after trusting Christ, still fear God's judgment for their
sins, 1 John 4:17,18 -
17 Love has been perfected among us in this; that we may have boldness
(confidence) in the day of judgment; because as He (Christ) is, (beloved of the
Father) so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love (that is, love perfected, brought
to it's designed end) casts out fear, because fear
involves torment (lit. punishment). But he who fears (God's judgment, in the
context) has not been made perfect in love.
These troubling thoughts that God is still going to exact a penalty on the
repentant believing sinner come in part from UNBIBLICAL RELIGIONS that really
think they can, of themselves, pay for their own sins until they pay them off.
Likewise, many have been wrongly taught that God exacts some of their
punishment on others, even on their own children. That thinking is opposed to
biblical teaching.
Deuteronomy 24:16
16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be
put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.
Ezekiel 18:20
20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear
the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The
righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself,
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
What if something bad happens to someone they love. If it does, God is not
punishing that person for the inmate's crimes and sins. Yes, in a fallen,
sinful world bad things do happen, but God is still in control. He allows those
things to happen for His eternal purposes.
He has His purpose, especially for the hard things believers have to face.
Sometimes it's to make them stronger in their faith. At other times it's to
keep them away from something worse. It may be His discipline, or even His
training - but never His eternal judgment.
Whatever the hardship in their life, if an inmate is God's true trusting child,
if they are in Jesus Christ, biblical chaplains can and should always bring
them back to 1 Corinthians 10:13 -
13 No temptation has overtaken you (brothers and sisters in Christ) except such
as is common to man (no one can rightly say I had an extenuating circumstance
that led to my sinning); but God is faithful, WHO WILL NOT ALLOW YOU (true
believers) TO BE TEMPTED (or tested) BEYOND WHAT YOU ARE ABLE (to bear), but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, (so) that YOU MAY BE ABLE
TO BEAR IT.
Inmates can be encouraged to be like David the believer when he said, "I
sought the LORD, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears."
(Psalm 34:4). Christ's resurrection makes the same deliverance available today
and everyday we need it.
Yes, the resurrection of Christ should drive away all fear. BUT
ONLY FOR TRUE BELIEVERS. The other side is equally true. If anyone
refuses to repent and follow Christ, there is no present peace and true
deliverance from their fears. This is because Christ's resurrection guarantees
their eternal judgment, we see that in Acts 17:30,31.
But, praise God for His mercy in that while any person still draws breath,
there remains a possibility to repent!
Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains,
"for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ"