Let me make a few things clear before we go on. When something terrible happens to a person because of negligence or anger of another, one has a right to be angry. Anger is a natural emotion, letting a person know that something isn't right. When someone wrongs us, we will be hurt and feel angry. I am not trying to downplay that at all. Nor am I downplaying the fact that if someone commits a crime, they should be held accountable. As a Military Police Officer and as Custody Staff with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, I have an obligation to correct inappropriate behavior in a fair and just manner.
I do know that this is an emotionally charged issue to think about. And, I know that all of us have our personal opinions about this topic. However, for those of us who claim to follow Christ, we have to choose to compare our opinions to what Scripture clearly says. And, I will admit, I do not always like to do that. But, in order to have a healthy and close relationship with God, we have to take our thoughts into captivity and make sure that what we choose to believe agrees with what God says in right and true.
Although there are many passages that I could use, I have chosen seven of them. Also, this blog is about a person's Salvation, not about being held accountable according to local and national laws. Our laws have a place in our society. This particular issue has to do with eternal salvation/damnation. Please take a few minutes to read each of them.
- Romans 5:1-10
- Philippians 3:1-10
- Romans 8:1-11
- Luke 23:33-43
- Acts 7:54-60
- Acts 8:1-3
- Acts 9:1-18
Yes, I know that is a lot to read. But, they are important passages to keep in mind as we discuss them.
The first thing we need to consider is what our relationship with God is before salvation. Paul's Epistle to the Romans is a letter where he very clearly and concisely explains the fundamentals of the Christian faith. It is not an Epistle to just scan without putting much thought into it. It is one that requires purposeful study. In the first three chapters, Paul goes to great length to explain how each and every one of us has a fallen and corrupt nature. That is, we are all in rebellion against God since our birth. This understanding is foundational for understanding why God did what He did as Jesus Christ.
As a holy and righteous God, sin separates us from God. And, since we all break the 10 Commandments in thought, word, and deed each and every day, God would be justified in punishing all us for all eternity. But, because of His love for us, He entered our world as Jesus (both fully Man and fully God), lived a perfect life, taught us, died a condemned criminals death in our place (remember, being perfect, He did not deserve to be crucified, He choose to be). In dying in our place and then being raised from the dead, we have hope of eternal life. It is not something we can earn, it is something He offers us. We have to accept it on His terms. And in accepting it, be changed by it.
Speaking of Paul, let's take a closer look at him. Most people know Paul as the great missionary and Apostle to the Gentiles. However, Paul used to be someone very different. According to Acts 7:54-60 and 8:1-3, Paul used to be named Saul. He was a young Pharisee who became very influential at a young age. And, he was very, very zealous for enforcing the religious laws at the time. In fact, in his zealousness for God's Laws, one could say he spearheaded the persecution of the Followers of Christ. Scripture does not state if Saul actually killed any Christians himself. However, he not only consented to the murder of Stephen, but actively sought out other Christians so that they could be arrested, tried and then punished (either beatings, time in prison, or killed for their faith). So, at the very least, here is a man who is an accessory to murder of one person and probably committed numerous counts of assault consummated by battery (caused physical injury to someone else) while arresting them, as well as was an accessory to assault or murder, depending on what the religious leaders decided. Not a very good person, was he?
But yet, in spite of the horrible things he did in his zealous passion for God, he was confronted by God on the Road to Damascus. There, his life was transformed. In fact, his life was transformed so greatly that he even changed his name from Saul to Paul. (Acts 9:1-18). After several years of studying under others, he returned to Jerusalem and became one of the leading missionaries/Apostles to the Gentiles (all non-Jews). Many of the Epistles in the New Testament are written by him during different points of his life. Being the very intelligent person that he was, Paul was able to reach out to different groups and cultures and explain the Christian faith to them in ways that they could understand and respond to. The Church Universal would not be the way it is now without him. Would you not agree that God used Paul in incredible and awesome ways?!
Let's consider a different example. From about 1743 until around 1754, John Newton was a slave trader. According to one article :
“Despite this (having turned to Christ after a serious illness), he continued to participate in the Slave Trade. In 1750, he made a further voyage as master of the slave ship 'Duke of Argyle' and two voyages on the 'African'. He admitted that he was a ruthless businessman and a unfeeling observer of the Africans he traded. Slave revolts on board ship were frequent. Newton mounted guns and muskets on the desk aimed at the slaves' quarters. Slaves were lashed and put in thumbscrews to keep them quiet.”Years later, he became a highly respected Anglican pastor, a prolific writer of hymns (along with William Cowper), and was often sought after for pastoral care. The hymn “Amazing Grace” is one of many that he penned.
Eventually, a young man named William Wilberforce came to him seeking guidance. As a young Christian, Wilberforce was wrestling with leaving politics and entering the ministry. John Newton encouraged Wilberforce to stay in politics and serve God there. Wilberforce soon became involved in the Abolitionist movement in England. (Please see this BBC article, this Christianity Today article, or this article.) Although Wilberforce asked Newton to help with the Abolitionist movement, initially he decline. Eventually though, in 1787, John Newton was able to write a tract describing his experiences in the African Slave Trade, 'Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade.' This tract was very influential in the Abolition Movement. After many years, the Parliament did vote to end slavery in February of 1807.
At the time that Parliament voted to end slavery, John Newton was nearly blind and was near death. Upon the law passing, he was able to rejoice that others would no longer have to suffer such inhumane treatment. A man, who actively participated in the Slave Trade, who killed many African slaves directly through putting down revolts or indirectly due to the very inhuman conditions the slaves lived in, helped to end the Slave Trade. He is credited with many wise sayings over the years, but one that I find very appropriate concerns what he expected to see in Heaven:
"If I ever reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there first, to meet some I had not thought to see their second, to miss some I had expected to see there and third, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there."
- John Newton Topics: Heaven
I have worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections for over 7 years. During that time, I have worked at a maximum security prison that houses a large number of segregation inmates. In fact, the prison that I work at was built to house the more violent, difficult, etc., Inmates. Within its fences and walls, I have met many Inmates who care little about the welfare of others. They definitely have an anti-social personality. Quite a few of them are more than willing to cause serious bodily harm, or even kill someone else, to get what they want. Even if that is a higher status with the other Inmates.
But yet, there are those there who do care about others. Not just their own friends and family, but they care about other people and trying to do the right thing. Although not all of them claim Christianity as their faith, quite a few do. While working as Custody Staff and as Religious Coordinator, I have observed them during various worship services. This is in conjunction with watching them during their everyday interactions with others. There are some Inmates at this prison who have a closer walk with Christ and a more joyful life than many Christians I have met outside of prison. For them, Jesus' comment to a man named Simon is very applicable to them (Luke 7:40-50). You see, these people are very, very aware of the wickedness of their hearts. They are in prison as a consequence of their actions. For them, God's grace for their sins is so much more real. Very few of the Inmates take their salvation and walk with Christ for granted. This is much like those living in countries where Christianity is actively persecuted. Christians in those countries also rarely take their faith and relationship with Christ for granted. It is so sad that many of us outside of prison do take our faith and walk with Christ for granted.
For the last couple of months, I have been leading a Bible Study on the Minor Prophets. Together, we have looked at Haggai, Joel, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk. It has been a very, very interesting study and quite a learning experience for all of us. While doing my research for the studies, God reminded me of many different things. One very important thing is that whenever God warned the Jewish people that they were going to suffer the consequences of their sins (rebelling against His Commands and committing spiritual adultery), there was always a call to repentance as well.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog entry, that warning of accountability and call to repentance applies to all of us. Because we all are born in sin and have a sinful nature, we are all guilty of rebelling against God. We are all guilty of treason against Him. Many will say, “Oh, I have not sinned in a way like that rapist and murderer that I saw on the news last night!!” Jesus had something very specific to say about that kind of attitude in Luke 18:9-14. Sound kind of harsh? To most of us it does sound extremely harsh. Especially if someone close to us has been affected by serious crime. But, God weighs and judges our thoughts and attitudes. Not just our attitudes towards those who are nice to us, but even to those who do evil towards us.
When a person commits a horrendous crime, they absolutely need to be held accountable for their crime or crimes. But, each and every one of the people who commit the crimes are just as human as the rest of us. No, most of us have not done great evil like such people as Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, etc., and other serial killers. However, that does not mean that any of us might not be capable of doing great evil under the right circumstances. We are all human, we all have a sinful and rebellious nature against God, and we all deserve His condemnation. But yet, because of His love and grace, He offers us forgiveness. Although it might be difficult to accept, there are those who have done great evil who God has used to do incredible things. Paul, formally known as Saul, and John Newton are just two examples. While still holding those who do evil accountable for their actions, we should still rejoice if they repent and turn to Christ. Even if it is while on their death bed or being led to their execution, we should rejoice that they have found eternal life with Christ. Why? Because those of us who are Christians were under the exact same sentence as them until we repented.
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