We believe God can (and does) change people. Without that basic premiss of the Kingdom, we would all be lost. Who could we trust if God had not changed them? Could anyone trust us had God not changed us? As Christians, we MUST think this through and develop a solid theology of change.
Okay, so you have a thief who gets saved. God changes his spirit (the old is gone, the new has come!) and he no longer steals. Maybe he wrestles with this urge for awhile, maybe not. Either way, eventually, God can (and does) make the change permanent. We now trust that person (albeit with time and experience) and can leave things of value with them without worry. He is our brother, after all. We should give him the benefit of the doubt and help him prove himself and become a respectable member of our society. I have seen this happen over and over again. This is as it should be. I would venture to say, most of you are having no problems with my thoughts so far. I believe one of the most basic premises of salvation is change. Hallelujah!
However, let's say we have a child molester who gets saved. If we follow the above process, God changes his spirit and he no longer molests children. Maybe he wrestles with this urge for awhile, maybe not. Either way, eventually, God can (and does) make the change permanent. We now trust our brother (albeit with time and experience) and can leave them with children without worry. He is our brother, after all. We should give him the benefit of the doubt and help him prove himself and become a respectable member of our society again. Right?
Right?
What are your thoughts now? Are you with this line of reasoning or are you with the LIE of the world that says "No! Once a molester, always a molester! They are the scum of the earth! Always watch them and always punish them for their sin(s)!"
I know there are legal issues we must be aware of here. I know we, as "The Salvation Army," must be cautious of how society trusts us. But must we do this at the expense of our belief that Jesus can (and does) change people? I think not.
We must love (and believe they can change) the thief, the adulterer, the druggie, the drunk, the homosexual, the child molester, the wife-beater, the rapist, the murderer . . . everyone. No one is beyond God's grace or God's power to change.
About Me
- Seeker of The Light
- God has called me to equip and empower His people for their ministries. "But I would bring everything to the test of the Word and the Spirit. Not the Word only, but the Word and the Spirit. 'God is spirit,' said our Lord, 'and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.' While it is never possible to have the Spirit without at least some measure of truth, it is, unfortunately, possible to have a shell of truth without the Spirit. Our hope is that we may have both the Spirit and the truth in fuller measure." - A. W. Tozer
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3 comments:
dude...i think sometimes that its easier for god to change the murderer, the prostitute, the drug-addict- bc these are all big and obvious, but those things we're too ashamed to admit wedo...well,just bc society doesnt think theyre so bad, we must be better than the recovering alcoholic...while we're STILL TRAPPED. thats pretty screwed.
Yes, unfortunately, I do know children (and adults) who have been mistreated (and worse). Actually, I consider myself quite fortunate to know many of these people- I love them. But the power of the Gospel is in the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of people. Good thing what's unforgivable to man, is NOT unforgivable to God! We would all be unforgiven without his limitless mercy and grace.
I am reminded of the quote: "When I punch you in the nose, I want mercy. When you punch me in the nose, I want revenge." Or how about: "Love the sinner, hate the sin."
We are all depraved, but we can all be forgiven and changed. I know this, because I've seen it. Praise the Lord, this is the message of Jesus Christ!
As to the question: Can we forgive a child molester if God can? perhaps we can; perhaps we can't. Only God knows if the molester has truly been changed...the only way we would know is to see the proof in his/her actions, and it is not possible to test that proof without placing a child at risk. That is a personal and moral dilemma. Either way, our responsibility is to protect the child, and not "test our trust" at the expense of the child! Legal implications aside, that decision is not ours to make...regardless of how strongly we may feel (or not feel) the level of trust. We can trust our faith in God to work out the salvation of the sinner - - but would we tempt the sinner by placing the object of temptation within their grasp? Wouldn't that be similar to what Satan did to Jesus? and to what end? simply to prove to ourselves, that we can trust that God has changed the life of the sinner? I wonder about these "what-if" questions....are they realistic, practical, or only rhetorical? or perhaps such questions are intended for us to search ourselves more deeply, and clear out anything that might be blocking us from experiencing God more fully. Hopefully, the latter!
Do I know anyone who was molested? Yes, I do. Me! Do I know anyone who was a molester? Yes, to that as well...my stepfather. So I know first-hand that the issue of trust is huge, and not possible to address all sides of the question adequately in this format....and the issue of faith is very much part of the trust question.
I also know that God does (and has) worked miracles in the lives of all kinds of people (victims and perpetrators included)....and my trust lies squarely with God! and not with the perpetrator, even if saved (which is not for me to know, only God knows that for sure).
You are right....love the sinner, not the sin. Don't put the sinner (or your faith) to the test, because if you do I would question the motive, all Rhetoric aside. Place your trust in the Almighty, and be certain He will work things out for the salvation of the sinner, and for the healing of all who have been sinned against. That is guaranteed!
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