June 2004 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain's Corner - June 18, 2004
Rev. Rich Hines
Chaplains Need To Show Unity In Biblical Theology - Ephesians 4:1-6
This message is prepared especially for those in the United States that calls
upon the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serves
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 speak about UNITY. Before I do, I need to speak about a
DANGER. It's not on the horizon. It's already here. We are living in a time in
the general culture of the United States, where it will be said in the future,
"everyone did that which was right in his own eyes," (see Judges
17:6; 21:25).
Sadly, THIS IS ALSO TRUE OF MOST PEOPLE IN
When we look back at the time of the judges in
Note some other verses of Scripture that describe the conditions in
1 Samuel 8:4-7 and 17-20
4 Then all the elders of
5 and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your
ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge
us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7 And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that
they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
Samuel went on to tell them the bad things that would happen to them as a
result of their rejection of God as King, replacing Him with a human king.
17 "...And you will be his servants.
18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen
for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day."
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said,
"No, but we will have a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and
go out before us and fight our battles."
The truth is that the LORD God wanted to be their King and the Deliverer from
their enemies. But the people wanted a HUMAN warrior protector RATHER than the
omnipotent LORD! Having rejected God as their King, and not having any human
king, no one trusted any leadership, so everyone turned to SELF to be the
ultimate moral director. That sounds a lot like modern
In the professing body of Christ today, many have not heeded the biblical
warning found in James 3:1
"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall
receive the stricter judgment."
We live in a time when anyone in any church or ministry anywhere can say
whatever they want to say, and it's supposed to be acceptable. There seems to
be no checks and balances. Because this is true, even evangelical Christianity
is splintered and confused about: the Bible, God, Christ, salvation, the
Christian life, counseling, giving, how ministry is to be supported, future
events and many, many other issues pertinent to daily life and gospel ministry.
There are other reasons for the current state of things in society and in the
professing church. One reason is weak leadership that tries at all costs to
please each and every man, rather than God. Another is the ascendancy of
pluralism and "diversity" in the secular society. This has also
infected the church - to the detriment of TRUTH AS THE BASIS FOR UNITY.
So many of today's Christian leaders are afraid of the world, and therefore are
unwilling to take a stand for the Lord. It would seem they want to speak about
God ONLY to the point where they can re-invent Him to fit with what's popular
in the secular arena.
Added to that is the fact that the majority of Americans today have bought into
the idea that morality is relative, that there is no absolute standard on
anything. So, many that profess to be Christian want
to court that ideology, and bring it into the church and the practice of the
faith.
By and large Christianity in
The most popular "Christian" fad sweeping churches and ministries
today is so shallow, so non-distinctly doctrine of Christ -centered (as defined
by the Bible), that everyone with different gods, can and is using it. When
churches that claim to be Christian and people in Buddhist temples can use the
same program with no theological challenge to either group, something is
dreadfully wrong!
This being the case, I want you chaplains to remember that one day you will
stand before God and give an account to Him. YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR WHAT
YOU TAUGHT AND WHAT YOU DID NOT TEACH THAT YOU OUGHT TO HAVE TAUGHT. You and I
will give an account to God for those under our sponsorship, for what they
taught as Christian doctrine.
In terms of ministry I remind you that the Bible says in Romans 14:10-12
"...we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (the earliest
manuscripts read "the judgment seat of God"). For it is written:
"As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me,
and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give
account of himself to God."
CHRISTIAN CHAPLAINS NEED TO UNITE AROUND THE SURE UNCHANGING STANDARD OF
BIBLE-BASED THEOLOGY. Let us hear and heed the word of God given to the
followers of Christ in: EPHESIANS 4:1-6
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the
calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one
another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
According to this heavy passage, Christians are to live daily in humble, loving
holiness. That's the "worthy" walk of verses 1 and 2. God is saying,
if you are saved, it was His work through Christ that has made you His child.
WHAT A "CALLING!" THEREFORE, live like a true child of the one true
God should live!
Our Lord Jesus said, "by this all will know that you (it's a plural you -
you all) are My disciples, if you have love for one
another" (John 13:35).
An aspect of that love is mentioned in Ephesians 4:3. It's, "endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit." The UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IS THE TRUE
ONENESS CREATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT that all true believers possess. It's their
common denominator, the true life of Christ in them. BUT IT MUST BE GUARDED AND
PROTECTED BY A LOVE FOR AND COMMITMENT TO GOD'S TRUTH.
The NASB translates the phrase "endeavoring to keep" (NKJV) as
"being diligent to preserve." The main idea of the word translated
"endeavoring" or "being diligent" is MAKING AN ALL OUT
EFFORT TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE UTMOST SPEED. Unity is so important, an all out
effort must be made to keep, preserve, protect and guard it.
Today in
In Ephesians 4:4-6, there are seven (7) doctrines believers need to be saying
the same things about.
In the order given they are: THE CHURCH, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE FUTURE, JESUS
CHRIST, THE CONTENT OF TRUTH TO BE FOLLOWED, THE TESTIMONY TO CHRIST'S
SUBSTITUTIONARY REDEEMING SAVING ACT, AND THE NATURE
OF GOD THE FATHER.
An eighth IMPORTANT DOCTRINE in these verses is the TRIUNITY of God. Verse 4
centers on God the Spirit. Verse 5 on God, the Son.
And, verse 6 on God, the Father. Three distinct Persons, yet
one and the same God at the same time.
Rather than dividing, these truths - empowered into the believers
life by the Teacher, serve to unite them into a loving family that has a united
message.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your
calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Can't we all agree to teach the same thing on these important doctrines?
Verse 4 - focuses on God, the Holy Spirit -
"There is one body"
The Holy Spirit makes true believers know that they make up Christ's body THE
CHURCH, the assembly that is called out of the sinful cultures of this world to
become God's new people. Through the word of God the Heavenly Teacher makes His
people understand they don't belong to an organization, but rather that THEY
ARE A LIVING, BREATHING ORGANISM, ( a body) with
Christ as their Eternal King.
There are no boards of directors, no political struggles in the true leadership
of the body of Christ, the church. King Jesus is the Sovereign Lord and Head
over His body. The Head isn't running for office, He is eternal Lord. He will
never be defeated.
His rule is mediated to His called out ones, His church, through the teaching
of His word by godly men called elders, pastors, overseers (or bishops). The
human church leaders only serve as under-shepherds to Christ, the Good and
Chief Shepherd.
Everyone the Spirit makes one with Jesus as part of His body,
is also one in that body with every other person united to Christ, in the body.
We know we are members of one another because we are united to the same Head.
Therefore THERE IS NO RACIAL, CULTURAL, DENOMINATIONAL, SOCIAL, FINANCIAL OR
GENDER SUPERIORITY IN THE CHURCH. The cultures in corrections may not like this
truth, they are opposed to it, but your inmates need to know it and live it!
Verse 4
"and one Spirit,"
THE HOLY SPIRIT, also known as the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, IS
POSSESSED EQUALLY BY EVERY TRUE BELIEVER IN CHRIST. Teach that! He indwells
each and every one of them. He makes them one with Christ. He is their Helper,
their Teacher (John 14:16,17, 26), their Prayer Assistor
(Romans 8:26,27), their Power to live right and speak right about Christ
(Ezekiel 36:27; Acts 1:8), and He is their Guarantor of heaven (Ephesians
1:13,14).
True Christians agree that He is God, just like the Son and the Father, is God.
HE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW BIRTH, He brings them Christ and His life (John
1:12,13; John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5).
Verse 4
"just as you were called in ONE HOPE of your calling;"
The "hope of your (believers') calling" is the FINAL FUTURE STAGE OF
THEIR SALVATION. It is to "be conformed to the image" of
Christ (Romans 8:29). It is what Ephesians 4:13 is speaking about when it
refers to coming "to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
This will be accomplished by Christ's salvation power at His appearing in the
clouds and the resurrection of the justified ones, as Philippians 3:20,21 says:
20 ... our (believers, those that are in His body the church) citizenship is in
heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly (vile) body (meaning the individual believer's
physical body) (so) that it may be transformed to His glorious body (the
glorified physical body Jesus now inhabits), according to the working by which
He (Christ) is able (He has the power) even to subdue all things to
Himself."
To think on this truth, that God, the Son will one day make His people's bodies
like the form of His glorious body, totally victorious over sin and death - is
the great motivation in New Testament to live a pure and holy life even now
here below. THE HOLY SPIRIT'S MINISTRY IN REGARD TO THIS GLORIOUS FUTURE EVENT
IS THAT HE IS THE GUARANTEE, THE PLEDGE, THE ENGAGEMENT RING in the believers life that this will come to pass.
Verse 5 - focuses on God, the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ
"one Lord,"
This word "Lord" meaning Sovereign Master, REFERS TO JESUS CHRIST. He
is in control of His church. See that in Revelation Chapter 1. He's the Head
over His church.
Verse 5
"one faith,"
ONE FAITH is not the act of believing but the body of truth to be believed and
followed. The faith is THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ABOUT CHRIST. We must agree
on who Christ is, and yet so many that claim to be Christians today, don't. So
they are not giving a united testimony. It needs to be different in your
facility.
Verse 5
"one baptism;"
This is a reference to believers' water baptism which testifies to their
spiritual baptism or uniting with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and
resurrection. All true Christians agree and are united about their salvation
being accomplished through the work of Christ ALONE in His death, burial and
resurrection AS A SUBSTITUTE in their behalf. New Testament believer's baptism
is IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, not in any other name.
Verse 6 - focuses on God, the Father (of all the saved)
Chaplains need to present the true nature of the true God. There is only one
God and He doesn't change. He is the same throughout all eternity. Chaplains
need to agree to teach the same things about God.
"one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all."
God the Father IS ONLY Father of ALL THAT BELIEVE HIM. Flowing from that then,
the three other mentions of "all" in this verse must refer to all
believers.
"Above all" means He IS SOVEREIGN. The
Father planned the salvation of His chosen ones. He controlled it. Can't we all
agree on that biblical teaching? If you can't then you have a major theological
problem and should not be in ministry.
There is a major heresy today that teaches that God is not in control and
doesn't know all things! This heresy teaches that God has a plan "B"
just incase His first choice doesn't work out! It is questionable if a person
even has the Holy Spirit and is saved if they could buy into that heresy. If
they were saved, a "red light" from the Holy Spirit would immediately
light up on the "dash board" of their mind when they heard that false
teaching about God.
God is Sovereign over all, Omnipotent over all and Omnipresent IN ALL HIS
CREATION, but in this verse it is His children that are the main subject. He is
their Ruler, not their puppet for personal power.
"Through all" means He blesses all His children, through Christ.
Those who have died in the Lord, those that are living and those yet to be born
are all in His eternal mind at the same time. Therefore we all need to be
teaching He IS ETERNAL (Isaiah 57:15). He is the personal God of believers: the
living and those that have died (Mark 12:24-27) and of those in the future who
will believe (John 17:20).
"In all" - He IS OMNIPRESENT AND OMNIPOTENT, everywhere and at all
times, but especially in the lives of His blood-bought children.
No one should be in Christian chaplaincy or volunteer work, especially to those
that have been crushed beneath a load of sin like inmates and street people,
who isn't SURE OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE KEY ISSUE OF GOD AND HOW
HUMANS ARE TO LIVE IN STEP WITH HIS TRUTHS.
Know what is right to believe from the Bible and then, believe your beliefs!
Walk in the truth of Jesus Christ! May you all show a unity of faith and life.
Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains,