I bumped into a blogpost from Joyful Christian Wife. If you've been a follower of the blog, you would know I've linked back to this blog a while back on regards to the controversial Miss California Carrie Prejean and I have revered her post as The TRUE Christian Perspective.
This time I am surprised with her recent post. I just want to make it clear before I continue though, I don't disagree with her as a person and a sister in Christ but I would like to give what I think as a Christian on the topic at hand.
There was this man who was convicted of sodomy and sexual abuse on an 11 year old kid. Just recently the same man was ordained minister in a Louisville Kentucky Church.
Now there's the conflict.
Marlo of JCW stressed that even though she's all for forgiveness, she's saying that the Church must have the Wisdom and Common sense not to put this kind of man in a position of trust and spiritual authority in the community. She continued saying (giving facts based on statistics) that these "kind of people" will someday go back to their old ways and re offend again.
Let's read a passage in the Bible:
John 8:1-12 (New King James Version)
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
And what happened to this woman?
She was the first WOMAN that the Lord had shown himself to after He resurrected!
Read the passage in John 20:11-18. Now that tells us something. Not just Mary Magdalene being special to the Lord but that this woman who was once an adulterous came to know Christ and was changed ENTIRELY! And if Jesus can do that to her, HE can do the same thing to this convicted turned minister!
Let me throw these questions,
Who are we to judge the worthiness or unworthiness of a person in serving God and I mean specifically as a minister? Didn't Peter deny Jesus but still was appointed to open the gospel to the Jews? Didn't Paul approve several killings of the saints but still was appointed by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles?
It's not about being worthy because if it is then no one is! It's not about your past but it is about the future God has in stored for you! It is not a question whether this man will be changed or not. What we know is Jesus can change LIVES even to the point of opposing what the statistics say. God is above our thoughts, our ways and the norms of this world!
To bring it a little further, didn't Jesus came to seek those who are lost? Should we start putting requirements before anybody can serve God?
It's an issue of calling not being worthy.
What do we learn from this?
Your past is not an issue and is irrelevant compared to the future God has prepared for you! Go and SERVE the LORD!
May God bless you! and May God continually be glorified!
P.S.
My dear readers, these are my thoughts and convictions based on what I know. I may not be the brightest Bible Scholar out there to handle this issue but what I've written is what I think is right. If you have reactions and responses, please don't hesitate to leave your comments.
