The Church's Responsibility - God's Instructions & Judgement
by Angelo C. Pearson II -
Prisoners matter to God’s heart. In various places throughout the Scripture, it instructs us, His Church, to act on the prisoners' behalves. Today’s church has submitted to the government when it comes to dealing with sin, and it’s God’s people who are suffering. What is He calling you to do about it?
In Matthew 18, Jesus instructs us how to respond when someone wrongs us. In this passage, He also identifies the church as the power of authority in making things right.
' “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” '
Matthew 18:15-20
The power of the church extends to Heaven in a twofold way. What we agree on, on earth manifests itself in Heaven, and the desired result gets reciprocated. Secondly, the very presence of Heaven presents itself to us here on earth when we gather in the name of Jesus.
The church has power! The church has the power to understand right from wrong, to make decisions on it, as well as take action with the backing of Heaven.
The prisoner is at the very heart of God, so much so that our salvation depends on it. How many of us personally know or know of someone in prison? The mere knowledge a prison system exists and not doing anything to invest your efforts spiritually automatically puts your mercy from God in jeopardy. Take a look at what Scripture says:
'“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”'
Matthew 25:31-46
We are again in Hebrews instructed to:
'Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.'
There is a responsibility of the church to engage the prisoners’ cause. Luke 4:18 says:
'‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, '
' “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” '
Matthew 18:15-20
The power of the church extends to Heaven in a twofold way. What we agree on, on earth manifests itself in Heaven, and the desired result gets reciprocated. Secondly, the very presence of Heaven presents itself to us here on earth when we gather in the name of Jesus.
The church has power! The church has the power to understand right from wrong, to make decisions on it, as well as take action with the backing of Heaven.
The prisoner is at the very heart of God, so much so that our salvation depends on it. How many of us personally know or know of someone in prison? The mere knowledge a prison system exists and not doing anything to invest your efforts spiritually automatically puts your mercy from God in jeopardy. Take a look at what Scripture says:
'“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”'
Matthew 25:31-46
We are again in Hebrews instructed to:
'Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.'
Hebrews 13:3
Burring our heads in the sand or turning a blind eye to the mass incarceration crisis will be no excuse.
Burring our heads in the sand or turning a blind eye to the mass incarceration crisis will be no excuse.
There is a responsibility of the church to engage the prisoners’ cause. Luke 4:18 says:
'‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, '
Luke 4:18
We are held accountable to the Lord for the cause of the prisoner (Matthew 25:44-46 see above) and the power to make a difference has been given and is the responsibility of the church.
Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code 921.002 1(b) states: The primary purpose of sentencing is to “punish” the offender. Rehabilitation is a desired goal of the criminal justice system, but it is clearly subordinate to the goal of punishment.
Church, something must be done, and it’s our responsibility as the Body of Christ to hold dear what is important to God’s heart. He calls and instructs us to act! Not only pray but to do something about those in prison. What is God calling and demanding you to do about it?
We are held accountable to the Lord for the cause of the prisoner (Matthew 25:44-46 see above) and the power to make a difference has been given and is the responsibility of the church.
Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code 921.002 1(b) states: The primary purpose of sentencing is to “punish” the offender. Rehabilitation is a desired goal of the criminal justice system, but it is clearly subordinate to the goal of punishment.
Church, something must be done, and it’s our responsibility as the Body of Christ to hold dear what is important to God’s heart. He calls and instructs us to act! Not only pray but to do something about those in prison. What is God calling and demanding you to do about it?
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