2015
The end of the last quarter of 2014 has reminded me ….
"Off the Chain" / 0 Comments /The end of the last quarter of 2014 has reminded me how quickly things progress. Each week I meet new men and each week brings the inevitability of men getting ready to leave prison. I have been busy this past week introducing two men to that next step in their lives welcoming them into our transition program. Both of these men became Christians during their incarceration. They both have been in prison before.
I am always excited when new men come, but I have learned to temper that excitement because of the reality of how many go back to the world. I am constantly looking for more effective ways to communicate God’s word and help these men prepare for the realities of living in the real world. To that end, I recently began teaching a class on sexual idolatry. Although, we obviously talk about sexual sins in other classes and in lessons that we teach, this will be the first class that I have done that focuses primarily on sexual sins and how to overcome them.
I would say that over 70% of the men we work with who fall away once released have some involvement in sexual sin. That can range from desperately wanting to be involved with a woman and crossing God’s boundaries of purity while dating to getting involved with prostitutes. One man recently admitted after relapsing on drugs that he has been seeing prostitutes on a regular basis since being released from prison three years ago. While most of my focus with him has been on his drug addiction, I am convinced now that sexual sin and its shame has played a greater role in his life of failure and the failure of many others. I think I have spent too much time focused on the obvious addiction of drugs and alcohol and missed the hidden and secret addiction to sexual sin. Although most of these men will openly discuss their substance abuse issues, they are very secretive and closed about their sexual sins. Satan loves darkness and keeping things covered. He convinces us that we can’t get help, freedom and forgiveness with these kinds of sins. There was a freeing power when this brother who had kept his sins with prostitutes hidden for years, stood before the church and admitted them specifically.
Most men that come to our transition program have the scriptural right and want to be married again, but few of them know how to begin that process and how to have a real godly relationship with a female. The power of sexual desire and loneliness ultimately defeats many of these men. To truly gain victory, they must see these failures as prideful, selfish acts that only delay what ultimately can be a fulfilling relationship with a woman. 2
These are the real life situations that are a part of working with men who have lived lives like those that Paul wrote to in Corinth. I still believe these men can transform their lives into the image of Jesus Christ. Here is what Paul told them…
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Thank you for being interested in reaching men that were living lives that would exclude them from ever being in the kingdom of God, but have now been sanctified in Christ and now have hope to gain victory over the darkness. Thank you for your prayers and support.
