Wounded Soldiers

Recently a man sat in my office, a minister, and one of several whom I have been honored to counsel with, who had been wounded in his past. He explained to me how he had felt the judgmental glances of others, heard their whispers and would have surrendered his call to ministry, except the call of God kept calling. I listened intently and felt his pain. I felt it because I had been there and done that. Lest you think this an expose to defend sin, you are wrong by a thousand miles. What it is, is an attempt to help others see the need for helping and restoring those ensnared, rather than to default immediately to religious, lynch-mob mentality. Our conversation led to several things that should be revisited within the body of Christ.

Remember this. Whatever happens to the worst of us can easily happen to the best of us. That includes you Saint of God, Sunday School Teacher, Minister, Lay-person, Care-giver, Lawn-clipper, Nursery Worker. While there is no premium on sin and pain, neither is there any shortage of it. We are to avoid sin and overcome it. We should not participate in it to validate grace. Greater grace is to keep us 'from' sin. However, if I read the Word of God carefully....it reads "All have sinned..." Where did we get the notion we would hold men and women to a standard which is completely unattainable by humanity? Think within your own life...honestly, you struggle with sin. Let me say it a little more plainly...YOU SIN! YES, YOU! You with your nice necktie....you with your seminary experience, you with your religious titles and positions. All means all. You should admit there are times when you think of people in ways you shouldn't, you lust, you gossip, you backbite, you are jealous, you are full of pride, you lie, you......(fill in the blank.) It is all sin. And if you are man or woman enough to admit you sin, then you should also admit you are not in a position to judge others who have also fallen prey to the same.

Since we sin, who gave us the right to categorize sin? Who said we could place certain values on it? Well, religious groups certainly do. Fellowships of the Pharisee will allow it. Don't think for a minute I am glossing over sin. Brother, it will all send you to hell if it remains unrepented of! When I read verses from the Bible like 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Revelation 21:8 one can easily understand that those who choose not to repent of their sin, including adultery, effeminence, idolatry, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, thieves, fearful, unbelieving, murderers, witches, and liars, will all be forever lost without God in hell. This is a fact. There is much more to learn. God hates pride, He hates backbiters. Consider Romans 1:28-31 where another comprehensive list is located. It adds to the list of the lost, including wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, debaters, whisperers, backbiters, proud, boasters, disobedient to parents, those who will not understand, without natural affection and....get this...the UNMERCIFUL! These are all on a train that is not headed for the gates of pearl.

Since the guy who looks at a woman to lust after her body is just as guilty as the guy who crawls in the sack with her, then we can understand that almost every male with testosterone has had to repent of this sin. It was Jesus who said that lust is the same as adultery. It is just so much easier to poke the eyes out of the one with the visible sin than it is to hammer the guy with lust or the woman who wears out her cell phone gossiping. Is it less sin because it is done in secret? It is all sin!

Here is the good news. God's grace is the anti-venom to the snakebite of sin. It was provided by the Son of God upon the cross. The blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin! Faith in Christ removes guilt and even the reminder of past sins. My sin is gone, as is yours!! Let's rejoice! Let's spread the good news! Or, would you rather fish in the Sea of Forgetfulness? Some would. Some like to forget their own iniquity and are more than glad to pick out the faults of others. To forget our own mess is a sin the size of a fence post compared to the committed sin you are trying to point out in others. For this reason Jesus stressed dealing with your own before you pick on the 'mote' in your brother's eye. When I think of the grace I have needed, I have no reason to point out your sin as being greater or smaller. Again, sin is sin!

The body of Christ is an army. Together we fight a common enemy. That enemy is not our brother or sister. Once in a while a brother or sister takes a hit, they succumb to sin, they fall short, they mess up, they get shot, they take a drink or a snort. Sometimes full blown Christians say a bad word or think a bad thought or give in to a sin they truly hate. But that does not mean they are worthless, nor does it give us the right to issue a death sentence. They should not have to fear taking a bullet in the temple from the very people they were trying to protect for years. Talk about sinful! I have watched Christians, in an attempt to settle a score, actually lie to make a bad story worse! They felt justified since their fellow soldier had sinned. I also witnessed Christians, in the name of 'righteousness', become so angry and bitter that they self-destructed...all in the name of vindication. I have watched so called Christians stoop to the point of using their own children as pawns to try to get 'even' with someone who had hurt them. The hurts that really need attention are the ones that hurt God's heart and the ones that wound our fellow soldiers.

Wounded soldiers are to be helped from the battle front. Restoration and the idea of making something that is broken, brand new again, is a Bible doctrine. It is God who makes all things new, but He uses the tools of human compassion to get it done. Wounded soldiers need a time away, a time to rest, a time to heal, a time to be bound up with love and prayer and wise counsel. The discipline will be part of the picture. God's law demands it. There are wages and consequences to sin and lawlessness. One day, when the broken has been healed, they can go back to the front lines and help others who are hurting. They will be able to tell by the look in your eye that they do not have to fear you because you have scars of your own. Heal the wounded soldier. If your religion is more about judging than healing, you probably aren't on the side of Jesus. I recall my Captain saying to one who was seriously wounded... "Go and sin no more!"

If you are a wounded soldier, I promise to help you in any way that I can. I will pray with you, listen to you, forgive you and help you get back to the front lines. Reconciliation and redemption are key words from the book we call the Bible. One of my life goals is to practice this kind of grace.

Thank you for reading. If you have been helped when you were wounded, share your story.

Pastor Tim Estes