Another fellow and i were doing church at the local jail one Saturday morning, and in walked a guy who appeared so far down he couldn’t see up. Upon inquiry, he said he couldn’t even begin to fathom how his life had gotten so far away from God. The fellow was crying great big alligator tears, occasionally, one would drip off his chin. After a moment or two, my partner bit the bullet and asked him what was up? Then and there, he began his tale of woe. It was his sons birthday and he couldn’t be there, and he wasn’t going to be momentarily released to go to the birthday party. We were understanding and ooo’d and ah’d properly, then i asked about “the rest of the story” saying, “why won’t they let you out to attend?” Then the “rest of the story came out. Through his tears in his most pitiful voice, he said the child’s mother had a permanent restraining order against him. Then he paused for dramatic effect, then added, as did his brother, two sisters, his parents, and even his ex-mother and father in-law, they all had permanent restraining orders on the man, and bad old law enforcement was ardently enforcing it all. Our eyebrows went straight up in an “Oh Wow” look on our faces. i asked him what in the world did he do that would drive such a thing? His weeping came to a halt, and he, with great regret in his voice said that, over time he had broken into the house after his wife divorced him and he robbed her, and another time he had beat up his brother then robbed him AND ALSO his sister. And then he’d molested his cousins 14 year old daughter, and robbed them too. My partner said with a straight face, “Well, i’m glad they didn’t let you out, and i’m glad they’ve all got restraining orders against you. That’s a good thing.” His tears literally went backwards into his eyes and all the sobbing abruptly stopped as he sat there stone faced.

Then he said loudly, “Then what do i do with Romans 8 where it says “all things work together for the good?! When am i going to get some good in my life? i was taught as a child that i was predestined to be a child of God, that i was called and foreordained, and nothing could separate me from the love of God. i feel about as far from God as a man can get, short of falling into hell. You talk about how Jesus gave His life for me so that i’d have life more abundantly. Well, all that abundantly part would be real nice about now. It says in vs 32 that God will give us all things. Where is all that ALL? i’ve been on my own my entire life and i can’t see where any of God’s extra ever showed up. i’m supposed to be the elect of God and nobody is supposed to be able to lay any charges against the elect of God, but yet i’ve got nothing but charges against me!”

Well, friends, how do you reply to that? You can quote another scripture at the man who obviously knows scripture enough to give chapter and verse. Do you not think he’s heard it before? Sure he has. You could tell him what a horrible person he is, but, do you think reminding him of what a sinner he is will help? Chances are good he knows that all too well, day and night. You could just sing a hymn or two, change the topic and pretend that, by faith, you’re not really there. Yep, i’ve seen people mentally click out like that when faced with an aggressive personality. They sort of just close their eyes, click their heels together, and say over and over, “By faith, i’m not here. By faith, i’m not here.” Of course, then he and the others would go back to the dorm and gloat about how they shut you down. It would be a big laugh. If it was you in our position, then who was running that meeting? You thought you were, but then, really, he was, and that may very well have been his whole point. You could get angry with him, and rebuke the devil, binding all unclean things in the name of Jesus, but then, once you get angry, you’re just angry, and you can’t undo that. You could suggest that he come to your church when he gets out and talk to your pastor. When he gets out go talk to your pastor? Oh, like that will actually happen. You are the one with your boots on the ground, and it is the meeting that’s been laid in your lap to direct, and you’re going to shuffle him off to someone with a title, as if the title makes the word of God more effective? Are the issues and controversies of Romans 8:28-33 settled in your own heart, enough to talk to someone who might debate it with you?

Do you think the inmate misconstrued Romans 8:28-33? Yes. Do you think he actually knows better, and was a well practiced manipulator? It’s highly likely.  Do you think he was counting on my partner and myself buying into his sob story? Absolutely. So what would you do?

i am not going to give an answer here. That’s for you to conclude for yourself. i will say though that the entire situation is real, and we must be able to do more than just throw scriptures at people, and argue with them. We must give some serious thought to what is driving the behavior’s which are in front of us, starting with ourselves. Here’s a hint: Ask not what God can do for you, but what you do for Him. The Lord does not exist in order to get us what we want. What do you think?