Probation Officers

Philippians
{2:19} But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. {2:20} For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
{2:21} For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
{2:22} But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
{2:23} Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
{2:24} But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
{2:25} Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
{2:26} For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
{2:27} For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
{2:28} I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
{2:29} Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation
{2:30} Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me


My brother, companion in labour, and fellow soldier...messenger, minister


Fellow soldier.


We who are Christ's are His people, His children, we are laborers together, we are soldiers.


Soldiers-

soldier (sol´jer) noun
1. One who serves in an army.
2. An enlisted person or a noncommissioned officer.
3. a. An active, loyal, and militant follower: a soldier in the environmental coalition. b. A trusted follower of an organized crime leader.

Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary


An active, loyal, militant follower. A trusted follower of Jesus.


When a person joins the army they swear to serve their country, their loyalty is to their government. They pledge to obey, to follow the leaders of their country, if they don't then they are traitors. It's easy to define a loyal soldier of the world, easy to know when one is a traitor and when one is loyal. They either defend their country or they oppose it.


As soldiers for Christ we either defend Him or we don't. What exactly are we defending when we are a soldier of Christ's? When we serve Christ? We are loyal to Him and the message He brought to share with the world, a timeless message that will last until He returns because that is His message. Eternal life is real. It was real to Jesus and His followers when He first preached it and it is still real today. The timeless message will last for eternity. Christ came and lived a very powerful, if short life and suffered a horrific death preaching His message the entire time a message His followers were to share with others. Eternity in Christ. We today are soldiers for Christ bringing His message to others. Every soldier has the duty to protect that message, to share it, to pass it on.


The message is that probation is closing for everyone. Probation is closing for us as individuals.


Each of us are on probation from the moment we are aware of the choice we have to believe we are on probation. There is no minimum age limit, or maximum, probation is something we are born into.


What is probation?


probation (pro-bâ´shen) noun
1. A process or period in which a person's fitness, as for membership in a working or social group, is tested.
2. a. Law. The act of suspending the sentence of a person convicted of a criminal offense and granting that person provisional freedom on the promise of good behavior. b. A discharge for a person from commitment as an insane person on condition of continued sanity and of being recommitted upon the reappearance of insanity.
3. A trial period in which a student is given time to try to redeem failing grades or bad conduct.
4. The status of a person on probation.

Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary


We live in probationary time. A time in which we are able to be redeemed through Christ.


If someone says probation is over then they mean the time to find redemption is over- by that point you are either redeemed in Christ or lost to Him.


We have criminals on probation- and that means they are watched, their actions are watched, they are accountable for their behavior during a set period of time and if they break that probation with unacceptable behavior they can be sent to jail. If they are good and behave appropriately during their probationary period then when their probation is up they are free and clear- no jail, no more probation.


We as Christians live in a time of probation and it's call life. This life we have the opportunity to be acceptable in Christ by choosing to follow Him and live for Him and no other- not self, not Satan. Our probation because it is our life means that it is up automatically when we die. We have endless, or rather a lifetime of opportunity to choose Christ- a whole lifetime. Of course we don't know how long we'll live, some have very short lives others very long lives.


When Christ preached His message He preached it loud and clear and that message was of finding eternal life in Him, salvation in Him, reconciliation with the Father in heaven in Him. That message was just and true and will come to pass. When Christ returns there will be people alive, a very few will be alive in Him while the majority will have chosen not to believe in Him. Before Christ returns probation will be closed. There will be a people alive who live when probation that gift of time in which to choose to live for Christ is over and the decision we made before probation closed is the decision we live with.


Just as we don't know when we will die, we don't know when Christ will return exactly but we are given signs. Some people are even given signs of their impending death. Christ will return there is no doubt, and another certainty in life is death- in fact some people say it's the only certainty. We know we will die and at that time we know our probation is up. We have to be ready ALWAYS during this period of probation to have Christ in our lives, believing in Christ accepting His salvation, His forgiveness, His love. We don't know when probation is up and so we need to be ready always and we have to tell others the same. We also have to tell them that time is growing shorter, Christ will return soon and impending death isn't the only end to probation for those living right before Christ returns.


Ready always!


1 Pet. {3:15} But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.


Ready always!


We are soldiers for Christ that have to preach that we live in probation, that we all are subject to this probation. We are all guilty, we are all criminals in the eyes of God, all of us sinners and the only way we can survive to live for eternity is during our probation we accept Christ as our Savior daily!


When probation is over whether by death or by Christ's return everyone will have made their choice, no one is exempt from choosing, no one.


As soldiers with Christ we in essence are Christ's probation officers. We have and continue to accept Christ and it is our duty to bring this opportunity to others, our duty.


I thought about this the other day when something I was listening to hit me just right. When I was young I started college with the hope of being a probation officer. That hope wasn't realized for various reasons but God in His wisdom, with a personal irony for me, has made me His probation officer. So maybe I didn't become what I wanted to become in my own way, but Christ in His way gave me exactly what I wanted. So amazing.


By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior may my daily choice forever be the choice to be His follower and as His follower, His soldier and as His soldier, His probation officer. Give me the voice I need Lord to point to You and only You and Your love and grace, Your mercy, Your forgiveness, life in you forever!


Amen.