new perspectives on prisons (revised)

rehabilitation is not something new to the singapore prison service. it has always been part of the department, albeit somewhat sidelined in earlier years. as a matter of fact, rehabilitation is one of the three core values on the department crest - security, humanity and rehabilitation.

as the director of prisons, mr ng joo hee, recently told the straits times, 'it's really the smart and practical thing to do. we don't just do it because we've bleeding hearts... we do it because we want to reduce harm in society'.

having said that, i have been thinking about the new perspective on paul. it has transformed the way i look at the gospel and the way i look at rehabilitation. after all, the gospel is about prisoners - prisoners to sin.

new perspectives on prisons (revised)

rehabilitation is not about getting out of prison, just as justification by faith is not about getting to heaven. rehabilitation is about the rehab, renew and restart of prisoners - inside of prison as it is outside of prison, just as justification by faith is about the regeneration of prisoners to sin - on earth as it is in heaven.

the Old Covenant

"Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed." - Galatians 3:21-23 (NIV)

the Old Covenant is a remand prison which detains us until the day of our trial. we are guilty and unable to break out of our pitch black cells of sin. we can only wait for the just judge to declare us guilty and sentence us to death.

the New Covenant

"So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." - Galatians 3:24-25 (NIV)

the master key which unlocks our pitch black cells of sin is the death of Christ on the cross. the law crucifies Christ for our sins, not His. God does it to 'demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus' (Romans 3:26, NIV).

cross and resurrection, conviction and rehabilitation

conviction does not take us out of prison, just as the cross does not take us out of the world. what conviction does is transfer us from a remand prison (where there is no rehabilitation) to a mainstream prison (where there is rehabilitation), just as the cross transfers us from the Old Covenant (where we look forward to Christ finishing His work on the cross) to the New Covenant (where we look back on Christ's finished work on the cross). however, this is not the end of the story.

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." - 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (NIV)

conviction must be followed by rehabilitation, just as the cross must be followed by the resurrection. conviction without rehabilitation is like the cross without the resurrection. it is unlocking the stairway to heaven, locking it back, and throwing the key away. if this is truly the case, then there is really no hope left.

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all." - 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (NIV)

the day of release

even as inmates remain in prison until the day of their release, they are being rehabilitated to be law-abiding citizens of society. even as we remain in the world until the day of our release, we are being regenerated to be Christ-abiding citizens of heaven, 'conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers' (Romans, 8:29, NIV).

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." - Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)

*****

saying that we are justified by faith alone is like saying that inmates are rehabilitated by their desire to change alone. this is actually unbiblical. rather, we are justified by faith being made complete by evidence of faith (ie. works of faith), just as inmates are rehabilitated by their desire to change being made complete by evidence of change.

the world is not an end in itself but points and prepares us towards heaven, just as the inside of prison is not an end in itself but points and prepares inmates towards the outside of prison. if inmates should not love the inside of prison more than the outside of prison, how much more should we not love the world more than we love heaven!