Have you ever heard about Juneteenth? It is a federal holiday in the United States of America established on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of African-American slaves on June 19, 1865. However, emancipation from slavery did not take place in a single day. Fair enough, the thirteenth amendment to the US constitution abolishing slavery was passed, ratified and proclaimed in 1865 but in certain states, especially the southern ones like Texas, it took much longer for slavery to be abolished effectively, for some of them up to nine years after the amendment. Therefore, in those places slavery continued, though it had already been abolished. This was mainly due to two factors: the ignorance of the slaves (they did not know that they were no longer slaves but free men and women) and the rebellion of the slave masters (they did not want to lose their cheap labor and main source of income). The law had already been passed, but people’s lives did not reflect that. What was missing? Law enforcement officers.

A law enforcement officer is an individual who has been appointed by a competent authority that gives him the authority to ensure that the law is effectively implemented in the entire jurisdiction. He will therefore have to cater towards two main groups of people; the civilians – who have to be protected and taught the law: their rights as well as their duties; and the rebels – the law breakers who have to be rebuked, arrested and isolated for the safety and well-being of the civilians. Just like for the abolition of slavery in the US, when we look around ourselves we can see a discrepancy between laws and their implementation. 

We can wonder: The Bible says that by the stripes of Christ we are healed (Isaiah 53:3), why are there so many sick people around the world? God says He will provide for our daily bread and clothing (Matthew 6: 25-33), why are there so many poor and hungry people around us? In the book of Luke, Jesus said this “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” Luke 4: 18-19. Then when hanging on the cross of Calvary, He said, “It is finished” (John 19: 30) but why are there so many people who are bound by the chains of depression, addiction and bondage? This is because the world needs more law enforcement officers. As Jesus rightly said, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” Luke 10: 2. The law enforcement officers (laborers) are the bridge between the word or law of God and the testimony of His people, when they start experiencing it. The enforcement officers do not make the law themselves; they simply proclaim what the only one worthy enough to do it, the most competent authority – God Himself, has already done.

Every single Christian is meant to become a law enforcement officer, for we were not saved just for our sake, or immediately after being saved, we would have been taken to heaven. We remain on earth after our salvation to serve as law enforcement officers and win more souls to Christ. However, unlike salvation that is a free gift, being a law enforcement officer requires effort and work, an active and voluntary participation from our part that we are able to do only through God’s grace.

First, we need to gain the knowledge of God, and the law of God. We need to actively study the Bible and discover all the treasures and perfect gifts God has made available to us through the sacrifice of His Son and the outpouring of His Spirit. We need to know who the real enemy is – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6: 12. We also need to know about God Himself, His nature, His character. It is only by knowing His faithfulness that we can believe in the manifestation of His promises towards us. It is only by knowing His merciful character and loving-kindness that we can believe and trust in His message about salvation. Thus, a law enforcement officer seeks and enjoy spiritual food, the pure milk of the gospel, which is the word of God. (1 Peter 2: 1-2)

Second, we need to understand and accept our God-given authority. Knowing the word of God is not enough for it to be implemented. In fact, seeing the injustice in the world and thinking that there is nothing we can do about it leaves us feeling powerless and distraught. It is only when we acknowledge and accept the fact that God ordained and empowered us to be His ambassadors/representatives on earth that we set the stage for radical change. (2 Corinthians 5: 20) We ought to know that God’s authority has been given to us to implement His law, to establish His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, to release His word from the pages of a book into the lives of His beloved people. We need to know that we have authority to rule over all the powers of the enemy (the rebels) and that we should not be afraid of them no matter all their intimidation attempts, for they cannot harm us. “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10: 19

Third, we need to put on Christ daily, that is live a life of holiness before God and before men. As Christ said, a tree is known by its fruit. (Matthew 12: 33) Though the identity of a tree is in its DNA, invisible to the naked eye, the outward sign of its identity is its fruit. As law enforcement officers, we need to live lives that bear the fruit of the Spirit, so that not only God, but men also can know our identities in Christ. Just like a police officer wearing his uniform or his badge. It is an external sign that will naturally chase the enemy (rebels) away without you having to say a word, and it will make you easily recognizable to any civilian who is looking for help. We should therefore put on the whole armor of God as the Bible encourages us to. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” Ephesians 6: 13-18

In the Old Testament, there multiple stories about the Israelites and how they were sometimes undergoing persecution or exile. They however, vividly remembered that God promised to bless them and reserve such persecution only for their enemies. Why, then, were they enduring these torments? Whenever they observed such a discrepancy between God’s promises and the reality, their reaction was always to turn to the priests and prophets, who will give them wisdom from God and teach them the way back to righteousness. Now consider God’s word in the New Testament “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2: 9. We, God’s law enforcement officers are a royal priesthood, that is kings and priests as the same time. As kings, we go out to the battlefield against the enemy and as priests; we teach and instruct the people who lack knowledge.

Are you ready to become one of God’s law enforcement officers?