Hello Mr. Vinson,

First of all thank you for your site. I have been reading IWWB and like minded material for some time now and it has opened the scriptures to me. It has been wonderful learning all these truths and I have gained some perspective.

Is it good for a Christian to volunteer with Peace Corps? I am asking this because I have been considering being a Peace Corps volunteer as a business adviser in a developing nation. My thought is that perhaps it would be a way to serve others, and if someone asked me I can mention my faith. But some of my concerns are that it’s a semi- government institution funded by taxes, I don’t want to promote consumerism and also there are homeless and povertyina city close to me (perhaps worsening due to the financial system teetering on edge.) I also think of other ways I can help.

I don’t expect personal advice or anything, but I was wondering if you could give me a scriptural viewpoint. I read the article about Christians and the military and was wondering if I risk getting yoked or something like that. I read the article about Should Christians Make the World a Better Place, but I also see the need to be the light of the world and serve others. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,
S____

Hi S____,
Thank you for your question. You ask:

Is it good for a Christian to volunteer with Peace Corps?

You tell me that you have read the letters Should Christians Serve In The Military at http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ christiansinmilitary. php and the letter entitled Should Christians Make This World A Better Place? http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/2005032806. php

If you have read those two papers, then you know the principles which the scriptures have laid down concerning having “no other Gods before Me.” If you have read those papers then you know that Christians are to consider themselves as strangers and pilgrims on this earth, and are not called to try in any way to save or improve upon a worldly system which has been created by its Creator for the purpose of being destroyed and replaced with “a new heaven and a new earth.”

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

You say:

I don’t expect personal advice or anything, but I was wondering if you could give me a scriptural viewpoint. I read the article about Christians and the military and was wondering if I risk getting yoked or something like that. I read the article about Should Christians make the world a better place but I also see the need to be the light of the world and serve others.

Personal advice is something I do not give so I am grateful that you understand that. God has each of us where He wants us at any given time. He truly “works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11), and He does so at all times.

Not everyone is capable of bearing the truths of the meat of God’s words:

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [ even] as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

When you join the Peace Corps, you sign a contract which obligates you to serve for a specified time period. During that period of time you are in the employ of the Peace Corps. I honestly do not know if one is considered to be government property in the Peace Corps as he is in the Military. If that is the case, then it is definitely not where a Christian should be.

The principle I will leave you with is the one which teaches us to be as free to serve God and obey His words as we possibly can be. Here is that scripture, and it is dealing with indenturing in any form:

1Co 7:21  Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

There were many slaves who could not be free in Paul’s day. There are, sadly today, still such situations all around the world which enslave many. If we find ourselves in such situations and we cannot change our circumstances, then we must live our convictions and accept where God has us with grace, never complaining.

Here is that same verse in the Analytical- Literal Translation:

(ALT) Were you called as a slave? Stop letting it be a concern to you, but if also you are able to become free, rather make use of it.

So there it is. The less obstructions you have between you and your Creator, the better able you are to please and to obey Him. Do you want to be of service to your fellow man? Do you want to be of service to God?

I will let Christ tell you how you can best serve Him and His Father. It will have no appeal to the flesh which wants to see the work to be done, but it will be of great value to God. Here are Christ’s own words concerning how to best do the work of His Father:

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

“Believing on Christ” requires that we know Him and His teachings. That “is the work of God” which best pleases Him. It is not a cop out. The doctrines of Christ are a full time job, which requires more ‘guts’ than is required of any soldier, seal, ranger or officer in any military on earth. The requirements for believing on Christ are actually super human and require that Christ come into you and live His life of obedience to His Father and rejection by this world, in you.

I hope this has given you some direction in deciding whether to join the Peace Corps. You do indeed, need to live a life of service, and you must be “the light of the world,” but be careful to see to it that you are serving God and not man. A Christian should have no trouble finding ways to be of service to God without going through men and organizations which are of this world to do so:

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith

Your brother in Christ,
Mike