Can God save a pimp? I was confronted with the Gospel of Jesus and the ability to save a life from eternal damnation if that person chooses to receive the gift of salvation Jesus is offering. The Gospel of Jesus is sometimes challenging to me and raises many questions deep within when I am faced with a dark, cruel, evil world.
Recently I walked into another brothel where a lady escape from the cruel hands of a pimp. These pimps will manage the money, force the ladies to do sex work, beat them up to punish them for bad behaviour if customers are not satisfied, move them around from one brothel to the next, restrict their movement so that they can not leave the property, psychologically entrap them with lies, threats and manipulation, restrict them to go to the shop or even get medical care. They are forced to take illegal substances with the clients and they never see any money because the 'rape' and sex work they face every day is supposed to pay for their food and housing. These pimps commit fraud on her name, renting property on her name, taking identification documents, selling and buying cars on her name, taking her to the bank to open accounts on her name and some women find out they are married to foreign men that are pimps without them ever agreeing to this. Scars are left on their bodies from the beating and abuse. I am confronted with the Gospel of Jesus...
Standing in front of the pimp asking him about his life, him denying everything we are putting on the table. At this point, he will not confess his sin for it will assure lifelong imprisonment for him. My question to him was this... if you die... and you stand in front of God... what then? This life is like the wind, it is here now and then it is gone. Where is your money, where are your women, where is your gangster friends, where is your family, where is your power, where is your business? It is all gone and you will stand alone in front of the God of the universe to answer to Him.
I get angry through my entire being when I see the trauma and pain in the eyes of the victims. I understand why God hates sin, I understand the fight for justice and that God is fair and I ask myself, can I bring the Gospel of Jesus to this man in front of me? Is the forgiveness of Jesus for Him or has God given him over to his sinful lifestyle? What do I choose, do I leave him to die in his sins or do I present him with the message of forgiveness, love and grace? For it is easy to bring the Gospel of Jesus to a good person but I am confronted with the Bible where it says that a doctor is there for sick people, not healthy ones, so Jesus came for sick people, not healthy ones, and yet this man in front of me is sick, sick in his head, his body in need of forgiveness (Mark 2:17). I am confronted with the murderer on the cross next to Jesus requesting mercy for his soul (Mark 23). The man in front of me is a liar, a cheat, a rapist, an abuser, a fraudster and the list goes on. Why does he need a chance of forgiveness? Who am I to decide who God can save or not, I can only show Brave Love to which I am called, and this might have been the bravest love for me to love the sinner?
Finally, I get down on my knees to where this man is sitting on the floor. Next to him, a prostitute that looks like her system can not take another drug hit. "Sir, this house is a brothel, you know what is going on here and maybe the police is arresting you tonight and maybe not but the big question is not whether you are going to prison tonight or not. The big question is when you die, where will you be for eternity, because right now your life is filled with darkness, evil and sadness. " He answers me with words of blessings, saying bless you, bless you... and I answer. "My brother, it does not help you bless me because I am not going to stand next to you in front of God one day when He asks you about your life, you will stand alone in front of Him and I can not vindicate for you but there is One that can and that is Jesus, for He is the only one that can stand in the gap from you not receiving eternal punishment for what you have done. Jesus has paid an expensive price for your life, He paid with blood so that you can receive grace, forgiveness and be adopted as his son. Leave this life of death and follow Him and never turn back again."
I am grateful for the grace God has shown me and the honour it is to bring life and light into darkness.
He can certainly rescue you if He can reach out a hand of grace to a pimp.
Emma van der Walt
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12.9.2021
