Are You a Sinner?

Is Jesus a friend of sinners? If you are a human being you must answer that question with a resounding "yes!". If you claim that you are not a sinner, according to 1^st John 1:8-10 you are a liar. Is it a sin to lie? Does being a liar make you a sinner?

There are two types of sinners occupying this world. Lost sinners and saved sinners. If you claim that Jesus is not the sinner's friend, then by default you must also claim that Jesus is not your friend. In a sense a Christian, when it comes down to where the rubber meets the road, is simply a sinner saved by grace. We can not be saved or live a Godly life of our own power.

In John 8:1-11 the scribes and Pharisees are ready to stone an adulterous woman, caught "in the very act" (vs.4). In vs. 11 Jesus said "...neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more." Jesus told the people who were ready to condemn this sinner to death "...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (vs.), In verse 9, we learn that each one of her accusers left, being convicted by their own conscience. The accusers were likely the biggest sinners.

No one denies that the ultimate purpose of associating with sinners is for them to repent of their sins and be brought unto serving the Lord Jesus Christ. In Rom. 3:23 we learn that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and in Rom. 3:24 we learn that we sinners are justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ.

Being a sinner does not necessarily make one wicked, the wicked have no intention of not sinning, ever. And some of the wickedest people in the United States of America occupy many of our pulpits and pews.

In Matt. 9:9-13 Jesus called his disciple (apostle) Matthew, he then went and ate at Matthew's house and a bunch of sinners came and ate with him. (vs. 10). The Pharisees asked Jesus why he was willing to eat with sinners (vs. 11), and Jesus responded by telling the real sinners (the self-righteous Pharisees) that if you are not sick you do not need a doctor (vs. 12) and He says that he has come to call the sinner, not the righteous to repentance.

How did Jesus call sinners to repentance? It was not by browbeating the way the demon run Westboro Baptist Church does things. It wasn't even by protesting their sins, the way a church in Ohio has done? It was by associating with them. He didn't kick sinners out of the synagogue or out of Matthew's house. The people Jesus condemned the most when He walked this earth were not those often regarded as sinners, but the leaders.

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee thinks he is a good person and brags about it, the publican simply says "God be merciful to me a sinner." In vs. 14 it is the sinner that went home justified.

No one is condoning continued sin. Like some preaches say "Jesus accepts you as you are, but he loves you too much to leave you there." The Invitation hymn is "Just as I am, without one plea, Lord I come to thee." It is not "Just as you want me to be." Of course the purpose of Jesus associating with sinners is to bring them to repentance. That is what makes Him their friend. Sometimes we hang out with sinners and sometimes we don't.

Unequally yoked does not mean we can have no association whatsoever with sinners. To do this we must of necessity leave the world. We live in this world with sinners, some of whom are unrepentant sinners. If we go grocery shopping we associate with sinners. If you have next door neighbor or someone down the block you associate with you are likely associating with a sinner. Do you go to a public school or send your children to one? There are sinners there. Do you go to church? The church was made for sinners like you and me!

The apostle Paul told Timothy in 1^st Tim. 1:15 that he (Paul) is the chief of sinners and that Christ came to save sinners. In John 8:12-59 Jesus is in the treasury as he teaches in the temple (vs. 20),he is explaining to them who He is. In vs. 44 Jesus tells the Pharisees and other Jews who claim Abraham as their Father, that they are of their father, the devil and claims they will do the lust of their father the devil (vs. 44).In fact

In fact, Jesus condemned the Pharisees and those who were accusing him of sin more than any sinner in the New Testament. No one who claims that Jesus is a friend of sinners recommends a sinful lifestyle. Nor are they recommending that one continue in sin or live in sin. In order to save a sinner from the error of their ways, one must know what those errors are and one must treat the sinner with dignity and respect. Self-righteousness is not on the true Christian's radar.

The church I mentioned earlier that was protesting at an Ohio based strip club has had their plan backfire (sort of). The strip club started protesting at the church. None of the online stories I've read about the situation mention it, but as read by Adam McManus on the Adam McManus show as on radio station KSLR-AM 630 as aired on Aug. 11, 2010 the protesters(strippers) and churchgoers largely ignored each other except for one person (or I guess two), one fellow went and talked to and prayed for and prayed with the stripper. Now that is what Jesus would have done and it is what God wants us to do.

A female teacher in San Antonio by the name of Lucinda Caldwell was recently accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. Now what would you do if Miss or Mrs. Caldwell was convicted, spent little time in prison, received probation or parole and started going to church? And what if she went to your church and sat down in the pew or chair (seat) right by you?

What would you do in that scenario? Would you condemn her "you ought to be ashamed of yourself" (she probably already is or she wouldn't be going to church). Would you make sure she went back to prison and never saw the light of day again? Would you be willing to introduce her to your children? Would you do the right thing and welcome her with open arms and let the Holy Spirit convict her of her sin.

As Christians we are to pray for the sinner, pray with the sinner and not run them out of our sight. This may or may not mean "hanging out" with sinners. We are in the world, but not of the world. If we were of the world then the continued sin would not be a problem. To deny that Jesus is a friend of sinners is to deny the written Word of God, ignores the mercy of the :Living Word of God and is a form of self-righteousness. It is while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). Being a friend of sinners does not mean we are equally yoked with the sinner.

We are all sinners according to Rom. 3:23 and according to 1^st John 1:8-10 we are liars if we claim we are not sinners. By default if you claim that Jesus is not a friend of sinners you must also claim that Jesus is not your friend. But no, the scripture teaches "Just as I am" and "What a friend we have in Jesus".