Spending Time with Sinners


We can all agree Jesus did spend time with sinners. He did so to save them.  We, too, must spend time with people in order to bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ.  That means we have to get go into the trenches and that means things get messy. 

In my last blog I mentioned a leadership training I facilitated in April.  Another speaker on that DVD spoke of a church giving out condoms and tourniquets. The message I got was that we were to love all moms - and that we show them love by helping them sin safely.  I certainly agree we should love all moms - all people - regardless of their lifestyles or religions. But I believe we should love them enough to not only interact with them, but to tell them the truth.  Tell them of what Jesus has done.  Tell them of the consequences of sin but that there is a free gift of life waiting for them to accept.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Yes, Jesus spent time with sinners.  I am so glad He and His people spend time with sinners, for we all sin and need a Savior!  Romans 3:23 tells us "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But since the wages of sin is death, we need to turn from our sin and accept Jesus as Lord so we can be saved.

 However, Jesus did not condone nor enable sin. He spoke to to the people He met of their sins.  When they accepted Him, He told them they were forgiven, to go in peace.  He said to go and sin no more (see Luke 7:36-50, John 4:7-26 and John 8:3-11). 

While we do reach people where they are, we do not leave them there.  We should not make the mistake of letting them believe they are okay where they are.  While I understand wanting to make people safer, we are bound to tell them the Truth so they may be forgiven and repent of their sins. I do not understand how we can do this while enabling them to continue in their sin.

We are told in Romans 12:2 to “be not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

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