Jesus, a Friend of Sinners
Jesus, a Friend of Sinners
Who are your friends? Who would people say are your friends? Will people know us because we only hang out with just “Christians”? Do you have friends or are acquainted with people of other faiths and beliefs – Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, and the new category of the NONES – people who do not have any religion and are not interested in religion; the “bad” boys and girls ?
Jesus was rightly accused as follows: ’19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Matthew 11:19.
It is time to get out of our “Christian bubble” and to stop speaking our language, the “Christianese”. We must go where the "sinners" are and mingle with them because we used to be one of them until Christ found us using someone.
Let us become intentional about getting to know people who don’t think like us and act like us. Jesus came for sinners not the self-righteous. Jesus lives in us, so let us take ourselves with Jesus to meet the people He died for on the cross. Christ died for all and not just some.
Ask God to help you cultivate friendship with people who don’t think like you, look like you or go to church like you. The “sinners” are all around us in our homes and families, school, work place, neighborhood and community.
Let them know the hope you have – “Christ in you the HOPE of glory”. Let’s show them kindness, love and be a listening ear to what they have to say. Eat with them just as Jesus did. Let us pray for them that God will remove the blindness so they can see Christ just as He did for us. May God help us to be the Christ people can see, feel and touch. Amen.
Will you take a step today to get to know some “sinner”? You and I were "sinners" if you have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)". Ephesians 2:1-5
Who are your friends? Who would people say are your friends? Will people know us because we only hang out with just “Christians”? Do you have friends or are acquainted with people of other faiths and beliefs – Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, and the new category of the NONES – people who do not have any religion and are not interested in religion; the “bad” boys and girls ?
Jesus was rightly accused as follows: ’19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Matthew 11:19.
It is time to get out of our “Christian bubble” and to stop speaking our language, the “Christianese”. We must go where the "sinners" are and mingle with them because we used to be one of them until Christ found us using someone.
Let us become intentional about getting to know people who don’t think like us and act like us. Jesus came for sinners not the self-righteous. Jesus lives in us, so let us take ourselves with Jesus to meet the people He died for on the cross. Christ died for all and not just some.
Ask God to help you cultivate friendship with people who don’t think like you, look like you or go to church like you. The “sinners” are all around us in our homes and families, school, work place, neighborhood and community.
Let them know the hope you have – “Christ in you the HOPE of glory”. Let’s show them kindness, love and be a listening ear to what they have to say. Eat with them just as Jesus did. Let us pray for them that God will remove the blindness so they can see Christ just as He did for us. May God help us to be the Christ people can see, feel and touch. Amen.
Will you take a step today to get to know some “sinner”? You and I were "sinners" if you have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)". Ephesians 2:1-5
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