MAKING FRIENDS WITH SINNERS

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi.
Matthew 9:10 -11 "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came  and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw  it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your  Master with publicans and sinners?"
          The Pharisees were a religious sect with strict moral codes based on the laws of Moses; they thought it improper for a renowned prophet or priest from God to eat with members of the public or sinners to avoid being corrupted.
         Jesus' approach to this was quite the opposite, He was a people's person and discouraged any form of segregation among His followers :He loves sinners and came to save and not condemn them (John3:16-17). He is the embodiment of God's love which does not segregate, therefore, His reply to His critics was succinct revealing His purpose for having dinner with sinners, Matthew 9:12-13 says "But when Jesus heard  that, he said unto them,  They that be whole need not a  physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what  that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not  come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." He stated clearly that the world has a sin disease and He is the cure. He employed a friendly approach towards solving this problem. Jesus hates sin but loves sinners.
          There are two extremes that exists in the church with respect to our relationship with non christian. These extremes are counterproductive in bringing souls into having a relationship with Jesus.  The first, is that taught by the so-called' holiness ' movement , this teaching says the sinner should be avoided as much as possible but to be contacted only for the purpose of seeking for church  membership. Therefore,  a Christian should not be seen eating, living with, a person who isn't part of the 'holiness' group for the fear of losing their righteousness . This may seem wise at first glance but it is unbiblical ,illogical, grossly hypocritical and cannot make a person more or less holy (Col.2:19-23).  Members of these sects have jobs in companies owned by non sinners , attend schools taught by or sinners , put on clothes made, sold by sinners and eat foods grown and sold by sinners .
        The only way to avoid interactions from sinners is by relocating to another planet . The scriptures says in 1cor 5:9-10 "I wrote unto you in an  epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or  extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world." .it is impossible to separate oneself from sinners .
          The second extreme to be avoided is that of being emotionally involved with a sinner with the hope that by so doing, they will make a commitment to serve the lord.This is usually done for financial benefits. In the first place there is no sincerity in such a relationship :relationships built on falsehood cannot withstand the temptations and trials that accompanies the Christian faith.Persons engaged in this practice often carry around emotional baggage and struggle with sin. They are opportunistic and selfish, Isa 26:10.GNT says "Even though you are kind to the wicked,they never learn to do what is right.Even here in a land of righteous people they still do wrong;" .
 . We cannot achieve a righteous goal through unrighteousness. Playing with a person's emotion only leads to bitterness and a sense of betrayal.  We lose friends by this method of soul winning. A lot of Christians have found themselves indulging in shameful acts with dare consequences through this mode of preaching the gospel . The scriptures says in 1cor 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." This is also an abuse of the liberty we have in Christ, we are warned in 1cor 8:9 "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak." Such emotional entanglement are a distraction to the new believer in the pursuit of a wholesome relationship in Christ. This is not to say that a healthy relationship cannot be derived from a person one led to Christ. Our purpose has to be right.
             We are to have a peaceful relationship with all men as long as they are willing to dwell in peace with us,  Christians and sinners can peacefully coexist ( Rom 12:18). We are instructed to pray for the peace of the community or nation we find ourselves in (Jer 29:7) regardless of who is at the helm of affairs, we owe our  leaders prayers on a daily bases ( 1Tim2:1-2). You cannot be praying for a leader and at the same time cursing him or her .We should be discrete in our relationships (Col. 4:5) .
          It is important that we identify with the sinner's weaknesses while seeking to bring home the gospel which is our primary focus. We should not belittle them in anyway remembering we have shortcomings too .  This may require celebrating their culture while seeking for common grounds from were the bases for teaching the gospel could be established (1cor 9:19-22). This should not be seen as an attempt to be a man-pleaser ( Gal.1:10 ) but seeking for an opportunity to witness the gospel without compromising , the scriptures says in Luke 6: 26" Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! " it is the desire to be socially correct that has led to many becoming false teachers. We should never be ashamed to speak the truth of the gospel (Romans 1:16) and should not be afraid of being rejected by sinners ; some will hate you for your stand for the truth ( 1Pe 4:4) but in the end you shall emerge victorious. As you receive Jesus Christ as lord and saviour and read this now receive grace for uncommon influence .
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Email :Michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

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