Sin is the stickiest substance known to man and we cannot even see it. Step in just a little and it takes forever to walk it off. Only one substance is known to easily wash away sin, the blood of Jesus Christ. Even Christians strong in their faith fear getting stuck in any amount of sin. This often causes us to worry about communing with sinners. We began to fear that sin will get on us just by associating with those in sin. Sadly you see this all the time in today’s culture.
Just recently Christian Artist Lauren Daigle appeared on the Ellen show. She was invited to perform her new hit song Still Rolling Stones. A song that speaks about coming alive through Christ. By going on the show, Lauren was given the opportunity to reach thousands of people. People who may never have heard about the power of Jesus. She took that opportunity as any of us Christians should do. Sadly she received a lot of heat from the “Christian Community” for appearing on the show. Many people accused her of supporting the sins of the host. Just by being on the show. You can read more about her appearance on Ellen here.
The Story of Zacchaeus
All that these so-called Christians said could not be farther from the truth. Jesus teaches that Christians need to commune with sinners. You can see this multiple times all throughout the Gospels. The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 shows how Christians should respond to those in sin. And how many so-called believers treat them.
As you can see from the passage above Zacchaeus was a man who had made his money off others. The local people viewed him as a notorious sinner. They could not understand why Jesus would want to have a meal at his house. While the people are judging the situation, Zacchaeus tells Jesus that he is willing to give half his wealth to the poor. He also says he will repay anyone he has cheated, up to four times as much. This action shows that he sees Jesus as the Messiah and knows he needs to repent of his previous actions.
After Zacchaeus says he will turn his life from sin, Jesus says that salvation came to his house that day. He goes on to explain that he came to seek and save those that are lost. Jesus did not come to condemn those in sin. He came to take them from their sin and give the gift of eternal life. All of us at one time were just like Zacchaeus. Lost in sin without knowing it. Until one day Jesus showed up and showed us his grace.
All People Have Sinned
Don’t we see a similar story today? You see a fellow Christian communing with a sinner and question why they would want to be friendly with them. It a sad reality that we all live in. It gets worse when you think about your life before coming to know the Lord. We know deep down that no one who becomes a follower of Christ has been without sin. In fact, the Bible says this plainly in Romans 3:23.
We never really had a chance. We were born into sin. It came into the world all at once due to the action of our original ancestors. That is what happened all those years ago in the garden. When Eve ate of the tree, sin entered the world. Not one person born of man and woman was without sin. You can read the full story in Genesis chapter three. Paul simplifies it for us in Romans 5:12.
Grace Came to All
It is pretty easy to see that none of us can be better than the other. Sin was in us and then something amazing happened that allowed us to be made clean. Jesus came to be a sacrifice and take away our sins. We know this thanks to verses like John 3:16 and Romans 5:21.
So just as we were all born into sin and sentenced to death. All have the ability to become right in the eyes of the Lord and given eternal life through the blood of Jesus. Sadly many people began to lose sight of this after receiving salvation. They often adopt an outlook similar to that of the Pharisees. They believed that they are better than people who are in sin. At the time it was common for people to carry that belief. However, Jesus showed how incorrect this view is all throughout his ministry.
The misconception of Lifestyle Approval
The main misconceptions that Christians carry is that by associating with sinners you are saying that you approve of their lifestyle. This point can actually walk the path of both right and wrong. We are called to go into the world and try to bring people to a relationship with Christ. The most common way to do this is by getting to know someone and building a friendship. In the hope that through small conversations and witnessing our lives their eyes will start to open to God’s glory. We know that faith comes by hearing. That makes these conversations with those in sinners even more important.
When we reach out to people in the hopes of bringing them to Jesus we are in no way approving of a lifestyle of sin. In fact, we are actually trying to show them what they are missing by indulging in the things of the world. It is how we show the same grace we were shown when we were in sin. The other side of these is as Christians we need to set a good example to non-Christians and new believers. Which means we should not be in places where sin occurs. By going to a place where sin is number one you are in many ways at least appearing to approve a lifestyle of sin.
For example, we should not go to bars, clubs, or any place like that saying we are just going to try and win souls. We do not have to step into sin to pull someone else out. Instead, we should try to meet people on common ground. That then opens the door to invite someone out to dinner or even to a Bible study at you home. Then you will be able to tell them about God in a conducive environment.
The last point I need to make is for the new Christian. You need to be careful reaching out to those in sin if you are new to your beliefs. It is easy for a lifelong sinner to pull back in a one-year-old Christian. It is probably better for you to work on building a strong foundation on Jesus. Before you try to seek out sinners to save. Don’t be afraid to share your faith with those around you though. Just do not put yourself in a bad situation.
Life Application
I hope you will take the things said in this post to heart and make sure you have not judged people for communing with sinners. The important things to remember are that we were all once in sin. Jesus brought us out of sin and gave us eternal life through grace. Now that we are out of sin that does not make us better than those still lost. Do not assume that just because you see a Christian with a sinner that they approve of that person’s lifestyle. From your point of view, you may not be able to see what is really going on. We should all also try to reach out to those in sin in the hopes of showing them the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I want to leave you with on the last piece of scripture. In this verse, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees who are judging him for saying he is the light of the world. This verse illustrates how we as humans are quick to judge.
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