Jesus, the Friend of Sinners, also calls sinners to repent. He is not a friend of sin. Paul writes the following, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the Corinthian Church, struggling as it was, as we do, with moral issues in an immoral culture. He writes:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:

• neither the sexually immoral,
• nor idolaters,
• nor adulterers,
• nor men who practice homosexuality,
• nor thieves,
• nor the greedy,
• nor drunkards,
• nor revilers,
• nor swindlers

…will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But:

• you were washed,
• you were sanctified,
• you were justified

…in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

• “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful.
• “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
• “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”– and God will destroy both one and the other.

The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.

(1Co 6:9-14)

Paul lists a number of sins. His topic is sexual immorality. He starts his message is 5:9, referring to his letter about a sexually immoral brother. He tells the Corinthians not even to eat with this man, because in that culture, eating with him would be to condone his behavior. But then Paul goes on to lump sexual immorality in with a number of other sins listed above. And, he is careful to distinguish between a sexually immoral person claiming to be a brother, and a sexually immoral person who is not a Christian. We are to eat with sexually immoral people who are not believers, because our mission is to them!

Paul ends his instruction by urging the members of the church to be sexually pure with their own husband or wife, or as unmarried believers dedicated to God. The bottom line: Glorify God with your body!

Why is Jesus a Friend of Sinners? Because in calling them to repent from sin, he also gives them the way to the truth and to life. The Corinthians werethese sinful people, but by the Spirit they were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus. And so, they became His.

The hope of the sinner is not to do better in one’s own strength. He or she can’t do better. There is no good news in condemnation. The hope of the sinner is in transformation, and that comes only in the work of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. When you see your sin, then you are to confess and repent, and plead for the work of the Holy Spirit in you for transformation in the name of Jesus. You cannot do it yourself, but the same power that raised Jesus from the dead can raise you also.

Do you find yourself in the list of the unrighteous who will not inherit the kingdom? Me too. Neither of us have any hope, except in Jesus. Plead before His throne. Ask him to transform you. Confess the sin, and repent. He is the great healer. Be willing to let his resurrection power raise you from the dead.

Be saved!

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”                             Matthew 9:10-13 (ESV)

What a great comfort to know that Jesus came for me. While on earth, he invited people just like me and you to hang out with him, to eat with him, even to drink great wine with him. Jesus loves me. Yes, even me. And he loves you too!

The story of the gospel is one of sinners who could not and would not restore their broken relationship with God. So God came to us, to restore his relationship with us. Jesus’ birth as one of us was an amazing act of love as he came to live among us and be one of us. He lived the sinless life we should live. He died the death we should have died because of our sin. He rose from the dead just as we will rise if we are united with him. He ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. He sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and direct us, and intervenes on our behalf. One day He will come again in power, and bring us to his place of perfection forever. 

Jesus is truly a friend of sinners. He molds us and changes us to be like him – to bear the image of God faithfully. He is our Savior. He is worthy of praise!

The Friend of Sinners project emphasizes they we are spiritually NEEDY, that we must be ENGAGED with the church, his body on earth, that we must continually be REPENTANT of our sin and shortcomings, and that we must be SANCTIFIED by his power, and change inside and out.