Jesus and Sinners

"Jesus came to save those who sought after Him....those His Father gave to Him...those who longed for new life. He didn't come to make everyone feel better
about their sin!"

In the last post, I mentioned that I had a revelation about this statement:

"A popular verse to support the [postmodern] theology is, 'He was friends with sinners and tax collectors.' The implication being, 'he hung out in the slums, with the slummy, and just loved on 'em, in case they decided to follow Him.' "

Churches use this supposed idea to validate their pragmatic approaches and watered-down gospel. That is, they'll do whatever necessary to get the lost into the church, make them feel comfortable, and then slip the gospel in between the shows and voila--a convert. This was not Jesus' approach.

An important thing to remember about the above verse, was that "the sinners and tax collectors" the Bible mentions his being "friends" with, were the converted sinners and tax collectors. The Pharisees (which are the ones speaking in that verse) referred to anyone who wasn't a Jew as a "sinner and tax collector". And since they didn't believe Jesus had the power to forgive sins, they didn't even know these followers of Christ were no longer "heathens".

Which gives us a clear understanding that Jesus spoke the truth of the gospel to everyone. If one heard it, and believed, and repented, and followed, they became a companion of Christ.

The ones who heard and didn't believe, did not want to be anywhere near him. Jesus didn't woo sinners to Him with smooth words, a prosperity promise, or pragmatic programs. (Jesus spoke some of the hardest words human ears have ever heard!) He didn't lure them to Himself by their own pleasures, and then "slip" the gospel in (as I've heard some pastors say of their youth program).

Jesus came to save those who sought after Him....those His Father gave to Him...those who longed for new life. He didn't come to make everyone feel better about their sin!

Much of the theology of the day asserts that a person really doesn't have to change to be a follower of Christ. That is NOT what Jesus taught. (If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; behold all things have become new.)

Jesus was friends with sinners--and still is. Sinners who fall at His feet and beg for mercy.