"Friend of sinners"

[swingnscream]

If Jesus made friends with "the sinners" the first time he came, why would he go all bipolar and decided to go after them with some kind of vengance with his second coming?

 

[timlamb]

If Jesus made friends with "the sinners" the first time he came, why would he go all bipolar and decided to go after them with some kind of vengance with his second coming?

Did you notice the ones He befriended also chose to serve Him. He didn't just hang around people while they sinned, He approached sinners and changed their lives. Those who choose not to change, did not hang around Jesus long.

 

[swingnscream]

you mean like the pharisee and religious teachers? They were the ones who never liked hanging with Jesus for very long because they did not want to change their ways.

 

[timlamb]

you mean like the pharisee and religious teachers? They were the ones who never liked hanging with Jesus for very long because they did not want to change their ways.

Actually, I had in mind the rich man that Jesus told to give away all He had and follow Him. The man just went away sad.

My point being, Jesus didn't just 'hang' with sinners, He brought them to repentance or they didn't go along with Him. He is the friend of sinners because He saves us, not because He makes friends.

We are not called to go shoot hoops with sleazy people, we are called to take Christ to them. To Love them in Christ name, but not to necessarily be liked by them.

 

[Rafael]

If Jesus made friends with "the sinners" the first time he came, why would he go all bipolar and decided to go after them with some kind of vengance with his second coming?

We are still sinners as long as we live in these bodies of flesh and until the Lord gives us new ones that He reckoned as "mansions" compared to the tents or tabernacles we inhabit for the temporary time here on earth. Even though God gives us His Spirit and makes us "born again" spiritually, the flesh still wars against that spiritual side of us. See this verse from the New Living Translation:

Galatians 5:17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

So, when the Lord returns, He only judges those who continually and purposely practice sin and lawlessness. The penalty for that is the second death, but even that judgment is reserved for the Great White Throne judgment which is seperate from that of believers.

Verses, again, from NLT:

Revelations 2:11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

Re 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.

Re 20:10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.

Re 21:8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars––their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 

[swingnscream]

Actually, I had in mind the rich man that Jesus told to give away all He had and follow Him. The man just went away sad.

My point being, Jesus didn't just 'hang' with sinners, He brought them to repentance or they didn't go along with Him. He is the friend of sinners because He saves us, not because He makes friends.

We are not called to go shoot hoops with sleazy people, we are called to take Christ to them. To Love them in Christ name, but not to necessarily be liked by them.

right. That guy was also a religious man of his day, afterall he kept all of the 10 commandments, but still left Jesus because he didn't want to change in the way Jesus challenged him to.

I am the light that has come into the world. No one who has faith in me will stay in the dark.

I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge. But everyone who rejects me and my teachings will be judged on the last day by what I have said.

I agree that the ppl who followed Jesus and listened to him (same as hanging out with him but different wording) were changed by the message he portrayed. But at the same time, doesn't this kind of suggest that religous ppl are the ones who are going to face the greatest judgement?

I mean isn't the biggest scripture that Christians go off of:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I understand that you have to believe in Jesus because he is the one that God sent. But isn't it these religious ppl [both back then & now-a-days] that really find themselves most accountable to God for the actions or nonactions, choosing to live as Jesus challenges us to live or choosing to keep to our religious task but all the while missing the actual goals (like the rich man)?

 

[timlamb]

right. That guy was also a religious man of his day, afterall he kept all of the 10 commandments, but still left Jesus because he didn't want to change in the way Jesus challenged him to.



I agree that the ppl who followed Jesus and listened to him (same as hanging out with him but different wording) were changed by the message he portrayed. But at the same time, doesn't this kind of suggest that religous ppl are the ones who are going to face the greatest judgement?

I mean isn't the biggest scripture that Christians go off of:

I understand that you have to believe in Jesus because he is the one that God sent. But isn't it these religious ppl [both back then & now-a-days] that really find themselves most accountable to God for the actions or nonactions, choosing to live as Jesus challenges us to live or choosing to keep to our religious task but all the while missing the actual goals (like the rich man)?

I am not sure what your are saying exactly, but No it is not enough to be "religious" we are to be 'Jesus to the world'. Those who claim to be righteous and do not serve the Lord will be judged harshly, there are varrying degrees of punishment just as some will have a greater reward; salvation through Christ but judgement by works, one says where you go, the other determines the degree of your reward or punishment.

Very few of us do all we could in out reach to the lost, but Jesus said many times, it is the choice of the person. There is a narrow path and relatively few will chose it. Don't accuse God of abandoning the lost, thank Him that He sent His Son that we might have a choice. And trust His judgement that the desirving will be saved, though in actuallity none of us are worthy, but that we are made righteous by the blood shed for us on the Cross.