But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” – John 8:11
Jesus is our best role model. Christlikeness should be our focus. Jesus was sinners’ friend. Are you? Many of us relate with sinners the wrong way. We do not understand the ministry of reconciliation neither do we engage in this all-important ministry that Jesus committed to our hands when He was departing this world. Jesus loved sinners and befriended them. He did not love their sins nor befriend their sins. His unconditional love for sinners was to enable Him save their souls and win them for the Father. Let us examine how Jesus related with sinners and take a cue from our Royal Master.
Jesus was an epitome of unconditional love. He loved the loveless and gave His all to save sinners. Apostle Paul, appreciating the finished work of Jesus and the salvation of his own soul said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). Beloved, if Jesus did not befriend and save Apostle Paul, a chief sinner, Christendom would have lost a great apostle, two third of the New Testament and millions of souls. Who ever thought that Mary Magdalene and the demoniac of Gadara or even Zacheus would ever repent and add value to God’s kingdom? Jesus, the Son of God, does not deal with us on the basis of our present condition, but on the basis of the purpose of God for our lives.
He knows the end from the beginning. A sinner today may be a saint tomorrow if you preach to him or her and intercede for him. A hell-bound individual, family or nation may become heaven-bound tomorrow if the power of the gospel and the saving power of Jesus are taken to them. Jonah never believed that the people of Nineveh would heed the word of God and repent. I encourage you to show Christ love to sinners, preach to them and pray for them. Trust the Holy Spirit to convict and change them. You love them but the Holy Spirit does even more. Therefore, if you are the type that avoids sinners like a plague, you should have a rethink. Jesus related with them in love and succeeded in winning their souls for the Father. Can He count on you for those perishing souls?
We shall examine two classic examples of sinners who experienced the friendship and unconditional love of Christ. The first is Zacchaeus, a rich publican. He desired to see Jesus who was going to pass through Jericho. However, because he was a man of small stature, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree so that he would see Jesus when he passed the road. When Jesus got to the place, though there was a crowd around Him, Jesus spotted Zacchaeus and told him to come down for He must abide in Zacchaeus’ house that day. What lessons do we need to learn from Zacchaeus’ story? First, Zacchaeus had a genuine desire to see Jesus. He defiled the disadvantage and limitation that his stature constituted among the crowd. He devised a means by which he would see Jesus (climbing the sycamore tree). He matched his desire with faith and his faith with action. Remember that the Bible says that faith without work is useless. Second, to Zacchaeus’ surprise, Jesus spotted him, knew and rewarded his faith and effort. How? He offered to be Zacchaeus’ guest and later assured Zacchaeus that salvation had come to his house. Jesus Christ still honours and rewards faith today; even the faith of a sinner. Faith saves sinners and turns unpleasant situations around for believers. As the friend of sinners that He was, Jesus’ answer to those who murmured about His going to be guest to Zacchaeus was, “The Son of man come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). This is a food for thought for us all. The second classic example is about the woman caught in adultery. Her accusers told Jesus that the Law of Moses mandated them to stone the woman to death. Yet they wanted Jesus’ view on the judgement. The woman was at the mercy of her accusers. She needed a friend to bail her out in that hour of need and condemnation. Jesus chose to be a friend and offered her hope and help. He wrote on the ground and said to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The Bible says that the woman’s accusers were convicted by their own conscience and went away, leaving her with Jesus. When Jesus rose to His feet, He told the woman that since no man had condemned her, He too had not and that she should go and sin no more. Have you sinned and the enemy is accusing you day and night before God’s throne? Are your human accusers making life unbearable for you? I encourage you to turn to Jesus, the friend of sinners and Saviour of the whole world. He will come to your rescue and save you. He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to the Father through Him because He daily makes intercession for them.