Loving Sinners

You'll hear a lot of talk these days about how Christians are supposed to love everybody like Jesus did. Usually the declarations come from people who do not embrace Christianity and are not disciples of Jesus Christ. They may attend church or claim to be Christian but their lives don't bear the fruit to back up their claims. That's not to say that authentic Christians won't say the same thing, but I see much more coming from people outside authentic Christian faith.

I get their point. Jesus loves everyone. He demonstrated his love by giving his life for the sins of the world. Just a few hours before he died on the cross Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus demonstrated the greatest love, the perfect love. And Christians are to love each other with that kind of love. We are to love our neighbors with that kind of love. (See the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 for an explanation of who your neighbor is.)

Yes, Christians are supposed to love everybody like Jesus did. Jesus' love for everybody compelled him to do something about sin. Sin creates a barrier between God and the sinner. Hear these words from the Bible that describe how God's love for us resulted in action.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

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. (John 3:16)

Clearly, Jesus loved everybody and his love for everybody resulted in actions directed at the problem of sin. And we are to love everybody like Jesus did. We can't die for the sins of the world. We can't even die to pay the penalty for our own sins. Only Jesus can do that and he already did. Our love for everybody results in actions that help people in sin's bondage see the way to forgiveness and redemption and freedom found only in a commitment to Jesus Christ.

Was Jesus ever content to leave sinners in their sin? No! He stated that his purpose was to "seek and save" the lost (Luke 19:10). Save them from what? Save them from their sin. When Jesus began his public ministry he said, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17). To repent means to turn from the carnal way you are living and toward the way of life in Jesus Christ. Jesus called for people to change from ways that seem right to them or from ways that are considered right by the culture.

And Jesus did this because he loves everybody. So Christians who are content to let sinners continue in their sin unabated and unchanged are not loving everybody like Jesus did. And non-Christians who cry for us to love everybody like Jesus did do not yet understand the love of Christ and the word of God.

Followers of Jesus, we are to love everybody like Jesus did so we cannot just leave sinners in their (our) sin and we cannot ignore the ethical and moral decay prevalent in our culture. Remember when Jesus told a woman to "go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11)?

So what can we do? First, we should pray. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict us of our own sin; and then confess that sin. Unconfessed sin hinders your fellowship with God and the flow of blessings from God into your life. Pray that other believers will confess their sins, too. Professing Christians who live without regard to their own sins do more harm than good in helping those without Christ see their way to him. Pray for those in your relationship circles and for opportunities to speak truth (in love, always in love) to them regarding biblical principles and cultural issues. Pray that revival occurs within the church and awakening occurs within the culture.

Second, don't dodge opportunities to speak the truth in love. But do be careful in choosing the words you'll say and the tone with which you'll say them. Jesus was most often gentle in his conversations; we should follow his example. It seems to me that those who are outspoken about homosexuality, abortion, poverty, immigration, and other hot-button issues have strongly held opinions. All caps, bold text, screaming, and name-calling probably won't accomplish what you think it will. Those are wedges not bridges. Those hurt not heal. We can be bold (confident) without being mean-spirited.

Third, live out the "good deeds" and the "Good News" for their good and God's glory. Christians are to be salt not to agitate and aggravate wounds caused by sin, but to heal the wounds and restore and preserve the image of God within us. Christians are to be light not to burn and blast the eyes of the sinner but to illuminate the need for and way to the Savior.

I think we all agree that Christians are supposed to love everybody like Jesus did. Let's make sure we are really doing it like he did.