So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. –Romans 10:17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. –II Timothy 3:16 & 17
The current message you have posted for the public declares Jesus Christ to be “the friend of sinners.” This is a popular notion amongst most professing Christians today, but it is one that nullifies the cross. Let us examine the Word of God to discover the truth…
There are just 2 verses in the Bible that refer to Jesus as a friend of sinners; the passages are found in are Matthew 11:16-19 and Luke 7:31-35. Since the wording of this singular account is almost exactly the same in both books, I will print only the one in Luke for reference.
And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.
The bold type was added simply to show who was speaking. The introduction confirms that Jesus is doing the talking, but along the way He is also quoting what others have said. Jesus never declares himself to be the friend of sinners, but others have said this about Him. These same others claimed that John the Baptist had a devil! Yes, this passage was yet another rebuke to the Jewish leaders, and they were unable (or unwilling) to grasp the truth. While there is no question that Jesus Christ reaches out to all and desires their salvation, there can be nothing good found in us without repentance. The unsaved have no fellowship with God, nor can they have any real fellowship with the regenerate. In other words, God DOES NOT ACCEPT sinners- He WILL ACCEPT the repentance of the sinner. Check out these scriptures;
And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. –Luke 13:2 & 3
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: -Acts 17:30
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. –Romans 3:10-12
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. –Romans 5:8
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? –II Corinthians 6:14
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. –Ephesians 5:11
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: -Colossians 1:19-22
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. –I Peter 3:12
And so I could go on, with many such scriptures. But what is it for us to have friendship with God? The friendship sought by God is not at all like what we have with mankind. When we seek to OBEY the Lord, that is friendship with God. Our salvation depends on it…
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. –John 15:13 & 14
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. –James 2:21-23
Our “friendship” with God begins with our need to be born again. To imply that we already have this relationship, prior to salvation, is to fall into the error of the Galatians. To tell the unsaved that they already have friendship with God is to imply that there is good in them, and that they do good things that have merit with God, prior to repentance.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid…I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. –Galatians 2:16, 17, 20 & 21
Let us then serve the Lord in TRUTH. Repent for the error made on your message board, and seek an outreach for Christ that is directed by, and obedient to, the Word of God.
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. –II Timothy 4:2-4
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. –Romans 5:8
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? –II Corinthians 6:14
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. –Ephesians 5:11
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: -Colossians 1:19-22
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. –I Peter 3:12
And so I could go on, with many such scriptures. But what is it for us to have friendship with God? The friendship sought by God is not at all like what we have with mankind. When we seek to OBEY the Lord, that is friendship with God. Our salvation depends on it…
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. –John 15:13 & 14
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. –James 2:21-23
Our “friendship” with God begins with our need to be born again. To imply that we already have this relationship, prior to salvation, is to fall into the error of the Galatians. To tell the unsaved that they already have friendship with God is to imply that there is good in them, and that they do good things that have merit with God, prior to repentance.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid…I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. –Galatians 2:16, 17, 20 & 21
Let us then serve the Lord in TRUTH. Repent for the error made on your message board, and seek an outreach for Christ that is directed by, and obedient to, the Word of God.
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. –II Timothy 4:2-4
