Jesus is hanging with them to reveal their sin, bring them to repentance, and to follow God’s word. He told people the truth and preached truth and didn’t care what they thought about him and it was an offence to many of them when he preached. We are to love our enemies, but we certainly shouldn’t hang with those sinning against us or God in an unrepentant way. Loving enemies and hanging with enemies are 2 different things. When Jesus says Love your enemy does NOT mean hang with your enemy. It means feel compassion on your enemy, and pray that they come to Christ. When Jesus associated with sinners, it was for a reason. He was doing it for a purpose, and he had a mission. It wasn’t for entertainment or fun or to participate in their sinful activities. He was there to do God’s will and preach. He preached to everyone he came into contact with. If those rejected His teaching and did not repent of sin, would Jesus still hang out with them? I don’t think so .In fact, Jesus gives very serious warnings to those individuals.
Some even say that “Jesus hung out with adulteress” and they even quote Jesus said , "Neither do I condemn you “but they forget the verse that follows where Jesus says, "Now go, and SIN NO MORE." In other words, "CLEAN UP YOUR ACT QUIT BEING AN ADULTERESS!
1. When sinner fails to repent: God has clearly warned us of being unequally yoked with unrepentant sinners. Again, we are all sinners, but there is a big difference between sinning and repenting, and sinning without repenting. So Jesus tells them the two parables .In the first, a shepherd who had 100 sheep loses one. Now, that one sheep was so important to him that he left behind the other 99 in the open country to go and find it. And when he found it, he was so happy that he invited all his friends and neighbors to celebrate with him.
The other parable is about a woman who had 10 silver coins. These coins were dracmas, Greek coins worth about a day’s wages. When this woman lost one of her coins, she looked throughout the house, just like we do when we lose our keys or wallets. And when she found the coin, she was so happy that she invited all her friends and neighbors over to the house to celebrate.
And Jesus tells us the point of these two illustrations. “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent... There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Psalm 7:11 declares that "God is angry with the wicked every day." John 3:36 warns that the "wrath of God abideth" upon Christ-rejecters. Ezekiel 33:11, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel." In fact, Jesus joyfully receives sinners. He throws a party in heaven every time one sinner repents and comes to believe in him. He did not come into this world to save the righteous, but the sinners. And that’s good; because that means that he will accept even us. Jesus was able to relate to His generation because He was not afraid that contact with them would tarnish His holiness. Rather, He knew that His holiness would cleanse their filth. He was relevant because He walked where they walked. He spent time with drunkards, but never got drunk. He ate with corrupt tax officials, but He was not corrupt. He empathized with prostitutes, but never compromised His moral standards. When Christ actually "hung" with sinners, but only that He was around them, loved them, showed compassion on them and their situations, and healed them.
Jesus ate with sinners and talked to them for a reason. He was building God’s Kingdom and getting them to follow Him. He was fulfilling the scriptures. If they didn’t follow Him, he stayed away (just like he did with the Pharisees). Jesus would have never tolerated a sinful remark. He would have rebuked them. There is a difference between witnessing and being a light to unbelievers and "hanging out" with them. The Bible says that we are the light of the world and that we should let our light shine however, the Bible also warns us in Jeremiah 10:2Learn not to learn the ways of unbelievers. The more we hang out with someone, the more like them we will become. Jesus could sit with sinners and unbelievers and not be affected by the sinful atmosphere because he was sinless, however you and I have this sinful flesh that is easily influenced to sin.( Jesus said that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. ) Befriending unbelievers with the objective to preach the gospel with your deeds and with your words is a great mission field, however we should be very careful not to spent to much time with them that we begin to learn their ways.
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.” ( Mark 6:11).
2. Careful in Choosing a unrepentant Friend: But we should limit spending time (or being close friends) with those who are simply not willing to follow God’s word. Jesus Himself even lost a few “friends” and “followers” because of His true and honest teachings by rebuking and correcting the sinners’: “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.’ . . .
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’ . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (John 6:53-56, 60-61, 66,)
Our friends will hang out with us if we do the things like them, if we have the same taste like them. But if we are different and if we don’t do the things of the world we are separated and chosen to live Godly lives by disapproving of them cheating on their spouse, having promiscuous sex, lying, cheating, stealing, watching porn, listening to inappropriate music, and so forth. The Godly life style and ungodly life style are always opposite and true Godly friends continue to remain in Christ, and those who branch off and reject God’s will and be subjected to Gods wrath. What Jesus had to say:
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:18-20)
God wants us to have fellowship and love with all creation. But it does mean that our friendships will be limited if we adhere to following God’s word when our other friends choose to reject God’s word. Jesus doesn’t consider them as brother, sister, or close friend. For those who don’t follow God’s will. “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7:23)
3. The scriptures give us ample warnings: Whenever a man associates with sinners in such a way as to (a) participate with them in that which is sinful or (b) condone their sinful activity, he has been guilty of sin! Jesus never was guilty of doing either of these. Jesus associated with sinners for the express purpose of saving their souls. He compared his association with sinners to that of a physician associating with the sick saying, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). Again he said, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Jesus ate with sinners. When he was invited into their homes as a guest, he went for the express purpose of trying to save their souls.
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.Hebrews 7:26.
I Corinthians 5:9-13: "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so–called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler — not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?" you will have contact with unbelievers. You will talk to them, you will work with them, you will go to school with them...but we are called to be set apart.
In 2Corinthians 6:14-17, Paul writes again, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.”
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. Paul gives us three instructions in how to react when associating with an unbeliever. He tells us: not be deceived, to be sober-minded and to Stop sinning. . Jesus didn't associate with "known sinners" like tax collectors because He minimized their sin ( Luke 19:1-10 ). He freely associated with them because He knew that they were more open to repentance.
4. A true believer should not have fellowship with the works of evil spirit:
A True Christian believer must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness
but must reprove them (Eph. 5:11). Sinning willfully or deliberately shows a very corrupt condition of heart (Heb. 10:26—31). Continuing in sin or sinning until death has no chance of forgiveness (I John 5:16). Therefore, any member's sin which is open and seen by others, which he refuses to repent of even after seeing the truth about it, is worthy of disfellowship (II Thess. 3:6, 14). Certain such open and deliberate sins are listed in 1 Cor. 5:11 as requiring withdrawal of fellowship: (1) fornicator (Rom. 7:3; I Cor. 7:2), (2) a covetous man (A Greedy Man), (3) an idolater, (4) a railer (a slanderer, a man with a foul tongue), (5) a drunkard,(6) an extortioner (a swindler, a cheat, one with the heart of a thief). Titus 3:10 also lists "a heretic" to be rejected. When erring Christians refuse to repent, God commands His people to disfellowship them so as to bring them to repentance. An adulterer in the church in Corinth was to be delivered to Satan in hopes that he would repent and be saved before it was too late (I Cor. 5:5). Because ungodly members who continue in their sin may think that they have fellowship with God, faithful Christians are to break fellowship with them to remind them that neither God nor God's people can fellowship sin. Christians are commanded in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (by His authority) to withdraw themselves from every brother that walks disorderly and not according to the teachings of the apostles (II Thess. 3:6). Christ's commandments must be obeyed. Paul rebuked the church at Corinth for not puttingaway an adulterous member (I Cor. 5:1, 2). Instead of mourning, they were "puffed up," refusing to disfellowship him. Jas. 5:19, 20 says that anyone converting an erring brother has converted a sinner from the error of his way, has saved a soul from death (Hell), and has hidden a multitude of sins. A member who again becomes entangled in the world is in a worse condition than before. He is like a washed pig which returns to wallowing in the mud, or like a dog returning to eat his vomit (II Pet. 2:20—22). We are commanded to exhort one another daily lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13). The longer sin goes uncorrected, the more difficult it is to correct it. If a member has had time to be taught of his sin and yet continually refuses to repent, disfellowship must be begun. Titus 3:10 says a factious man is to be rejected "after the first and second admonition." To wait longer is to bring more reproach from non-members and to tempt or be a stumbling block for weaker members.
5. "Judge not, that ye be not judged”: This the Favourite verse of the people who wish to justify their disobedience to God. We are NEVER to use OUR own standards to judge another. We are however, not only allowed but COMMANDED to use God's standard (His Holy Word) to judge right and wrong. Righteous judgment is using God's word to rule what is good or evil.
Let's look at God's command-
"For what have I to do to judge them also that are without (the church)? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth.Therefore put away from among yourselves that WICKED PERSON" I Corinthians 5:12-13
Why does it say that those without the church body will be judged by God while we are to judge (according to God's word) those within? Simple, those who are not saved are already under the judgment and condemnation of God...."He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is condemnation that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:19
Those within the body are to be kept in line by one another because we are indeed our brother's keeper. It is our responsibility out of love, to make a fellow believer aware when he or she is violating God's word. If he or she is truly saved, though the correction may sting, he or she will appreciate what was done. "...for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Why beholdest thou the mote (speck of dust) that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye...thou hypocrite FIRST cast out the beam out of thine own eye; AND THEN SHALT THOU SEE CLEARLY TO CAST OUT THE MOTE OF THY BROTHER'S EYE." Matthew 7:2-3 & 5.
This passage is not a blanket prohibition against judgment!! It is an exhortation to get right (repent of sin and place trust in Jesus for salvation) with God, and when you do, He will let you see clearly to help your brother/sister get their life right with God.
The judgment is to be God's word, not your own opinion or view and it is to be done in a spirit of loving correction, not spiteful condemnation. Hell is the reward of rebellion toward God. If you are an unbeliever who uses Matthew 7:1 to justify your perverted behavior, be warned, the only one fooled is you and you are already under the judgment and condemnation of God (John 3:19) If you use Matthew 7:1 to do as you please, you'd better read that passage again because you are greatly mistaken. If you choose to walk in disobedience, God will deal with you accordingly...
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7
Some other Scriptures to meditate on:
John 8:14-17 :Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
John 5:30:I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
2Corinthians 2:10-16:But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
(This article is composed from various sources on the internet and I am very thankful and give credit to all those Sources)
For more detail please visit my other similar articles
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Righteous Person Gets Angry, Gets Persecuted, Can Rebuke and Can Judge!
Should We Judge Others?
The Wicked Justifies Their Wrong Doing!
Do God Punish Us for Own Sins?
I Confess but I Can Not Repent!
Sin Fascinates, Then Assassinates
Get Right with God!
Jesus is Not a Friend of Sinners but He is Compassionate with Them!
All Past, Present, and Future Sins Are Forgiven?
Every Sin Has Its Own Consequences and Demands Heavy Price!
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