A FRIEND OF SINNERS

 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." Matthew 11:19

In Mark 2:16-17 - When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The above scriptures are about Jesus - he was deemed a friend of sinners. Jesus was a holy man who knew no sin. He had the moral high ground to condemn others, but when He was confronted with an adulterous woman, he did not condemn her but rather told her to go and sin no more- John 8:1-11.

God hates sin, but not the sinner. God loves all men - for God so loved the world....this is a very common scripture that reminds us of God's great love for mankind and His plan of redemption for all and sundry. When given a gift, you can choose to accept it or not. Jesus is the gift of God to the world - God's gift of salvation and eternal life to all who believe and receive him as Lord and Saviour.

Are you caught up in sin? Are you tangled up in some sort of weakness that you know is wrong? Do you desire in your heart to change? Do those around you judge and condemn you like the adulterous woman was  in John 8:1-11? I know someone who understands you - He is Jesus.

I know you may have heard this several times, and it may even seem like a tale to you. But dear, as long as you have life, you have the chance to experience the love and forgiveness of God. Do not relent in your effort to forsake sin. Make a choice hastily to say yes to Jesus today, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

There is hope for you, hope for your future, hope for your desperate desire to turn from sin. Jesus is the answer!

Contrarily, if you know the truth about Jesus, yet have simply turned a deaf ear to His teachings and decided to enjoy the pleasures of sin, because you love sin, know that there is a scripture that you must never forget :
Hebrews 10:26(New Living Translation) Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.

Please turn to Jesus while there is still time, for He is the friend of sinners. I am a sinner saved by grace. Praise Jesus!


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