Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded.
Jesus said in, Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Our Lord Jesus is looking for sinners and wants all the sinners He can find to apply within the finished work of the cross, where Christ’s blood sacrifice has been given for every sinner to be washed of their sins. Applications for this cleansing gift of grace that cleans one’s soul is a simple but crucial act of faith. All a sinner has to do is admit they are a sinner, and receive Jesus as their personal Lord. Applications are open to anyone. John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
If you are a sinner or have ever transgressed God’s laws throughout your life, you are welcome to come before God the Father by accepting the blood sacrifice that Jesus gave of Himself through the crucifixion on the cross. This sacrificial gift covers everyone’s shame, hurts, lusts, and evil past or present life. Just apply within the grace of our Lord’s forgiveness. Eph. 2:8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Sometimes it is hard for churched people to welcome sinners into their assemblies of worship. Sinners do not feel welcome in church, and yet Jesus who is the head of the church invites sinners of every kind to come and join His family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Matt. 11:28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Churched people often forget where they were when Jesus found them eternally lost and bound.
I remember a dipsomaniac whose struggles with alcohol were known in the community, but he came to church regularly. At one evening service, he came in late and made his way to the front seats with his pants lowered to reveal a lot of his backside while stumbling, and bouncing off of parishioners as he made his way up the center aisle looking for a seat. Gasps could be heard, with looks of indignation expressed, and judgmental smarmy snickering was being exchanged amongst the faithful. I then heard a still small voice from within my spirit say, “The difference between him and the people here, is that their addictions and sins are well hidden and not on full display the way this man’s addiction is clearly seen. In some cases, they are just as stumbling drunk, dishevelled, and weak-kneed in their daily lives as this lonely intoxicated soul is. What everyone needs to know is that I love him just as I love everyone in this building.” A lesson I will never forget.
The church is only as mature as much as we are mature and loving within our relationship with Christ. We tend to advertise Christian freedom while wearing a denominational straitjacket. I’m not saying to let any unruliness take over the assembling of the saints, but remember, sinners who show up at church looking for redemption and real love will not know all the rules of the recorded agreements and statements of faith that were voted upon at the denominational headquarters. Voicing our self-righteous indignation at the young man wearing a Megadeth T-shirt who showed up at a church service because he was invited to come and see what the Lord is doing in people’s lives – would not be a righteous hand of invitation. He might not see the genuine love of God he is looking for if he is judged at the door with looks of disapproval. Don’t forget, you use to wear those ugly paisley ties with a polyester shirt to church meetings, and no one crucified you.
The Apostle Paul, who claimed to have been the worst sinner, made it clear in his epistles that Christ came to save sinners. 1Tim. 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. Like Paul, we can all lay claim to being the worst sinner because sin is sin. What really matters is that we stop sinning. Prov. 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded. The sinful nature that was once predominant in our souls has been replaced with a new life in Christ, and the Lord’s righteousness is now available for us to walk in for the rest of our eternal lives. 2Cor. 5:21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Ex 17:1a The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the LORD’s command. I don’t know if this scripture was meant to be a play on words but nonetheless, good advice. Leave the Wilderness of Sin and follow God. At one time, we were all sinners who came to Jesus through an invitation from the Holy Spirit. Lost Sinner was stamped upon our hearts. All we could do was look to Jesus and receive the grace and gift of salvation He gave us by faith in His cleansing blood. The only qualification we had for His grace was that we were sin-stained and lost. As I walked up the center aisle towards the throne of God’s grace, I was also dishevelled, weak-kneed, and stumbling in sin, but my application for eternal life was granted by God’s merciful love. Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Amen!
Thank you Lord for loving me indeed 🙂