Can You Hang Out with Sinners and Stay Clean?
When you hang out with sinners, you’re in good company. Jesus did too. Except, your first thought may be that ick rubs off of sinners and onto you. At least, that’s what the world thinks.
Who else would Jesus spend time with since He encountered them everywhere? Jesus referenced his perceived reputation as the Son of Man in Matthew 11:19.
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a gluttonous man, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
Maybe you’re breathing a sigh of relief because lately, you’ve been around people who knowingly transgress against God. There’s dirt (sin) everyone you go. Dirty secrets and lifestyles dictated by fleshly desires consume people.
Your job as a Christian is to shine a light on darkness. But you feel like you’re also in the dark when alongside people who don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior. Do you pull away from people who need Jesus?
AND—
Is It a Sin to Hang Out with Sinners?
Jesus hanging out with sinners was a common occurrence. He was fabulously popular for spending time with the down and out. He had no problem healing a withered hand, casting out a legion of demons from one man, or eating with despised tax collectors. Scribes and Pharisees whispered their poison. What does the Bible say about hanging out with sinners?
When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:16-17).
So, should Christians hang out with sinners? Right after you become a Christian, you realize how disgusting sin is. You back up from immorality because you no longer desire to associate with its deathly influence. You may even start dodging people because you don’t want to return to your former lifestyle. The Holy Spirit may cut to the chase and tell you, “Unbelievers aren’t untouchable they’re lovable.”
While you learn how to live a new life with Christ, feelings bubble up to share the Gospel message with others. All of a sudden you may want to rub elbows with people who live in boxes under bridges. You think about others who dumpster dive for lunch or don’t eat at all. God draws you to strangers, co-workers, family members, and others who need a Savior.
You want to step into other lives, regardless of the cost, and tell them that Jesus is real. BUT . . .
How Do You Mingle with Sinners?
First: Remember at one time you were a sinner too. Now you’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. God no longer sees you as a sinner but as a saint.
But your flesh is still—all in—when it comes to sin. The constant war between the spirit and flesh never ends on Earth.
By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he covers your sin with His redemption. Then, God no longer remembers your sin. He sees you covered by the blood of His Son Jesus, your High Priest.
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:10-12). (Read in Romans 11:11-31 how Gentiles were grafted in to receive salvation.)
However, sinners are strangers to Jesus. They don’t have the same “get out of jail free card” that you do. Their imprisoned spirit remains bound until salvation frees them from eternal death to life. They have no idea they’re spiritually lost. That’s what tugs on a believer’s heart—their spiritual condition.
That’s the dilemma. You may be fearful that you can’t stand up to temptation and might fall back into sin if you hang out with sinners.
How Can You Hang Out with Sinners and Help Them?
- Become “friends of sinners.” That doesn’t mean that you take up a sinner’s lifestyle just so you can share the Gospel. Jesus saw everyone as lovable (worthy of love) instead of viewing them as outcasts and nuisances. Jesus is our example to follow. We depend on the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.
- Take up the same mission as Jesus. (The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound). Our destination is heaven. As Christians, we finally reach home but until then there’s work to do.
- Decide to serve and not be served. In your servanthood position, love marks every word and action. There’s no guarantee people will love you back.
- Live your Christian life in holiness for all to see. What you do in secret is never hidden. People know when you spend time with God regularly. God shows up on your face as He changes you from the inside out.
- Consider every moment as an opportunity for ministry. A child can lead another classmate to Christ with a few simple words. If you aren’t quite sure if your faith is strong enough to hang out with sinners, something as simple as smiling or writing an encouraging note paves the way for someone else to water your seed. God can soften stony hearts with simple acts of kindness.
Should Christians Hang Out with Sinners?
My friend is a prison chaplain. She hangs out with sinners all the time and teaches them God’s Word 2 or 3 times a week. She’s confident in who she is in Christ. However, she protects her heart and stays aligned with God through the Holy Spirit. That’s her priority so she isn’t influenced by the ways and thoughts of unbelievers.
Also, people won’t like you when you share your faith and beliefs. Opinions about same-sex marriage and other controversial issues of the day may come up in conversation. Others may misconstrue your words and call you “close-minded” or “judgmental.”
And don’t forget, Jesus said a person’s enemies can live in their household. Many spouses hang out with sinners every hour of every day. That’s an opportunity to live the Gospel message without saying anything.
So count the cost of sharing the Gospel message. You won’t mess up or be sidetracked into sin if you let the Holy Spirit lead you EVERY DAY.
Salvation is a serious matter that people don’t take seriously. People bent on living in darkness will crucify you socially and any other way they can, just like they did Jesus.
God’s Good News is meant for others to hear. When you hang out with sinners and deliver the Gospel message, God can move them from Satan’s kingdom to His. God’s light shines inside their hearts instead of darkness and spiritual sight overtakes blindness.
Trust God to place you where He wants you to be and grow you up as you spend more time with Him. Take on His character to glorify God and don’t be afraid to hang out with sinners and win others to Jesus.