06.22.07
Was Jesus a Friend of “Sinners”
John 15:14
14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
NASB
Jesus clearly defines who His friends truly are!!!
Reader, Let me ask you a question regarding John 15:14 above:
Do ”Sinners” do what Jesus commands them to do?
Sinners, by nature, practice sin, they are disobedient (lawless).
1 John 3:4
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
NASB
So why isn’t the simple Scripture sufficient? It should be easy to answer the question at hand. This is why I find it unbelievable how some twist the words of God and make Jesus to be a “friend of sinners”.
Let me ask those of you who stand toe to toe with the Lord of Glory and exclaim “guilty as accused” like the Pharisee’s did when it comes to this subject. When you quote your proof texts, who is it that is speaking?
Is it Peter, Paul, maybe John or Matthew? No, it is the unregenerated Pharisee’s casting insults and accusations at our precious Lord. How is it you join in with their chorus and claim innocence before Christ?
Let’s look at Luke 7:33-35, Luke 7:36-50, and Luke 15:2 because they are all quoted as so-called “proof”.
Luke 7:33-35
33 “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’ 35 “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
NASB
It is clear that there are four accusations hurled out our Saviour and His servant, John the Baptist, in this passage…
- John the Baptist “has a Demon”
- Jesus was a “Gluttonous Man”
- Jesus was a “Drunkard”
- Jesus was a “Friend of tax-gatherers and sinners”
How any man can reason that the accusations are true is completely beyond me. To take just one out of the four accusations AGAINST Christ and claim that it is true, is twisting scripture, taking it out of context, but men with smooth words deceive multitudes by doing this very thing.
You see, if we say Jesus was a “friend of sinners” then we conclude that the accusations are true, and then He also is a drunkard and a gluttonous man, as well as John the baptist had a demon (God forbid). Certainly none of those things are true, so we can conclude that Jesus was NOT a friend of sinners, as well as He was NOT a drunkard, or a gluttonous man, nor did John have a demon.
In fact, the Holy Spirit wrote in Hebrews 7:26 that He was “seperated from sinners”…
Heb 7:26
26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;
NASB
And remember, this is in addition to John 15:14 where Jesus has already CLEARLY defined who His friends Truly are.
Let us look at Luke 15:2.
Luke 15:1-2
15 Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
NASB
It is not surprising that we find AGAIN in the passage that the words are an accusation of a pharisee.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT USING THE WORDS OF THE PHARISEE’S IS NOT THE SAFEST WAY TO FORM YOUR DOCTRINES!!!
Why do some insist on beating the same drum as the Pharisee’s. Imagine that one pharisee stands up in a crowd and says to Jesus “You are a Drunkard”, and another says “you are a Glutton” and then you stand up in the same crowd and say ” you are a friend of sinners”. Unbelievable!
So what about Luke 7:36-50.
Luke 7:36-50
36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee’s house, and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 “When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45 “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
NASB
What the Pharisees could not see because they were BLIND and did not have the “eyes to see” is that this woman was experiencing conversion from a sinner to a saint and her broken contrite heart (which is why she was crying) made her the righteosness of Christ.
THIS IS CLEARLY SEEN BECAUSE JESUS SAYS “Your sins have been forgiven.” AND “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
May I point out that before this experience with Jesus the woman clearly was a “sinner”!!! JUST LIKE ALL OF US WERE AT ONE TIME… but the Pharisee’s (and obviously many who profess Christ today) could not and can not see that Jesus was cleansing her and that she was “forgiven” as the Lord said which makes her the righteousness of Christ.
Besides all that, Jesus wasn’t just “hangin out with her” and being “her friend”, building a “relationship bridge”, while not being about His Father’s business.
My point is saying that to walk in the Lords footsteps is to bring the gospel to ”sinners”. Associate with them…Yes. Dine with them…Yes. Visit with them…Yes.
YES DO ALL THESE THINGS WITH THE INTENT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL:
Mark 16:15
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
NASB
If you never do preach the gospel, then what good is your “relationship bridge”. If you never walk across the “bridge” and boldly claim the name of Christ to the unbeliever your bridge is good for nothing. Perhaps, at that point, it is good for satan.
1 Cor 15:33
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
NASB
These are some other passages relevant to this subject…
2 Cor 6:14-18
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 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. 17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean;And I will welcome you. 18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”Says the Lord Almighty.
NASB
There are 4 questions asked in 2 Corinthians 6 which are all designed by the Holy Spirit to bring one to a clear undeniable answer…
- What partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? NOTHING!
- What harmony is there between Christ and satan? NOTHING!
- What agreement has the temple of the living God with idols? NOTHING!
- WHAT DOES A BELIEVER HAVE IN COMMON WITH AN UNBELIEVER?
NOTHING!!!
Somehow when it comes to that last question, many want to deny this plain teaching and become contrary to the Spirit in their thinking, they say they actually do have something in common with the unbeliever.
James 4:4
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
NASB
For the Truth of my King
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Lee Hodges said,
August 2, 2008 at 10:34 am
I would suggest that maybe the same spirit of legalism that caused Simon to think what he did, may cause one to have the narrow view of friendship that you seem to have. No one questions the application of the term friend when Jesus speaks of his disciples. But it is also obvious that those who were considered outcasts felt the same feeling of acceptance when in his presence as did his disciples. Yes, I believe He was the friend of sinners. When will we learn that acceptance is not synonymous with agreement?
TruthofmyKing said,
August 4, 2008 at 10:52 am
Lee,
Thanks for commenting.
Jesus said MY FRIENDS ARE THOSE WHO OBEY ME and yet you have written above, in your comment, that you believe HIS FRIENDS ARE THOSE WHO DISOBEY HIM.
Judge for yourself whether we are to believe GOD or man!
You see, there is a glaring contradiction for those who take your position. Christ and you, both, can’t possibly be right!
It would be a wise thing to remember what Christ said WILL happen on judgement day:
Matt 7:23
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
NASU
Again sinners are lawless; this would mean that Christ is denying his so called “Friends” passage into heaven. Not very friendly!
Finally, I want to be clear to iterate that my argument is not about “God loving sinners” or even “God’s willingness to save sinners”. For that, I believe, is mighty and ever present. You will find no disagreement with me in those areas. However, sinners, those who do not obey Jesus, whether you call them friends or not, have the following passage written for them:
Rom 2:5-8
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
NASB
It appears to me that those who “do not obey the truth” are not accepted.
Of course, that is only if you believe the plain writing in the Scriptures.
For the Truth of my King
Skopos Theou said,
April 26, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Nothing could be clearer than what you wrote. It is not an issue about the love, mercy and grace of God to sinners but of friendship with them. Friends are those you are in harmony with, have partnership with, have agreement with, have things in common with. Everything which 2 Cor 6:14-18 states. Only after the sinner repents of sin in response to the mercy of God can such characteristics of friendship as these be possible. Truth is primarily learned by contrasts and James 4:4 contrasting friends and enemies of God is clear. Lastly, the only two men attested as friends of God in the Bible were Moses and Abraham. What could be clearer. Thanks for the Truth of our King!
jeff said,
August 20, 2009 at 9:45 am
Many people might say that I am their best friend while to me they are merely an acquaintance. Could it be this way with Jesus. The scripture said “You are my friends if…” It doesn’t say “I won’t be your friend unless…” Can you see the difference. Jesus is the best friend any of us has ever had. He reached out to us when we were still in the mire. Right. That is what a friend does. Please don’t use your theology to justify withdrawing from the people that Jesus died to save.
TruthofmyKing said,
August 20, 2009 at 10:56 am
Jeff,
Thanks for the comment.
Let me reason with you for a moment.
I think almost everone would agree with the basic logic behind the statement “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk”
Common sense, right!
Now if Jesus is your friend and your judge, then I need to ask an obvious question:
Will your friend cast you into hell to be tormented for an eternity?
Do friends cast one another into hell?
Can’t you see what is going to happen on judgment day?
Instead of telling everyone Jesus is your “friend” you should consider telling them that there is wrath and indignation stored up for them.
Maybe tell them they will spend an eternity in hell, unless they repent.
You can call Jesus whatever you want, friend or no friend, but the fact is that there will be a day when He will judge every man and MOST will go to hell while a FEW will enter into the kingdom of heaven.
I think once that great and terrible day is over, you will have a hard time convincing those that are being tormented in hell, that the Judge who just sent them there to be tormented, with no hope of it ever ceasing, is their friend.
The Scripture bears out many facts that GOD does NOT walk around with a perpetual smile on all people, here are a few of those verses:
Psalms 5:5
…Thou dost HATE ALL who do iniquity.
NASB
Rom 2:5-6
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds
NASB
Matt 13:41-42
41 “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
NASB
For the Truth of my King
DARRYL KENDRICK said,
December 9, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I WRESTLED WITH THIS QUESTION ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS,AND I THINK THE MOST SIMPLE ANSWER IS JESUS WAS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD WHO CAME TO EARTH CLOTHED IN FLESH TO BE A SACRAFICE FOR SINFUL MAN,HE WALKED WITH SINNERS TO SHOW THEM THAT LIGHT HAD COME INTO THE WORLD,AND HE ALSO SHOWED THE SELF RIGHTOUES THAT THEIR WORKS WOULD BE THE VERY THING THAT COINDEMED THEM.
REF JOHN 3:19; AND MATHEW 23:1-39 ALSO HYPROCRITES DON’T GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING GOD IS WATCHING ALL THAT WE DO MATHEW 7:21-23
Karl said,
March 8, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Nicely reasoned argument based on the Scriptures as opposed to the emotional reasoning and rationalisation that is ever present with each one of us.
You won’t make too many friends by sticking to what Jesus said in His Word but then again you’ll have the friendship of God. Easy choice to make. Thanks for your thoughts.
RussK said,
October 14, 2010 at 12:43 pm
So is Jesus your friend…or not ?
Do you “obey Him” ?
Do you “commit lawlessness” ?
Or do you “have no iniquity” ?
Can you say you have “no friendship with the world” ?
Can you honestly say before a perfect God that there are no sinful practices in your life ?
Knowing what you know…can you say that He is your friend ? Or not ?
TruthofmyKing said,
October 14, 2010 at 7:52 pm
RussK,
Please read the following:
Matthew 7:22-23
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
NASU
When Jesus says “DEPART FROM ME…” to an individual (AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, HE WILL) and that same individual is then sent to hell, and is being tormented for an eternity, then I think the whole “Is Jesus my friend or not” argument will end, don’t you.
God is no friend of sinners. He will cast men and women into eternal judgment and get glory for doing so.
Go ahead and continue to distort the Truth and convince men they are all friends with the one who will torment them for an eternity and there is no wrath awaiting them.
I will not take only half the gospel!
Now read this:
1 John 3:7-8
Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
NASU
Do you notice the common sense……
How about the word “Practice” Practice means trying to live righteously…. This does not mean perfect bur referring to a lifestyle. And your lifestyle is not for the sake of salvation (for that is by grace) but because it is obviously pleasing to your Father.
Now, if you were to write this passage then the last part would read :
“the one who practices sin, is the friend of Jesus; for the devil has sinned from the beginning and he, also, is the friend of Jesus.”
Give me a break. Live by every word of God and not just the ones that make you feel good.
Repen and Believe the Gospel…..The entire Gospel
For the Truth of my King!
RussK said,
October 14, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Okay. Sorry.
I kinda just expected for you to state that you were His friend…and to testify as to why…
Don’t you believe that someone who truly knows Him as their Friend should be able to do so ?
“Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Jesus befriended me as a sinner. His kindness (i.e. friendship) lead me to repentance. I (as a sinner) saw a great friend in Jesus who laid down His life for me.
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life. Romans 5:10
I have been befriended by the One who said to love even our enemies. I praise Jesus, for surely He lived out what He taught.
Upon His betrayal…
Matthew 26:49-50
Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.”
If you believe that Jesus’s death and love towards sinners does not imply friendship then I respectfully, but for the last time, disagree.
Jesus knows not all will repent and be saved (example Judas) and yet Jesus was still a friend to right up to the end.
For the law was given through Moses; GRACE AND truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 (emphasis mine)
I leave these words humbly…for your prayerful consideration.
If these comments do not bring you (or anyone else) closer to Him, than by all means disregard.
Please consider leaving me as I leave you…in His peace.
TruthofmyKing said,
October 15, 2010 at 8:21 am
RussK,
John 15:14
14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.
NASU
Pretty Clear! Jesus Defines who His friends are. Notice that it is quite different from your definition.
You should be ashamed ignoring scripture like John 15:14. You ignore all similar verses and won’t comment on them. You will not come to the light because the light exposes your deeds.
Here is your chance to show regard for the truth.
In the following verse, and in context, is the “Friend of Sinners” statement an accusation hurled at our blessed Saviour or a declaration that He is indeed a “Friend of Sinners”? Go ahead, study it out. I am not ashamed of the truth.
Does it not exist in the same passage which accuses John the Baptist of having a demon, and accuses the mighty Christ of being a drunkard and a glutton?
Matthew 11:18-19
18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
NASU
Notice that the “wisdom” of these accusation will be vindicated (last part of verse 19)!
Definition of vindicated: 1. To clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof
Why don’t you speak to the fact that “Many” of the people who think Jesus is their friend will be cast into eternal fire and torment by Him. After, let’s say an equivalent of 1000 years of torment and weeping and gnashing of teeth, would you still claim that he is your friend?
He offers friendship to everyone! Not everyone is His friend! Big Difference!
You need to start rightly dividing the Truth. Not intentionally ignoring verses that don’t line up with your way of thinking.
JESUS IS MY FRIEND!
For the Truth of my King
RussK said,
October 15, 2010 at 9:58 am
Wesley,
Thanks for writing back.
I assume the best of you and hear your comments about “you should be ashamed” and the previous “Give me a break. Live by every word of God and not just the ones that make you feel good..” as comments uttered in gentleness and respect for 1 Peter 3:15 states:
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
To me the real point of clash here…the area where Jesus needs to be proclaimed in a more full and balanced way…has to do with the manner of which you inform people of hell, repentance and obedience to Him.
But first let me state, with gentleness and respect, where I don’t think we have disagreement.
Wesley, I believe in the scriptures that you cite concerning hell…and understand your seeing those as an antithesis to Jesus being the friend of sinners. I also know that you have written that we are to love sinners “Associate with them…Yes. Dine with them…Yes. Visit with them…Yes.” and not for the purpose of merely hanging out…but for the express purpose of hoping that they have a change of mind and heart…about their sin and who Jesus is. On this point I think we agree. If you want delineate those actions from the definition of being a friend, really that’s fine with me.
I also understand what you are getting at…with the Pharisee’s accusations being a false portrayal of what Jesus was truly doing. You apply common sense to show that Jesus couldn’t be a friend of sinners…due to the source and nature of the accusations…but I apply common sense in a slightly different way. Your emphasis that Jesus was not a drunkard, nor glutton therefore He must not be a friend of sinners in any way. In the sense of the pharisee’s (and your) overstatement, I completely agree. Jesus wasn’t a glutton, but He did eat with people. Jesus wasn’t a drunkard, but He did go to wedding celebrations and other dinner parties where people drank wine. He wasn’t a friend of sinners who accepted people as they were, only to leave them that way…but did He did befriend them to reveal to them their sin and Himself. I know you know this. Again, even amongst these different applications of common sense - I don’t perceive real clash between us concerning these points of discussion.
I think what’s left, then, is your pronouncement to ‘obey Jesus’ as the only grounds to being His friend…and your strong warning of judgement and torment for the unrepentant. The scriptures that you cite are true. Yet, the emphasis and lack of context you give them is where I take issue…this is where I believe we have clash.
John 15:14 is true… but do you see how it’s somewhat divorced of it’s context…in terms of what Jesus had said right before this statement? Before Jesus said that “my friends obey me”…He said He loved them, and called them to abide in His Love, and He indicated that apart from Him they cannot do anything…
So one of my points of disagreement…is that it’s not gentle nor respecting to your hearers Wesley, to call them to obey Jesus’s commands without doing it the way Jesus did. Furthermore, Jesus’s commands include imperatives that call those who are ‘weak and heavy laden’ to come to Him and find rest…and that the work of God is this - to believe in the One whom was sent. (Matt. 11:28, John 6:29) There appears to be a lack of emphasis on this when mentioning obedience to Jesus’s commands…and thus being His friend.
A similar treatment is given when the subject of judgment and torment are mentioned. That’s why I cited John 1:17…because Jesus is grace as well as truth. When you mention the truth of torment and thus the need for repentance…please consider also mentioning the grace and love that can only be found in the person of Jesus.
In conclusion, I gently, respectfully, submit the following:
One cannot share truth without grace…for the truth of hell mentioned without the grace of Jesus is not the whole truth.
One cannot share grace without truth…for the grace of Jesus mentioned without the truth of hell is an ill-informed grace.
You know who got this balance down perfectly ?
I’m not ashamed to confess - It’s not me.
It’s our mutual Friend.
He embodied it.
I am grateful to Jesus for the opportunity to get to know Him better through this conversation. But let’s put this conversation to rest…and both agree to continue to pursue knowing Him better today…as long as is it still called today. Amen?
Russ K.
Christine said,
August 8, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Jesus was a friend of sinners. He hung out with them, listened to them, genuinely loved them.
Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. So what? Doesn’t mean he actually was one.
Jesus, in John 15:14, says “if you are my friend you will obey my commands” in speaking to his disciples. He speaks different messages to different people according to what they need to learn. Don’t you do the same thing?
TruthofmyKing said,
August 8, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Christine,
In your comment you said “Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. So what? Doesn’t mean he actually was one.”
That was not the full accusation in the Scripture.
You left one accusation off, you quoted God’s word out of context. He was accused of 3 things in one single sentence. Not 2 things, but 3.
He was accused of being a Drunkard, a Glutton, and a Friend of Sinners and tax gathers.
Those are ALL the accusations thrown at Him, in context, and in the same sentence.
But it seems that you want to ignore the 3rd accusation for some reason.
Jesus Christ will judge the world. The scriptures testify that “Many” will not enter heaven. When the “Many” or, in other words, “sinners” enter hell and are being tormented “In the presence of the Lamb”, I think it will be hard to convince them that Jesus is their Friend. This is just a fact.
You are doing yourself and the world a dis-service if you continually try to convince men that their eternal Judge is their friend when the Scriptures say “wrath is stored up for them”.
Think about it.