“The friend of sinners,” we call our Lord. But do we really believe that He is..? I mean, of course, as Casting Crowns would have us reminded, we do tend to forget that in dealing with others who we would be quick to label as a ‘sinner.’ Like we are any better..? That is a common failing, I agree. And we, in humility, need to seek His grace to help us be wiser to our faults, and compassionate toward those of others. But I wonder, are we quick enough to believe that He is a friend of sinners, when it is us who happen to fall into sin..?
Could we..? Should we..? At the end of it, I’ll leave it to you to decide. But there are certain things from the Bible that I feel lead to share. About us. About the nature of sin. With tales of guilt and shame. And with tales of love and grace.
There is something about sin, that the Bible finds is common among those who have fallen under its weight. The first to fall under sin in the Garden of Eden felt the same, so did people in the times of the Christ and so do people in our times.
When God created Adam and Eve, even though they had the will to choose, they were sinless. All they had to avoid to remain sinless and choose God over sin, was to abide by the one restriction He placed on them, saying “..of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” But even then, they sinned. And once sin ensnared them, something changed…
..and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8
The couple who enjoyed fellowship with God in Eden, could no longer dare to be in His presence. According to the Bible, they hid from His presence, even before God could confront them. They hid, being confronted by their own conscience.
At another point in time.. when the Lord began His earthly ministry, He went about to gather His disciples. And one of them was Simon Peter, a fisherman. After speaking to a crowd that was gathered on the shore to hear Him, Jesus lead Peter to fish in the deep. Peter and his companions had toiled all night, and found nothing in those waters. Even if he weren’t too eager, Peter decided to follow, where Jesus lead.
That decision transformed the life of this fisherman. But before the transformation, there is something that happened in the boat, that once again brings to light the nature of sin. When Peter hauled in a large catch of fish, which by all logic should not have been there, he could see that the One who was with him was more than a mere man. And at that realisation, the familiar feeling returned…
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Luke 5:8
Sin that made Adam and Eve hide from the Holy One in the Garden of Eden, made Simon Peter, plead for the Lord who’s presence he believed he did not deserve, to leave him. There is one thing in common between these tales from both Testaments: God comes in search of people lost in sin. Sin makes people turn away from God…
How often do we find that we, like Peter or the couple from Eden, shy away from God, because of our sins..? Even though we have access to the knowledge of the Good News that Christ Jesus brought into this world, when we fall into sin, how easy is it to fall into the same spiral of guilt and shame..?
Even if we know that our God is love, the memories that we carry remind us of how undeserving we are of His love. We’re reminded of the last time we had a fall. Maybe, the dozens of times we’ve fallen before then too. We’re reminded of His loving embrace that took us in despite our sins. But here we are again…
“Surely, my Lord deserves better. How many times will I disappoint Him..? If I come to Him now, He will forgive me and take me in, but what if I fall into sin once again..? Let me not trouble Him. I have to make myself better before I return to Him. I will deal with my sin, and then I will come to Him with some good deeds in hand, to show for the love and faith He has shown in me,” we may find ourselves saying. An appreciable desire perhaps, but we know where that pursuit takes us, don’t we..?
Further away from God we go, as we refuse to turn to Him. Either persisting in the same sin, or finding our condition worsen. All the while forgetting, that our Lord, He is a friend of sinners. All the while forgetting that He isn’t looking for good deeds of ours in return for His mercy. All God desires from us, is all Peter had within him in that boat with Jesus…
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:17
When God sees us, His children, broken in spirit and our hearts crushed by guilt and shame, He yearns to embrace us. And to embrace the sinner, the Holy One came in the form of a man, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross. The blood that He shed, He shed to cleanse us from our sin. Sin that once had the power to turn us away from the love of God. Power that sin has no more…
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
Are you troubled by your sin..? Are you unsure if you’re to turn to Him or not..? Are you afraid of God..? Are you afraid of being a disappointment once again..? Remember the words that the Lord spoke in reply to sinful Peter’s guilt filled admission:
And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;”
Luke 5:10
In the end, knowledge defines our relationship with God. The knowledge of good and evil, causes us to turn away from God, knowing that by ourselves, we fall short of His holiness. The knowledge of Christ Jesus though, helps us turn to Him, knowing that in Him, we are made holy, as He is. Know Him: Jesus, the friend of sinners. Come to Him as you are. He will make you, what you are meant to be…
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
ramos
UNBURDENED HEART 