Loving The Sinner
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Loving The Sinner
Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 51:1-10
1Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10
Today marks the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attack on our nation at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and possibly the capital or white house if it were not for some brave passengers on the plane that crash landed in a field in Pennsylvania. This was a day in history that will be burned into the minds of those who were alive during this time. I was 13 ½ years old at the time and answering phone calls of concerned parents as one of my hour classes was serving as an office aide. Fun fact, I was originally had Speech and Drama chosen for me during that hour even though I did not choose the class. I wanted an art class but they gave me this other class instead which was taught by the art teacher. I was very reserved and had no desire for public speaking or acting in any shape or form. Funny how things work out though. When the opportunity presented itself though, I high tailed it out of that class.
There were new things that I learned on 9/11/01. I learned a new word called terrorism. I learned that there was more than one religion other than Christianity in the world. It when I learned about the Arab nations and about Islam. It is also a time when I learned about a hatred and fear of a people based upon their nationality and faith. In one day, everything changed in the world. Suddenly there were pictures of Osama Bin Laden with a target over his forehead. The word Arab was used as an insult towards other kids. In one sense from a humanistic point of view this is all understandable. Our nation was attacked by terrorists which began a war on all terror and so humanly this would breed a hatred and mistrust towards all Arabs in our world. However, looking back at all of this now, what if we were to look at this event from a biblical worldview?
Our passage in Exodus this morning shows an event in which the people of Israel have quickly become corrupted and have forgotten everything that God had done for them up to this point. Moses was just gone for a little bit longer than they had expected and they got tired and impatient of waiting in the wilderness. They wanted immediate results of what they were promised and not this waiting period. So, they decided to take matters into their own hands by making and idol for themselves and living as they pleased. They fell into sin and evil. God was ready to destroy these people and start over but Moses begged for mercy and grace over them. They deserved death for their sins for sure but rather than an eternal death they were given a chance at redemption.
Paul in his letter to Timothy talks about how grateful he is that the Lord has considered him to be trustworthy after all of the wrong he had done against followers of Christ. He confesses that in reality he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. However, he acted in ignorance. He thought he knew what he was doing and that he was doing the right thing. That is until the Lord opened the eyes of his heart so that he could truly see the truth. He tells us a trustworthy saying in verse 15 of Chapter 1. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” Paul accepts that he is an imperfect man now living for a perfect God. It would be easy from a human perspective for the disciples and other Christians to still distance themselves and fear Paul, then Saul at the time. However, from a biblical perspective, Paul the sinner has received forgiveness and is now a brother in Christ. Hence with great care and caution the remaining apostles did end up forgiving Paul and accepting him as another apostle.
Luke 15:1-10 tells us about an event in which the so-called men of God were viewing a certain group of people through a human perspective rather than a Godly perspective. The Pharisee’s often noticed how sinners would flock towards Jesus and how Jesus would just accept them and associate with them. They disagreed and disapproved of this. You weren’t supposed to associate with other sinners as they could cause you to fall away and make you unclean. Moreover, the Pharisees saw themselves to be better than these people. They saw themselves to be purer because of their position and status. They were too proud to see that instead of separating themselves and looking down upon the sinners of the world, they should have compassion and seek to restore them into relationship with the Lord. This is why Jesus told them the parable of the lost sheep and coin. He showed them a biblical perspective vs. and worldly perspective. To love the sinner so much that you would leave all others behind to seek out the one who is lost.
I believe that as a nation we responded poorly to these attacks. We responded with a human perspective which is only natural and understandable. However, at some point the hatred has to stop. Osama Bin Laden and all of Al-Qaida, ISIS, the Taliban and the like, all are sinners that need Jesus Christ. Unfortunately for a lot of these terrorists including Bin Laden, they chose to remain in their own ignorance. They believed that they were doing the right thing according to their faith. However, from a biblical perspective, how wonderful it might be if they all would have accepted Jesus as their Lord and savior and become like Paul? It is easy for us in our humanness to set ourselves apart from people just because we know that they do not believe in Jesus so why would we have any reason to associate with them. However, just remember that you too were a sinner just like them going your own way and own path until you found Jesus. How dare we think that this gift is only for us and not for the entire world. If we do not love and seek out the sinners of the world than what should we tell all of these missionaries that we have sent all over the world. Are we sending them out just to seek out other believers like them or are we sending them out to bring the good news messages to those who don’t believe and who are by all rights sinners. Missionaries are sent out for the sinners not the saved. We too have a mission here at home to seek out and associate with sinners just like Jesus did so that they might know Jesus too. We must love the sinner just as Jesus loves the sinner. I believe we have fallen in to a habit in the church of the United States to separate ourselves from the sinners of the world and to seek out other believers when we should be seeking out the lost. My how backwards we have become as a church of the nations. May we see the light of our wrongs and repent, then go out to seek the lost sheep and the lost coins of the world. Even if those people may be like Osama Bin Laden.