not the righteous, but the sinners

2 Corinthians 6
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?



I wanted to bring this up because I feel that we are often quick to dismiss those that do not agree with our beliefs. I have heard people say that we as Christians should not associate with non-believers, or “sinners”. I can see where people would read the passage above and think just that, but I would like to bring a different perspective.

Yes, we must separate ourselves from non-believers, or “sinners”. The wicked has no place with the righteous. That at face value seems very easy, but when you look at it, there is far more to it than just separation. Yes, we should not allow ourselves to be grouped in and labeled with the wicked, yet we must not be afraid to speak boldly, and minister to them. We must be prepared to work with them. Jesus himself frequently dined with sinners. He did this not to be one of them, but to show them how to live. He wanted to offer them salvation, and a chance at a new life. He was not labeled a sinner (though some tried), but his life work was to try and save them. (Matthew 9:12 12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”) We must realize that there is a difference between ministering to, and joining the non-believer. There should not be acceptance, but there should be on our part a willingness to associate. We are children of God, it is our place to help, not judge. We should try to direct, yet not hold ourselves as better than others. We should show the way, but not condemn. This is what makes the Christian lifestyle complicated. We must show love and compassion to all, just as Christ did. So yes, we should work very hard to keep ourselves from being grouped in with the wicked of the world, yet we should have our hand out, offering to grab the wicked, and take him into the fold.


As I talked about yesterday, we all were commissioned by Christ to go out and spread the word. Ministering to each other is the easy part. You do not have to explain yourself to a fellow Christian, nor do they as the “hard questions”. It is only when we get out of our comfort zone and go speak with people that do not hold our same view that we can spread the word. This means that you are going to have to get a little dirty. Just as Christ, you will be talking to people that are not “pillars” of the community. The idea is to offer them hope, but do not join in their group.

I have found that people are looking for answers. They are very reluctant to step into a church, but they want to talk to someone, they want to know. They want to believe, but they do not “trust”. This is what we are here for. Not to sit around and pat each other on the back, and build a wall around our Church community, but to reach out and invite, to answer without contempt as individuals. We are examples of Christ. If he did not hold himself above anyone, I do not see how we can either.

Peace,
Rev. T