Friendship with the World

"The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'
( - Jesus, Luke 7:34 NASB)

'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.'
(James 4:4 NASB)

'It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.'
( - the Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 1:15 NASB)

• Was Jesus, in fact, a friend of sinners?
• What is to be the nature of our relationships as believers with unbelievers?
• As believers, should we refer to ourselves as ‘sinners’?

As I've reflected on much of the teaching I've heard in recent times, as well as many conversations I've had, it seems to me much confusion abounds regarding these questions.  I hear the term 'contextualization' used and abused.  We want to be faithful to God, but we also want to 'reach the world for Christ'.  How do we live in such a way?  God is so gracious to us in providing the clear counsel of Scripture and the compelling model of Christ.  So, let's start by looking at Him.

Was Jesus, in fact, a friend of sinners?
This is a common phrase used of Christ from the time of the Gospels until modern times.  Personally I've never been very comfortable with it, and I've struggled to discern whether this is my own wrong preference, or if there is something to it Scripturally.  I've believed that, at the very least, the expression needs to be qualified or explained.  As I've looked closely at Luke 7 and other parallel passages, I've noticed some things in the context of Scripture. 

First, who called Jesus a 'friend of sinners'?  This was not the testimony of Jesus regarding Himself, nor of the apostles regarding Him.  It was the Pharisees who described Jesus this way.  How often were they accurate in their characterization of Jesus?  It's worth noting that they also said, 'He casts out demons by the ruler of demons.' (Matthew 9:34)  We don't refer to Jesus this way or sing songs about it because it is patently false.  So why does 'friend of sinners' persist?

Second, who were these people with whom Jesus was eating and drinking?  Was Jesus pursuing people who had no intention of following Him, comfortable in their sin?  Mark 2:15 tells us that, of these 'tax collectors and sinners' Jesus and His disciples were dining with, 'there were many of them, and they were following Him.'  These were people who were in a state of repentance, who were turning from their sin and following Him.  By contrast, Jesus did not entrust Himself to many who had come to see His signs, knowing what was in their hearts (see John 2:24-25).

In all of this, Jesus was clear in His purpose: "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) and "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)

What is to be the nature of our relationships with unbelievers?
'Friendship with the world is hostility toward God…' (from James 4:4)  Is this unclear?

Let's see if we can unfold this a bit.  When the New Testament speaks of 'the world' in this sense, it is speaking of a value system that is antithetical to God, a value system that places man, and not God, at the center.  1 John 2:15-16 explains to us clearly that if we love what we can have, see, and do - in other words, are characterized by lust and pride - then we do not have the love of God in us.  Jesus further emphasized that our worldliness is not from without, but from within (Mark 7:20-23), and Paul reminds us that temptation comes primarily from our inward lust (James 1:14).  So we recognize that worldliness is not simply a matter of who or what we are exposed to externally, but the character of our hearts internally.  So my first consideration must be, 'am I putting myself at odds with God by my own sin?'

Yet, we see that there is an external component that influences our inner character of worldliness.  We are warned to be careful of those things outside of ourselves and how they impact our character and behavior.  "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." (1 Corinthians 15:33)  'A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty.' (Proverbs 27:12).  More directly, we are told 'Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?'  (2 Corinthians 6:14)  This is strong language which some have used to justify Christians having little to no contact with unbelievers.  I believe we see from both the words (e.g. John 17:15, Luke 5:32) and example of Jesus that this is not what God has in mind for us.

So what are we to make of all of this?

It is all about us being like Christ and seeing others as Christ does.  United with Him in salvation, partnered in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we reach out in discerning relationship to bring others to Christ.  More on this in a bit…

As believers, should we refer to ourselves as ‘sinners’?
In the course of my lifetime I have seen this view fall out of favor and come back again.  I have seen strong objections to songs like 'Only a Sinner, Saved by Grace' by those who would cite Ephesians 1 and the reality of who we are in Christ, declared righteous in Him.  I have tended to agree with this, only to realize that this ignores the reality of my present sin (Romans 7:21) and process of growing to be more like Christ.  It is here that I will fall back on the example of the Apostle Paul, who in 1 Timothy 1:15, in Christ, declared himself the foremost of all sinners.  I won't quarrel with Paul, nor will I claim to be better than him in this regard! 

I am just thankful that God has saved us and called us His friends (John 15:13-15).


Conclusion
Today we have just scratched the surface on a very important topic, one that goes to the very heart of God and to our identity and purpose.  I urge you to further prayer and meditation on these things!

On being like Christ, I am moved by the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.  These are undeniable spiritual realities that tell me that, in Christ I am a new creation, an ambassador for Him, on mission with Him and His people as He appeals to others to be reconciled to Himself.  This is a relentless, all-consuming pursuit, both our identity and our purpose.

On seeing others as Christ does, I am moved by the parable in Luke 18:10-14.  I urge you to consider these words carefully.  We may find that those we think righteous are really worldly, and those we think worldly to be pleasing to God.  May we seek hearts of repentance in ourselves and others.

In His Grip,

Mark