Sinner Friend Shedding.

I have noticed striking differences between Christians and Christ. I find this ironic because you would think that people who would preface a name-tag that they are known as with Christ, (Christ...ian) would live like and find their identity in Christ rather than living like a religionist and finding their identity in denominalism.

One problem that a lot of Christians have that Christ didn’t have is developing a relational friendships with people who believe different than they do or who are not believers at all. And in most cases Christians have only a superficial relationship with people who believe the way they do.

When Christians try to befriend others, including nonbelievers, the doctrine of hell looms large. Fear of God sending people to hell propels most Christians into such an unloving state of mind that it renders them unable to relate to the very people they feel so cocksure are going to hell.

Christian religionists say in some shape or form to sinners, “Jesus loves you and died for you, so you don’t have to go to hell,” or “Jesus went to hell so you don’t have to go” or “God hates you sinners you are going to hell,” or “the Glory Train is at the station, get on board to escape God’s wrath!” The essence of the Gospel to the religionists is: turn or burn. Needless to say that these folks turn more people off from God than they “win to God.” They have near zero capacity to have meaningful friendship relationships with non-Christians, the very ones they should have genuine relationships with.

I wonder, how many non-Christians would consider people who are Christians their friend? Mm-mm...a sobering question. Why is it that once a person becomes a believer in Christ, he or she loses contact with all unbelieving friends within a short time. Where did this “sinner friend shedding” come from...not from Jesus. This “sinner friend shedding” at least in part, has been due to a misinterpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 that is used for “sinner friend shedding” justification, it reads; “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” Therefore, many believe that as a  Christian we should shun the “sinning sinner”. But this religious interpretation is wrong. Paul is not telling us not to have unbelievers as friends, but not to join together with unbelievers in their practices in the world system way of doing things. In other words, the yoking together means to join with them in their lifestyle and belief system, and, therefore, becoming like them. This does not mean that we are not to have relationships with them. Christians should have unbelieving friends. JESUS  DID!

Seeing Christ eating and drinking with and showing grace to unbelievers in His befriending them, the religionists of His day began to look down in scorn upon Him. Sadly, religionists  today treat Grace believers with contempt for loving and giving hope to the sinner and in some cases assign the grace believer to the same hell they assign the sinners.