Jesus Eats with Sinners
In my many travels (read this article) I came across an image with some text that seemed to be saying that Jesus would endorse/support sin because he ate with sinners. I may have gotten the message a bit mixed up (I doubt it though), but I do think and know that there are people who believe that because Jesus ate with sinners, that it must mean that he accepted their sinful ways as okay to live in and would encourage these sins to continue. I beg to differ and scripture would disagree with that too (that is what is most important). Jesus does not endorse sin. Many look at Jesus and forget why he came to earth and what his purpose was while he was here. I hope I can remind people today that Jesus would not encourage or endorse sinful behavior.
In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus had called Levi to follow him. Levi was a tax collector and they were known to take more taxes and save some for themselves. While eating with Levi and other tax collectors, the Pharisees got upset with Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus told them that it is not the well, but the sick that needed doctors just as the sinners (the sick) are the ones who needed Jesus. Why would a sinner need Jesus? So that they can follow him. If you love Jesus and what he stood for then understand he was not just a good person, but a servant of God doing the Lord's will while loving the unloving and the sinners.
And remember that Jesus did not want you to sin. Remember the adulteress woman who the Pharisees brought to him to have her stoned according to the law (John 8:1-11)? After he made some markings in the sand, Jesus told the Pharisees whomever had not sinned could cast the first stone. The Pharisees one by one dropped their stones and walked away and could no longer condemn her. When there was no one left to condemn her, Jesus said he didn't condemn her either and that she should "go and sin no more." Jesus wants us to be united with God in Heaven and if we are accepting of God's grace and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior then we get who Jesus is. For those that think that Jesus just accepted everyone and was okay with everything, they still have some reading to do.
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Thank Him for Strength
Paul's strength to do his ministries were not of his own accord. He knew that. We should know that our strength to do God's work does not come from our own reserve either. In 1 Timothy 1:12 Paul says " I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service..." We can do the same. While we are not Paul, we do know that God has, does and will continue to appoint those He chooses to do His work. What has he called you to do?
Another note, if we look at Paul's life in whole and not in part we will see that verse 15 that speaks of Paul being the worst sinner is not a verse that many can apply to themselves. I personally, due to my guilt of my own sin, used to wear a t shirt that displayed my guilt as if referenced that verse and being the worst sinner. But, in fact that verse that Paul wrote was in literal reference to himself in regard to him being personally responsible for the death of Christians because they were Christian. So, before you go quoting scripture and applying it to you, make sure it is not one that is specific to just one person and can only or primarily apply to them.
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