There are many popular sayings in the church world and often they have no basis in truth whatsoever. One such saying is that “Jesus is a friend to sinners.”
friend: a person attached to another by feelings of affection, liking, and loyalty; a supporter or ally; a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile.
Does Scripture state anywhere that God is a friend of sinners? Absolutely, unequivocally, not! Yet many professing “Christians” state this as a fact!. They have made up a “god” based on their own imaginations who is nothing like the God of Scripture; so much so that the character of the true God offends them as they truly don’t recognize Jesus and His loving attributes.
Hebrews 7:26 “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS, and made higher than the heavens”
“Separate from sinners” – That is, he did not associate with them as such. He did not partake of their feelings, plans, pleasures (present examples are – bars, nightclubs, strip joints, hellywood movies, commercialized sports, etc, etc). Though he mingled with them, it was merely to do them good (call them to repentance), and in all his life there was an entire separation from the feelings, principles, and views of a sinful world.
Same goes for false brethren: 1Co 5:11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
Much of the Christian contemporary music scene strengthens the image of this false god; an idol that feels really warm and fuzzy to man, but is based in falsehood. One such song is Casting Crowns’ “Jesus, Friend Of Sinners” and another is “God is Not a White Man” by Gungor. Recently, someone contested this article by claiming that God is a friend to all and He loves everyone. After all, don’t we know that Jesus is a friend to sinners? How far from the truth these deceivers truly are.
In John 15:14, Jesus clearly spells out exactly who His friends are, watch closely as you can’t get around the Holy Word fo God. John 15:14 “Ye are my friends, IF YE DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU.” Do sinners obey God? No! They are by definition “children of disobedience“. Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”. Wrath is on such sinners Eph 5:6 “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” and Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience”. Technically, we could end the discussion right there. Jesus makes it abundantly clear who qualifies to be His friend. However, let’s look at why Jesus is not a friend of sinners and where this idea comes from.
“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” John 9:31
God doesn’t even hear sinners lest they truly repent (confess AND forsake their sins). We discussed true repentance in chapter 6. Yet people want to claim that God is still a friend to sinners?? The saying that Jesus is a “friend to sinners” was not a teaching from God. Consider the absurdity of such a statement and its source.
The religious leaders when Jesus’ walked the earth claimed that Jesus was a “friend of sinners” as a way to disparage Him before the people.This is a false charge! Matthew 11:19 “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” If you believe Jesus was a friend of sinners, then you must believe he was a glutton and drunk too and that is blasphemy! Luke 7:34 “The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” These hereticks were mocking him and all they said was false.
The Jews clearly knew that Jesus (God) was not a friend of sinners. He was angry with the wicked “every day” Psalm 7:11 “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” and sin (ones “iniquities have separated” them from God Isa 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Willful sinners (saved sinners) cry to the Lord and He does not hear Micah 3:4 “Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.”
They were accusing Jesus of having “communion/fellowship with darkness” which would make Him a partaker of that darkness. It’s abundantly clear that saints are NOT to have fellowship with sinners (unbelievers), this is true for Jesus too.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and BE YE SEPARATE, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
The same hereticks also stated Jesus was Beelzebub and operating under the power of Satan. Should we believe these statements as being true too? OF COURSE NOT! Claiming Jesus to be a “friend of sinners” was intended to discredit His righteousness. We clearly see that FRIENDSHIP of the WORLD makes on an ENEMY of GOD. God (Jesus) surely can’t oppose Himself.“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7
If Jesus is a friend to sinners, and we surely know “all have sinned” as the bible states, then He logically can’t have any enemies. Jesus being a friend of sinners requires that God is all sinners’ friend.
These religious leaders of the day knew that there was a difference in Jesus’ interactions which excluded them and welcomed others. While Jesus was friendly to others, He was absolutely not to them. Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Jesus was quite clear on whom his enemies were. Surely he was not a “friend of sinners”. John 2:15-16 “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”
Why you ask? Because the religious leaders failed to bring forth fruit for repentance. We discussed in detail it’s the quality of true repentance that makes a sinner able to be received by God. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation…” Remember the two thieves on the cross. They were both sinners, but only one received salvation/fellowship with Christ AFTER he truly repented. Surely Jesus knew his heart as he confessed and forsook his sin hanging on that cross next to Jesus.
“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13
Repentance is not a one time act (sinners prayer) or being sorry for a particular sin at a moment in time. True repentance is an acknowledgement of sin and your transgression against God and the turning of the heart so that we can see sin as God does. We are acknowledging that we must forsake sinful ways – all of them – and not pursue sin, but pursue righteousness. True repentance is seen in an attitude that abhors sin. We see the world as Jesus does when we are truly abiding in Him.
God gives HIS grace to the humble, but opposes the sinner. 1st Peter 5:5 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. ” And salvation, through which the repentant are reconciled to God and made His friend, comes by grace. Apart from repentance from sin, we are enemies of God, His wrath abide on us (John 3:36) and we still are in need of reconciliation and salvation from God. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10
What’s wrong with portraying God as a friend to sinners? Simply, it’s a lie and we know where liars end up. Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers(A DRUGGIST/PHARMACIST/DR WHO PRESCRIBES MIND-ALTERING PILLS), and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Imagine, a sinner who is also a “friend of God” has absolutely no need to repent (turn from sin) because they believe they are already acceptable to God. It tells man he is already “whole” with no need of a physician. Matthew 9:12 “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” The problem is, a sinner is NOT whole and sadly, they are sitting in the pews around the world thinking they will make heaven. This false teaching blinds man to the need of repentance, which is the only way we are indeed made God’s friend, thereby condemning man’s soul to eternal death.
In reading this, some might say, “But I am a sinner!” Then my only answer for you is that you need to repent as discussed in chapter 6.
You are not a friend of God if still in sin (Psalm 5:4-6; II Corinthians 6:14-16; Matthew 7:23-24; John 12:46; I John 1:6, 2:4).
The Good News to sinners is NOT that Jesus is your friend, but that you no longer have to be a slave to sin (Romans 6:1-22, 8:2-13; I John 3:8-10). You can be changed, and through that change you can be made a friend of God. Surely I pray you heed HIS advice and come to HIM on HIS terms, not yours or your “pastors” if it does not line up with the bible.
Casting Crowns the group that sings – “Jesus, Friend Of Sinners” and Gungor – the group which sings the blasphemous song “God is Not a White Man” had a BIG hit in recent years with the song “I am a Friend of God”. Who is a friend of God? To whom is this song directed? According to “God is Not a White Man” it is the atheists, charlatans, communists, lesbians, and terrorists…just to name a few. In fact, all the monetized contemporary christian groups are sold out to the devil!
Do you not see the web that is being woven, the anti-christ agenda being promoted? Are we so blind that we cannot perceive the false gospel used in these songs in order to blind people to their only hope of salvation from the world and from Hell?
Oh how the world perverts the things of God. We now have a Christian “god” promoted in song and in worship in churches all across the world who is no God at all, but works to destroy the very essence of who God is. The modern-day Pharisee is not the one calling sinners to repentance, but those claiming that such don’t need to repent!
Let your message be the message of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let you words be the first words of the Gospel. All else is false and the preaching of “another Jesus” (II Corinthians 11:4).
“Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.” Proverbs 28:18
Are YOU a friend of sinners? Warning!
Luk 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Luk 7:32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
Luk 7:33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
Luk 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Luk 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Do you fear God thinking He is a friend of those He hates?
Psa 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Psa 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psa 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
He is offering His love, big difference
Pro 6:16-19