A podcast listener named Sarah, who lives in Chicago, writes and asks this to her pastor,

John, how should Christians respond to the sin of unbelievers?

I have a long time friends who are not Christians who partake in drunkenness and homosexuality

among other sins, and I'm wondering how to respond to their behavior with love and with grace.

In conversation, should I be unresponsive to their willful sin in the hopes of remaining

friends with them and their eventual salvation, or should I call out their sin and explain

to them why they are in need of a savior with the risk of alienating them and losing

our friendship?

We know that Jesus was called a friend of tax collectors and sinners, Matthew 1119.

And we know that he was invited into the homes of sinners, both the non-religious kind,

like tax collectors and sinners, he calls them people like prostitutes, and the religious

kind, like Pharisees, what we don't know is how often Jesus was invited back.

And the reason that seems like a real question to me as I read the Gospels is that he explained

his presence with sinners differently than you might expect.

He didn't explain himself as a simple friend who just enjoys hanging out with sinners,

like they would make them feel good.

Friendship with tax collectors and sinners and Pharisees did not mean for Jesus the enjoyment

of their fellowship.

They had very little income to fellowship around.

He loved them too much to enjoy what they enjoyed.

The way Jesus explained his presence with sinners was this.

This is Matthew 910.

...