If you reach out to help someone, you’re condoning their actions. They must first show true sorrow about their actions (implied, come begging to me for mercy) and only then can we love them.
I have heard that from my more righteous friends and relatives.
Jesus heard that, too.
In fact, the dinner party I talked about yesterday had attendance divided amongst the righteous and the not-righteous. And Jesus seemed to be having more fun with the not-righteous. Made the righteous indignant–and left out. When they thought they should have been the rock stars.
Jesus told the parable of the two sons about God’s love and acceptance of both the sons–that is, both of the groups at the party.
Jesus didn’t condone sinful actions. He knew that those actions led to death. But he loved the people. The woman at the well. The woman about to be stoned. He loved them, but he told them to go and sin no more.
Matthew, the “not-righteous” host of the dinner party, went on to a great career as a disciple of Jesus. Seems the love part worked out pretty well in his case. As in Mary Magdalene’s. As in many others–even today.
Only when you show love to someone can you earn enough respect to be able to show them the way to a life with-God.
Jesus knew and showed example after example. Reach out in love, but ask for total commitment in return.
As Andy Stanley is saying in his current series of messages. Jesus didn’t create “Christians.” He created something far more difficult. He created disciples. And he did it often from the ranks of the “not-righteous.”
Tell someone today that God loves them. And mean it. That will help both of you.
Faith Venture 
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