Jesus Saves Sinners

Jesus loves you. Jesus loves me. Jesus loves you and me. Jesus loves sinners. You and I are sinners and yes, Jesus loves us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). There is no greater love than the love of Jesus. He suffered and died on the cross for guilty sinners like you and me. There’s no way around it; Jesus loves sinners. 

Luke 5:27-32 clearly shows that Jesus loves sinners: And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Many people love this story. They say it shows that Jesus partied with sinners. That Jesus loved people just the way they are. That he accepts all people; that He is all loving and all tolerant. It’s true that Jesus was not afraid of sinners. When He called Levi also known as Matthew to be one of His disciples, Jesus knew that Levi was a tax collector. Back in those days, a tax collector was the scum of the earth. They were the lowest of the low. They collected taxes from their fellow Jews on behalf of the Roman Empire. They collected what the Romans required and then they kept anything above that. So tax collectors were basically a bunch of thieves and extortioners. They were greatly despised and hated by the rest of the Jews.

Please notice that after Jesus tells Levi “Follow me” that verse 28 tells us that Levi left all, rose up, and followed him. This is the key folks. Yes, Jesus loves sinners. He really loves you and me. He suffered and died on the cross for our sins, that’s how much He loves us. But when you truly encounter the living Christ, you are a changed person. Levi left all. He left His wicked job. He quit stealing money from his neighbors. He quit extorting people. He walked away from a very lucrative job, to be one of Jesus’ disciples. Levi had a real, life changing encounter with Jesus Christ and he was never the same after that.

Levi forsook all and followed the Master. He left everything and followed in the footsteps of Jesus. He was a new creature. He walked away from his old desires. God gave him new desires, godly desires. And what was the first thing Levi did after his world shaking encounter with Jesus? Why he held a celebration and invited his sinner friends so they too could see the Messiah; so they could have a life altering encounter with Jesus. Verse 29 says that there were many people at this feast and there were many publicans or tax collectors at this gathering. Levi was so excited about his new life that he wanted everyone else to know about it too. Levi knew first hand that Jesus saves sinners.

The religious leaders of the day took notice of who was at the feast and they asked Jesus’ disciples why He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners. Then Jesus replied with those wonderful words: They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

You see, Levi recognized his own sinfulness instantly when he encountered Jesus and likewise that there was something different about Jesus, that the Messiah was not a sinner like the rest of us. But the religious leaders didn’t get this. They thought that they were righteous, but they were not. They were hypocrites; they were pretenders. They acted all pious and righteous in front of others, and yet they were sinners like everyone else. But they didn’t see their own sins. They were really good at pointing out everyone else’s sins, but they were blinded to their own sins.

The Bible tells us that none of us are righteous. We are all sinners. Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He loves sinners. He suffered and died for sinners; the just for the unjust. He took our place. He took the punishment that you and I deserve. He loves sinners and He came into this world, the same world that He created, in order to save us. He loves sinners and He suffered God’s wrath over our sins while He was beaten and hung on that cruel cross. Jesus saves sinners.

But please don’t miss that He came to call sinners to repentance. He came to call us to repent, because we all are sinners (Romans 3:10). From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).

And here are some more verses on repentance: For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not (Isaiah 30:15). Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth (Jeremiah 31:19).

In Romans 2:5 the apostle Paul warns: But after your hardness and impenitent heart you treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).

Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. Levi repented from his sins. He walked away from his sinful lifestyle. He turned his back on his sin and turned his face toward Jesus. He denied himself, picked up his cross and followed the Lord Jesus. You must do the same today in order to be saved. You cannot serve two masters. You will hate the one and love the other or you will hold to the one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24).

You cannot be double minded.  James says: Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded (James 4:8). Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. If you have never repented from your sins, then you are still lost in your sins. You are still walking on the broad road to destruction.

If you claim to be a Christian and you are still the same blatant sinner you were before you claimed Christ as your Savior, then you are still lost. You’ve never been saved. The apostle Paul told us that we are to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.  Jesus said Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire (Luke 3:8-9).

If you claim that Jesus saved you and you’re still living in open sin against God, then you have not encountered the Living Christ. When you truly encounter Jesus, you are a new creature in Christ. Just like Levi, the transformation is immediate. Levi got up from the table and he never looked back. He was immediately freed from his bondage to sin. Who are you serving tonight? Are you serving Jesus? Are you serving Him with your lips, but your heart is far from Him? Have you surrendered all to our Lord and Savior?

Have you believed in the Lord Jesus with life transforming faith? If you are not fully following Jesus, you are still leading yourself. If you are not a slave to Christ, you are a slave to yourself, Satan or the world. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 2:15-16).

Be saved today. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Submit to the Lordship of Jesus. Walk away from your old life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Walk away from your sins that have enslaved you up to this point in your life. Jesus says, Follow me. Do as the Master says. Humbly deny yourself, come and follow the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Call upon Jesus and be saved. Be set free tonight. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Do this today and be saved. Do not be deceived. Don’t count on a little one time prayer and life goes on as normal. No, you need a real encounter with Jesus Christ today. Be forever changed. Truly be transformed. Confess and forsake your sins. Surrender your life to Jesus. He suffered and died for sinners like you and me. Come, follow Him. Jesus loves sinners like you and me enough to save us, but He loves us too much to leave us in the state of rebellion that we are in before we encounter Him. When Jesus saves you, He changes your life forever.  A saved life is a changed life.

Jesus loves sinners and He saves sinners. Acts 20:21 says that we are to have repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Do this tonight and be saved. Repent and put your faith in Jesus. Today is the day of salvation. Don’t put it off. Jesus saves sinners, but all unrepentant sinners have everlasting damnation waiting for them after they die. Don’t foolishly die in your sins and suffer God’s wrath forever. Do not harden your heart. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus.

Be like Levi tonight; get up from the mire of sins that are holding you down. Push away from the sins that have you snared in bondage. Stand up and follow Jesus. Truly believe in Jesus tonight and watch how He can break every chain that’s been holding you back. Cry out to Jesus tonight to save you. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world works death. Stop working for death. Choose life tonight. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Surrender your life to Him and be set free. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have ever lasting life (John 3:16).

(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on April 10, 2015 during an LGBT rally)
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