In Key Life magazine, Steve Brown observed, “I love Jesus’ words concerning tax collectors. When He was criticized for spending time with such riffraff, He responded, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners'” (Matt. 9:12-13).
“If we spend a lot of time telling people about their sin — how they have failed and how they could do better — they are going to become discouraged. Not only that, they will continue to fail, and they will refuse to get better. Besides, most people already are painfully aware of their sin, of how they have failed and how they ought to get better.
“Just tells people about forgiveness, and then gets out of the way. The devil will take the hindmost, and God will continue the process. The results will be far better than you would ever believe.
“Am I saying we should not tell people about the horror of sin? Of course not. Am I saying we should not teach biblical methodologies of getting better? No way. Am I saying we should encourage failure? Are you kidding? All I’m saying is that it’s a matter of focus.
“Certain things about the Christian life are important, and certain other things are far more important than the ones that are important. If we focus on the less important, we will build a prison for ourselves and for others that will rob us of our freedom. You can focus on rules, regulations, propriety and programs for righteousness; or you can focus on Christ and your relationship with Him.
“You can hardly do both.” (Click here to read the full article.)