7 - God's view of sinful people

Luke 7
47. Therefore her sins - and they are many - are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love."
48. And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."    (Living Bible)

Because Jesus commended the woman for showing her love publicly and at cost, it did not mean that He denied the facts of her life: she was a social outcast because of her sinful lifestyle.
So how does God view and deal with sinful people, like us?

First, He requires us to agree with Him that our lives are indeed full of sin.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 6:
9. Don't you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers or homosexuals - will have no share in his Kingdom. Neither will thieves or greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers.
11. There was a time when some of you were just like that but now your sins are washed away, and you are set apart for God, and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
12. I can do anything I want to if Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren't good for me. Even if I am allowed to do them, I'll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can't easily stop when I want to.    (Living Bible)

In these verses, Paul covers everything that leads to self-destruction and spiritual death, including addiction - verse 12.
However, we notice that Paul also says in verse 11 that some of the Corinthian Christians used to have sinful lifestyles, until their sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus and until they were set apart for God.

The fact is this:
God does not refuse to receive sinners, as long as they acknowledge that they are sinners and abandon that lifestyle and allow the Holy Spirit work God's complete cleansing into their lives.

Are you a sinner?
Do you prove it by living a sinful lifestyle?
Or do you cover it up and pretend it isn't so?

God does not reject you, if you come to Him by His method, which is asking Jesus Christ to wash your sins away.
That's only step one. But it's vital.

Prayer:
Father, today I admit and acknowledge that I am a sinner.
If I have been pretending otherwise, please forgive me and wash away my sins in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
in whose name I pray,    Amen.