Breaking News: Sinners sin. Sinners are acutely aware that they sin.

Too often as Christians, we expect the world to behave like us, forgetting we can only “behave” because the power of the Holy Spirit. Sinners don’t need guilt. They don’t need condemnation. They don’t need shame. They have an abundance of that.

What sinners need to know is that there are other options. What they need to know is that Jesus loves them as they are. He forgives them freely. He died for them. He is not condemning them.

Last night, four people on our team had the privilege of praying for a man who wreaked with alcohol. He was literally oozing with sin.

But we did not condemn him. We didn’t tell him that the alcohol and drugs were killing him. He knew that. What he didn’t know was Jesus loved him. That thought was incomprehensible to him. He rejected the idea. He rejected the idea that he could be forgiven after living such a lifestyle.

But four of God’s children loved on him. Cried with him. Insisted that their Father loved him. He was their brother and they wanted to reconcile him to his Father.

But first, the spirit of condemnation had to go.
The voice that said, “you are too far gone.” The voice that screamed, “sinner.” The voice that demanded, “condemnation had to be evicted.

So the four of us stood together, yield our authority as sons and daughters, stood in the gap for our lost brother, and commanded the spirit of condemnation to go. Commanded the spirits of addiction, shame and guilt release our brother.

Our brother came home. He accepted the Father’s love and forgiveness. He accepted Jesus.

Jesus said it the best: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The next time you see a “sinner”, don’t see their sin. See a brother or a sister who is lost and God has called you to lead them home by demonstrating love.