"The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves." (Romans 14:22)
We are commanded to reach out and preach the Gospel to all creation, and of course that includes our non-believing friends. Many who do try to reach out, however, find themselves doing things they do not approve of. Is this OK? Let's talk about that.
Reaching In
Many of us have non-believing friends we want to win to Christ. In attempting to reach out to them, however, many make the mistake of compromising their stand when it comes to the key issues of sin and purity. While the motive to bring friends to Christ is good, the means by which we attempt to win them might be wrong.
For example, there are some who try to win friends who like to go out drinking but end up getting drunk themselves. Now is that right? I don't think so. Worse, that friend who likes to get drunk may make light of our being Christian because our testimony is compromised, thinking "you're the same as I am" and "if he's drunk, then it must be ok."
The Bible warns us Christians, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12) We should not be complacent in watching over ourselves as we try to reach out to our non-believing friends. It's one thing to accompany others, but it's another to join in. We learn that from Jesus himself, who often ate with sinners but always with an invitation or instruction to them to leave their lives of sin.
Sin is sin so although we really want to reach out, it's important to do that in ways that aren't doing wrong in the sight of God. Being a presence and demonstrating godly, unconditional love are powerful in themselves.
Reaching Out
Paul was so successful in reaching out to various people in different places and cultures. To do that, he said he had to adapt to them:
"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself servant to all, that I might win even more. To the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are outside the law, as outside the law (being not without God's law, but under Christ's law) that I might win those who are outside the law. To the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. This I do for the gospel's sake, that I might partake of it with you." (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
Take note of what Paul did. He had the purpose (winning people to Christ), the message (Gospel), the means (being a servant to all), and a safety clause: ("but under Christ's law"). That last part is just as important as the others.
I hope and pray you stick to the things God approves of as you reach out to your friends in His love. Stay away from the things that aren't of Christ and focus instead on being Christ-like as you win people to Him.
