I recently was asked a question about whether Jesus is a friend to sinners. I was not asked the question by who asked the question, but by who saw the question ...asking me how I would respond to it.

Though the conversation began with discussing the meaning of friend ...it then moved to friendship, and many statements on the coattails of the initial question.  But, though the conversation talked mostly about what a friend was & to whom, the most confusion seemed to be distinguishing between sin and the sinner.

Mark 2:17, "When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

I Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

Sin is separation from God ...we can't be with God if we are separated, and we have to be saved to not be separated.

I told our children long ago that there is a difference between being "buddies" and being friends ...a true friend does not consider whether you necessarily agree as the highest regard for the basis of the relationship, but by what is believed to be healthy. "Buddies" often get in trouble together because the relationship is based upon getting along, not necessarily doing what is right.

It seems to be a usual case of semantics ...and even the context of the question has changed from whether Jesus is a friend, to the idea of friendship. Someone can be a friend to someone else without the person accepting it ...therefore the friendship does not exist, but the friend does. Since God exists, and is a friend to us ...as none are drawn to Him unless He draws us, then it could be said that since all are unsaved at one time, He is our friend who knows what's best for all of us and who can be trusted (whatever definition of a true friend, He is to us before we are saved ...and the relationship comes about after we accept Him for who He is). I do not claim any standing of how I am to Him ...He is the glorious friend. And I'm thankful that I've been given relationships here on earth ...to which I attribute friendship, whether I earn it or not.

Saul, who became Paul was an accomplice to murder ...and God hates murder, yet loved the person of Saul enough to blind him. God never wants us to have friendship with sin, or the world ...He wants to save us from it. I disagree with the confusion of the semantics, and that may seem trite ...but I don't want the point made by me at least to be confusing.

Kenneth commented, "Was the good Samaritan being a friend to the stranger?"

Dennis commented, "He laid down His life for us, while we were yet sinners.  He is the friend of sinners since He seeks and saves those which are lost. "

Andrew commented, "As there are none righteous, no not a single one, he was a friend to sinners and still is and as it is God's patience that leads us to repentance, then God in all forms is a friend to sinners." 

 Grace, mercy, and love ...they do seem to be within the parameters.

Responding to those who contend that Jesus was not a friend to sinners, Cindy says, "In other words then, are we fickle friends ...falling in and out of favor according to whether we are obeying that day? No, we are sinners saved by grace. At times we do God's will, other times we willfully or ignorantly choose to sin. You're suggesting He only is a friend when we're good?"

Can a person be an anonymous friend?  I think so ...

If it is disputed that Jesus can't be a friend to sinners ...then, if Jesus can't be a friend, who is?  Can anyone claim to have a friend, or be a friend?

In a marriage, there is much to be said about friendship ...two people are friends, I believe ---then they decide to form a deeper relationship, with a commitment.  It is not just a commitment between each other, it is a commitment that they engage in that is sanctioned by God.  Too readily many people look to divorce to dissolve that commitment ...because they can't get along.   

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come ...

 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church ...

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

I see nowhere that God gets tired of us ...there is never any notion that He divorces Himself from us. He always divorces Himself from sin, but distinguishes that the sin and the sinner are not one in the same.