Recently, a pastor led a young man to faith in Jesus. At one point in their conversation, the young man had hesitantly asked the pastor, “Now that I’m a Christian, do I have to walk around judging everyone?” The pastor, saddened by the question, was able to say, “Of course not. That’s the opposite of how a follower of Christ should treat people.”

The young man explained that many of the Christians he had run across appeared to be judgmental. They acted as if they were above sin and looked down their “holier-than-thou” noses at people. Their self-superiority left a bad impression, especially when they were not as perfect as they appeared to be.

If there was ever anyone who had the right to act superior, it was Jesus. He is the only human to live without sinning (Hebrews 4:15). But as you read through the Gospels, you will find that He didn’t shun and condemn those who lived in obvious sin. He didn’t expect crooked tax collectors or prostitutes to immediately shed their immorality before He had anything to do with them. Instead, He was a friend to sinners and met them where they were in relation to God (Luke 5:30-32, 7:34-50).

As believers in Jesus, we should come across to our unbelieving neighbors, co-workers, and family members as people who genuinely care about others. This doesn’t mean we should give the wrong impression that we’re not concerned about sin. Jesus certainly didn’t (John 5:14, 8:11). Still, throughout His earthly ministry, He modeled that we can have friendships with “sinners” without compromising our concerns and moral convictions.

Lord, help us to show others Your love and Your ways that lead to life. Help us not to condemn those who have strayed and those who don’t yet know You—and are living a lifestyle that leads to death (Romans 8:6).