Fellowship with "sinners"

Something that I have struggled with in my spiritual journey has been the concept of fellowship and discpline. The only real verse that "came to mind" growing up on fellowship with "sinners" was "Bad company corrupts good morals." Paul was totally right when he said that. But there is a principle there, not a law. How can you "uncorrupt" corrupt company if they are never seeing the life of Jesus in you? How can they know there is another way? So often, we are told that we need to sit the sinners down, tell them they are wrong, and expect them to change (think traditional correspondence courses, abortion clinic demonstrations, etc). As I think about it, I realize how absurd that mentality is. For people to change, they need encounters with Jesus... not a one or two hour period of moralizing lecture. They need to see that there is another, better, way of living, not another, better law to keep. That is what Jesus came to bring.. life, not law. He didn't come so that we might have abundant law, but abundant life. Law is static, a list of memorized rules, something to intellectually consent to. Life is action, growth, dynamic, exciting.

In Brian McLaren's book, The Secret Message of Jesus (p. 162), the author sums this thought process up very well.

Jesus was often criticized for this "table fellowship" with notorious sinners; his critics assumed that Jesus' acceptance of these people implied approval and endorsement of their shabby behavior. But they misunderstood: Jesus wanted to help them experience transformation. Rejection hardens people, but acceptance makes transformation possible. By accepting and welcoming people into his presence, just as they were, will all their problems and imperfections, Jesus was exposing them to his example and to his secret message. In this way, he oculd challenge them to think--and think again--and consider becoming part of the kingdom of God so they could experience and participate in the transformation that flows from being in interactive relationship with God and others. [emphasis mine]

Notice he doesn't say that acceptance guarantees transformation; it only makes it possible. The the alternative is guaranteed rejection and hardening. It is tragic that that has been my attitude for so long. God grant me the strength to meditate on this idea and figure out how to actually apply it.