Friendship to Win Souls?

What is the line between befriending a lost person in order to win their soul for Christ and compromising our faith with the world?

Is the line where you find yourself being pulled into the world rather than pulling the one in the world out, or is that even too close?
Is it a matter of who is involved, their situation and calling, and their dedication level... or is it the same line for everyone? Are we even supposed to befriend those who reject Jesus, in the hopes that we can persuade them to one day change their mind?

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore, "Come out from their midst and be separate", says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me," says the Lord Almighty.
II Corthinians 6-14-18

God's Word teaches us that friendship with the world is hatred toward God and that anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4-5). Does this refer simply to the "world system" or also to those who are worldly as well? Where does the line of tolerance end and purity begin? Where is the balance? Jesus taught us to love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Do our enemies only include those who are agressively evil against us, or are our enemies all who are trapped within the kingdom of darkness under Satan? God commanded that we make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). How are we to make disciples if we stay disassiociated from the lost?

Jesus associated with sinners, and gave His life up to save them, but He never compromised - He Himself never sinned, He showed them a better life and didn't participate with their sin, nor encouaged or supported their sin. He only taught what was right and wrong. He didn't chase down those who rejected Him to convince them, once they left Him, He moved on to minister to others. He only spoke to those who would hear and those who appoached and sought Him out. But He was approachable to sinners, and reached out to the lost and suffering people who were hungry (or at least open) to hear the truth. He walked among them, and didn't judge, but something about Him set Him apart from them - He came to them to proclaim truth and to minister to their needs... not excuse their behavior or tell them just what they wanted to hear, to stroke their consciouses so that they would listen to Him longer. Often, He offended some right away in order to weed out the ones who wanted to see signs and wonders from the ones who were serious about learning the truth.

Hate sin... love the sinner. Ok, but how far does that really go. A sinner isn't going to feel loved when all he or she does is based in sin and we are constantly criticizing or seemingly looking down on those sins. But to accept them as they are and their sinful behavior either downgrades our standards as believers, or confuses our own mindsets, slowly conforming our thinking to the image of the world in addition to the image of Christ. And to let them continue on a path that will lead them to destruction isn't exactly loving either. To what extent are we to go to convince others to believe in Christ? We can't control them or what they believe, and we certainly can't turn cold hearts warm, nor perform signs and wonders to prove God... only God can do that; and through us He does. Jesus gave His life in a series of planned events - life of ministry, death atonement for sin, resurrection for proof, instruction for His people, and then handed the torch over to His disciples. When we give our lives, do we plot out and give a lifetime of sacrificing to and debating with the same one over and over again for the purpose of talking them into turning their lives over to Christ? When do we stop wasting our time and move on? At what point is it that we stop sowing and walk away for maybe someone else to harvest? And for those who know the truth already and live in selfish illusion anyway, are these the ones we let go of completely and at what point? What if they are close family members? What a fine line to walk! Maybe this is where it is so important to be faithful in prayer and sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I have one family member in particular, who flat out rejects Christ in order to be his own god and do whatever he wants and thinks is best. Do I reach out in friendship to him and accept all that he does in order to create a trust and love between us, so that my words of testimony and good news of Christ might make a dent in his hardened heart eventually? Or do I leave him to his worldly friends and influences and hold tight to not associating with sin? Aren't we supposed to look different - have something better that attracts the lost to the light of Christ? Is it our ability to relate and our embracing nature, rather than our holier-than-thou persona... that attracts them, or the simple and honest truth of God's Word?

There was a popular book in circulation a few years back that instructed believers on witnessing by living the lifestyle of Christ in front of non-believers, and to expect it to take a lifetime of consistantcy before you may or may not see the fruit. I agree that believers should live the life of Christ both openly and boldly as well as in private, at all times, but I don't think that qualifies as witnessing - I think it only validates your witness. When Jesus sent His disciples out to witness, He gave them a point by point stategy, of preaching the Gospel, calling people to repent, with power: healing the sick and casting out demons - and for those that reject the message, the disciples were to leave them and shake the dust off thier shoes in protest against them (Mark 6:7-13; Luke 10:1-12). Do we lack power when we go out in Jesus' name, and so must resort to lesser strategies in the flesh, like compromise? And then we see Paul becoming like the lawless, in order to win the lawless to Christ in I Corinthians 9:19-23. Do we lack the self-control to go under cover in the kingdom of darkness to smuggle a few out into the light without falling into temptation?

Not all are called to be evangelists, so do the rest of us simply leave the witnessing up to those called specifically for the task and, instead prepare ourselves to give an answer of our faith when asked - and to focus primarily on the other gifts and callings that we do have? Are all called to win souls, or are we all just called to know Jesus and our own reason for believing? It would sound odd if we all thought we had to administrators, or healers, or teachers, even when we aren't called to be so - but rather we would leave those ministries in the hands of those who were gifted and called to be those things in the body of Christ, wouldn't we? Perhaps we should be active in praying for God to raise up more evangelists in the everyday streets of America - and pray that they would be supported and followed by teachers of the Word to help strengthen and grow new converts in Christ - to be followed by mentors and pastors who will train them for service, keep them accountable and fed, and release them into ministry. When everyone is doing their part, then everyone is freed to be only what Christ has purposed for each to be and do in His kingdom!

I have concluded that the line is obvious... for me, in my situation with my family member, anyway. I will love and welcome him and be approachable, non-judgmental, but non-approving of his lifestyle of sin. If opportunity arises, I will follow the Holy Spirit's lead to speak what God instructs - but I will not enter a lifestyle of compromise myself in order to gain his trust. My first priority is to please God and remain pleasing to God. If God so chooses to send me into the darkness under cover to reach him, then I will obey, other wise, I will pray that God will send someone called and annointed for that ministry to reach out to him. It is not my place to pick up a position of service that God has not put me in, but rather it is my commission to pray. I've got to remember who I am in Christ, and allow Him to lead - His wisdom is best and far beyond any human reasoning! I trust Him!