Continued from yesterday’s post – “. . . And Sin No More”
Oh, but you say, “I won’t enable or compromise their sin! It is my job to turn them from it!” Actually, no, it isn’t. In fact, it is our job as Christians to show them that Jesus loves them for who they are and He is the one that can change them by starting with their hearts, if He so desires. Of course we know a changed heart changes, but what those outside the Body of Christ don’t realize is that God, through Jesus Christ loves them for the creation they are. Isn’t it time we started demonstrating that?
I put a challenge to all Christians who might be reading this; show me anywhere in the Bible where Jesus Christ Himself, beat a sinner, any sinner and even one caught in the act, over the head with their sin.
I can find a LOT of instances where He ridiculed and in anger tore into the religious leaders and Pharisees of His day, because they did the same thing that Christians today are doing to others in the world. He didn’t have a lot of nice things to say to them because as He told them, “they should have known better because they had the Words (oracles) of God, Himself!”
All I can say is, how much less of an excuse do we have today, with so much more of God’s Word AND the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into ALL truth?
When Jesus healed the sick, or the demonic, or any myriad of other things, did He first tell them to go and repent and come back and then I will demonstrate God’s love to you, by healing or deliverance, etc.? Most certainly not, He showed God’s love and compassion on them and then let them know, God knows their hearts!
When Jesus was teaching in the temple and the scribes and Pharisees brought before Him a woman who somehow had been caught in an adulterous act, they weren’t concerned about God’s love, or compassion, all they were concerned about was that her sin was an affront to them and God and cared nothing about her, God’s creation!
John 8:3-9:
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
And then Jesus started to berate her about being caught in the very act of adultery and telling her how wicked a person she was and she should repent so that God would love her!
Okay, okay, got a little carried away there! He didn’t do that and He didn’t even think those things. Here’s what really happened:
John 8:10-11:
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Jesus, God’s only Son, (Who only speaks what the Father tells Him – John 12:49) told her that He didn’t condemn her, just go, but don’t sin anymore! “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” – Romans 5:8-9.
In closing, I want you to meditate and consider what I have said here and to remind you that we are to follow the EXAMPLE of Christ Jesus Himself. Everybody knows John 3:16, you even see the Scripture notation displayed at large arena sporting events, what few people share or even remember is what follows after that and so, what better example to pattern our Christian walk by than the following:
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. – John 3:17.
I can give you a Scriptural principle to make my point using this very verse:
For God did not send His children, the disciples of Christ into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through them might be shown the Father and Salvation through the Father’s Son, our example, Jesus Christ!
Something to seriously think about before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ breaks through the clouds and sounds that mighty trumpet calling His chosen and anointed home to be with Him and the Father!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 