Condemnation part 2
If there is no condemnation in Christ, why do we go around condemning everything and everybody? It makes no sense to me. And I mean, we want to condemn EVERYTHING. Its like we look for things to fight against. We make mountains of out mole hills, and then complain about how high our mountains are. We don't seem to understand Isaiah 40:4, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain." Its a straight and narrow way. And while people always seem to use that in a sort of negative connotation, I think if the way is straight and narrow that ought to make it easy to walk. One foot in front of the other. And real quick, can I just put it on the record that the straight and narrow way leads to LIFE? Because the straight and narrow way is the highway of holiness. And true holiness is love. Loving somebody is the most holy thing you can do. I think its the only holy thing you can do, to be honest with you. And if we were all as holy--as loving--as we pretended to be... there wouldn't be anything to condemn. But we condemn music, clothes, food... if it exists we'll condemn it. There are even religious folk who condemn other relgious folk. "That music is too contemporary." "That church is too big." "That music is too old fashioned." "That church is too small." Yet Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Jesus came that we might live and let live. Remember the old story about the religious folk who were going to stone the woman who was caught in adultery? Jesus told him who was without sin to cast the first stone. And then this happened, "When Jesus had lifted himself up, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:10-11). I think part of the point was that when you point a finger at someone, you point three back at yourself. The whole, "we look for a speck in someone else's eye when we have a plank in our own," deal. But then Jesus took it even a step further. He said, "Neither do I condemn thee." And if anybody could... it was Jesus. He was without sin. But He didn't use His status to bring us down. He used it to lift us up. He who was without sin BECAME sin, so that we who were dead in our trespasses and sins might be the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus knew that scaring people straight doesn't work. He knew that kicking someone when they're down only hurts and never helps. He knew that reconciliation can only come from a place of mercy, and grace, and love. And when He DIDN'T condemn the girl, He EMPOWERED her to sin no more. It wasn't a threat. It was Him showing us a more excellent way. Mistakes get made. But they don't have to define us. We can learn from our mistakes, if we are in an environment of no condemnation. If we are not afraid to make mistakes. If we know that we are loved no matter what. That's freedom. Freedom to live!