Judge Not

By Sue Whitson

 



In John's gospel, a woman who had been caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. He challenged those who had brought her to throw the first stone if they were without sin. All backed away. Then John 8 says this: 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

You see that? Jesus didn’t condemn the woman to death, but He did recognize the sin. We are to imitate Jesus. Jesus did not tell the woman that it was ok to keep on committing adultery because everyone sins. To do so would encourage her to continue in behavior that would destroy both her and her family. That is not love.

[Mat 7:1 KJV] 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

This verse is often used to bully people into declaring acts of sin, especially sexual sin, as not sin. But that’s not what the Bible says. God does want us to recognize sin. Sin destroys. He loves us and wants us to be free from it.

It is not ok to be hateful to those who are caught up in sinful behaviors, but to refuse to recognize sin, to call it ok because it is “normal” is also wrong. Jesus came to set us free from sin, not to set us free to sin. 


 


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