2 Timothy 3: 16 NKJV
I've made the statement before that one thing I abhor from fellow christians are those who will take each and every occassion to toss live grenades of scripture at others in times of trouble or simply to prove a point. The trouble is, when these holy hand grenades explode their casulties are guilt, condemnation and shame instead of death and injury. So it is with those who will choose to cherry pick passages of scripture to use to make their own point. Hey, I can do that too. There is not any biblical point which I want to make that I cannot back up with the seeming blessing of our Lords holy breathed scripture. Then, if God backs me up with His holy words, then my point becomes all the more powerful for me...and damning for those it's directed against. I get it. The trouble with all of these christian grenade throwers is that they are using the bible in a way which it was NEVER intended to be used. Some time ago a good friend of mine related to me that the bible was our Lords love letter to us. Now, I buy that more than I buy the fact that the bible is stocked full of words designed to condemn others. Now, many people will point to the words of the apostle Paul in his letter to young Timothy in which he refered to ALL scripture as being useful for reproof, correction and for instruction in righteousness. This is all true. All scripture is indeed given by the inspiration of God...but it is not (gasp!) Gods word as many will declare. Now, there are certainly those passages in the new testament, spoken by Jesus, which give us a hint at the heart of the Father. However, I simply don't follow the reasoning that a loving and graceful Father who loved me enough to provide for me would provide us with a list of indictments to accuse others. That simply isn't the nature of our loving Father.
3Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5“Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6This 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. 7So 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.” 8And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9Then 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.10When Jesus had raised Himself up iand saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 8: 3 - 11 NKJV
I think of the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultry which the Jewish religious leaders brought before Him as a test. By all rights, this woman had sinned against the laws of the day and was guilty of the crime before her. Even Al Sharpton could not have gotten this gal off. Now, interestingly enough, what was the reaction of Jesus when this womans guilt was brought before Him? The penalty for this womans indiscretion would be for her to be stoned to death. Yes, she would stand facing her accusers as they would toss stones at her...brutal. However, this was the law of the day, and these Pharisees fully expected Jesus to abide by THEIR laws. So, what did Jesus do? The very same thing He did for us when our own sins were brought before Him, He accepted her without condamnation. In fact, the very words of Jesus did not condemn the guilty woman...but her accusers. "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone." Whoa! Was Jesus throwing her under the bus? Not even close. Guess how many of her accusers lifted their stones to throw at her as was her punishment? None...zero...zilch! In fact, when the dust cleared and Jesus asked her where were her accusers were...not one remained. Instead of passing judgement upon her, which He was fully capable of doing, Jesus gives us a glimpse into the heart of the Father. "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." Now, we all know that Jesus could have tossed many a old testament grenade of condemnation upon this woman, but that's not His nature. Jesus is not one to condemn but to love. What did He do when my own sins were brought before Him? He simply absorbed them unto Himself that I would no longer be a slave to my own sins {2 Corinthians 5:21}. Go and sin no more. In fact, whenever there is some scripture grenade thrower who takes it upon himself to convict me using whatever scripture they choose in the moment, Gods response to me is always "what sin, my son?" Indeed, all which was against me was taken upon Christ at the cross. I am now dead to sin, and that's a good feeling.
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, creckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV
~Scott~
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