GET TOGETHER- Don’t Throw Rocks and Don’t Stay In The Ditch
Joh 8:10-12 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.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”
I remember the night well. It was sometime around 1980. Three men from a church in the town that I lived in came and knocked on my door. I was sitting there by myself. I was doing drugs, drinking, and listening to music. They witnessed to me that night and I was very rude to them. Looking back now I know that they came by because not only did they love me and care about me, but more than that God loved me.
In those days I think that I was familiar with Jesus words to the woman caught in adultery that He spoke in Joh 8:7 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.” That is a very important word for us if we are going to share the love of Jesus Christ. It helps us to allow the Holy Spirit to continue His work in our lives rooting out sinful attitudes and sinful behaviors. But before I met Jesus Christ and surrendered my life to Him the reason that I liked that verse was so I could point my finger at Christians and continue to live the sinful lifestyle that I was living at that time.
Before coming to Jesus Christ my life was filled with gross sin. I am so thankful that just like He forgave the woman that was caught in adultery that through His death on the cross that I can know that I have been forgiven of my sins and that I am not under condemnation. And you can know that as well. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ro 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Praise God for the atoning sacrifice that is in the shed blood of Jesus Christ where we can find mercy and grace : Ro 5:8,9 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.
Now let’s look at what else Jesus told the woman in Joh 8:11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Not only did He not condemn her, but He pointed her to a better way of life. Most of us have gotten into sinful lifestyles because we have an empty place that only God can fill. And we try to fill that empty place with sinful things that drive us further away from God. We also live in a culture that not only affirms various lifestyles of sin, but often celebrates those lifestyles. Jesus not only did not condemn the woman, but He pointed her in the direction that would help her to truly experience life as how He desired for her to experience life.
In Joh 10:10 He talks about the type of life that comes when we fall into the temporary pleasures of sin that the devil offers through sinful lifestyles. He also tells s of the type of life that we can have if we will repent of those sinful lifestyles and follow Him. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Warning people of the dangers of a sinful lifestyle is not stone throwing. Condemning those that are can certainly be. I sometimes use this illustration. If a bridge is out and we see someone heading in that direction If we love them, we will warn them. If they have already run off the road and gone down into the ditch if we love them, we will help them to get out of the ditch that they are in.
So today as we speak the truth. May we speak the truth in love. Jesus loved the woman caught in the act of adultery. He loved her too much to tell her to remain in that lifestyle of sin. I am glad that my three friends that came to visit me that night loved me enough to speak the truth. I can now call them brothers in Christ. At some point I can remember the Holy Spirit assuring me that I had been forgiven. And I can also remember Him telling me to leave my lifestyle of sin and to follow Jesus Christ.
Let Us Pray
Lord, we live in a culture that often celebrates sin. We realize that when we speak the truth that we will run the risk of being called haters, or other names. Help us Lord to love people enough to speak the truth. We know Lord Jesus that we can only be forgiven by faith in Your precious Blood that was shed on the cross. We know Lord it is only by the power of Your Holy Spirit that we can walk free from sinful lifestyles and not go back into those sinful lifestyles. Lord help us to warn those who are on the road where the bridge is out. And help us to help those who are in the ditch to get out of the ditch and on the road that You have for them. As you told the Pharisees and the Scribes on that day : “ Joh 8:12 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Help us to walk in the light. And use us to help others to come out of the darkness and walk in Your marvelous light.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Love You All
Your Friend/ Kinfolk
Preston
Preston Headrick
Evangelist
Real Party Ministry
P O Box 2302
Hamilton, Alabama 35570
Real Party Ministry 