John 8:2-12
Jesus sat down and taught the people. 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. 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."
The purpose of Christianity is to restore humanity to a right and pleasing relationship with God.
In the Christian faith there are truths that must be believed in order for us to have a true relationship with God. There are ways we are to act and think so as to avoid evil and to not sin against God. There are also things God demands we believe to have a right relationship with Him.
John 4:23-24
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
(NIV)
Yet the ultimate purpose for Jesus coming to the earth was to restore humanity back to God. In this context, we can understand why it is pointless to condemn and judge others. In fact, the harshest words of Jesus were never meant for sinners, but for hypocrites and the religious who condemned people, yet they lived in opposition to God's word.
This passage is one of two instances where Jesus meets a woman in a sinful situation. He does not disrespect her and in fact, makes her equal with the men. He tells her accusers to let the one who has not sinned to cast the first stone. Jesus' act is seen as scandalous to the religious as well as to those who see themselves with some kind of superiority over another human being.
One fundamental truth in Christianity is that all men and women are guilty and under sin's bondage and judgment.
The ultimate purpose of God in Christ is to restore men and women to a right relationship with God. Thus, Jesus does not condemn her or carry out the law. Jesus is seeking to restore her to a right relationship with God. God is equally, if not more interested, in restoring people than satisfying the demands of His law, which cuts them off and condemns them.
2Cor 5:18-20
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf,be reconciled to God.
(NKJV)
God is a person who possesses the powerful attributes of mercy and love. The Bible is the only book that shows us how God, who hates evil, has married His compassion with judgment. He did this in the death of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is the only religion in the world that incorporates grace in its principles.
Grace is God's compassion for human failure. God did not reject the law, but satisfied its demand by paying for it Himself on the cross while demonstrating His love. He proved that the law is good by satisfying its demands. He demonstrated His love by taking our punishment.
This is the highest act of love and mercy ever done in the history of the world.
Humanity is not changed or bettered by punishment; it is only protected from evil and evildoers. Punishment is not God's way of changing men. It is His last resort to protect the innocent from the truly lawless. While this is admirable and necessary it is not God's best for the human race.
The law was only meant to teach us how to act until truth and love became the reason for our right actions. Law keeping is not God's best; a changed heart is. We are all guilty of breaking God's law, but we begin anew when we look to Christ in faith to bring us forgiveness and a new heart needed to succeed.
Gal 3:24-25
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
(KJV)
Ezek 36:26-28
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.
(NIV)
The urgent message in Christianity is to avail yourself of grace quickly while it is available. Do not continue in evil, which will lead to your own destruction.
Jesus does not condone her sin, for He tells her, "Go and sin no more." Yet, He extends to her grace, a kindness which she did not deserve. He did not give her what the law demanded; He gave her what would change her heart to love God enough to serve Him. God is not great just because He is all-powerful and able to judge and punish. God is great because He is good, all-powerful, able to forgive, able to save, and able to redeem.
The power of Christianity is twofold:
- God came in human flesh demonstrating His love for us while we are sinful. This is grace seen in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus' death paid forever our debt to the laws of God. There is nothing left to do, no law to satisfy, but the law of love. Christianity is responding to GodŐs love by loving Him.
- God has sent the Holy Spirit to empower our decision to love and serve God in truth. We are then empowered by God to love and serve Him and one another. Our activities are not law keeping, which is avoiding guilt and punishment, but loving God for His demonstration of goodness and grace shown to us. We believe in a final retribution and punishment from God, but not as the means of making people moral. It is the final end of those who refuse God's love and mercy.
