It is not whether or not others condemn us, but whether God condemns us that counts. He who does not believe in Jesus is “condemned already” (John 3:18), but there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
We read of an instance where judgement siezed the hearts of elders in the temple who sought to murder a sinner – following the law of Moses.
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
At dawn He appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him, and He sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
My question – where was the man in this account? Dead already? Man can be so judgemental. Consider this always – “What about me?” Before you judge another.
The account: It is not whether or not others condemn us, but whether God condemns us that counts. He who does not believe in Jesus is “condemned already” (John 3:18), but there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). The crowd dropped their stones and withdrew, seeing they were sinners themselves. But Jesus, Who was without sin, let the woman go out of pure mercy.
And we pray:
Help us, O Lord, to remember that not to other men but to You we must answer for our actions and attitudes. We are not the judges, but You are The Just Judge of all Man. Our judgment fell on Christ, Your justice being satisfied in His sacrifice. We pray for those who do not know you that they may turn to You before it is too late to escape Your judgment, Amen.