No Condemnation

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To handle yourself use your head; to handle others use your heart." - Unknown



Sometimes, as Christians, we close ourselves off to those people who do not nurture and uplift us. We don’t like to be around people that use profanity, people who smoke cigarettes, people who drink alcohol. Some of us good old Christians don’t like it when people have body piercing, gauging of the ears or tattoos.

I can never let myself forget that I was out there running from God. I was an alcoholic, a liar, a thief, a fornicator, a drug abuser, a horrible mother and more, most of which could not be seen in my physical appearance. Take my word for it, I was ugly! I was everything that I do not like. 

God sent lots of people across my path to love me back in to his arms. Who am I to not like it, if someone chooses to smoke a cigarette or a dobie and wear tattoos? It does not make any difference how they look, or what they wear, or what they do; Jesus loves them. His love is powerful, it nailed Him to that tree at Calvary and it raised him from the grave on the third day. Love will win them.

Jesus developed a reputation for being a friend of sinners. Jesus went to their houses, and to their weddings. Jesus met them where they were to win them. He gave them no condemnation, no judgment, just love and hope.

Of course, it is good to choose friends from those who share a relationship with the Lord; but, those who don’t know the Lord are sorely in need of 'Godly' friends and 'Godly' advice. They need Jesus and His love. They need someone who sees them through the eyes of our Savior, someone who sees through grace colored glasses.

We should have the attitude that Jesus had with the woman that was taken in adultery as the Pharisees brought her to him. Notice they only brought the woman to Jesus as if adultery involves only one party. They didn't just bring her to Jesus, they threw her on the ground in front of him.

He stopped, stooped and wrote on the ground while the Pharisees
slithered out the door, one by one; then Jesus asked her, “Woman where are your accusers?” They had all left. Jesus spoke, again “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.” John 8:1-11 NKJ

We are supposed to be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13) to the world. Salt and light are both used as purification agents. In order for the process to work, whatever requires purification must be exposed to the agent.

So, let’s try making ourselves accessible to our neighbors and acquaintances who need us the most. If God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), how can we win them if we shun them because they don't behave like good Christians? Let the Lord worry about their piercings and anything else that seems less than Christ like to you. We are responsible to just love them. 

Have a great day; and remember who and Whose you are.
Brenda Quimby Smith

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." Jude v. 24 KJV