Let me start by saying that this message hits home for me personally. For others, it will be uncomfortable for two reasons:
1) You struggle with it (either past or present) like I do.
2) The topic of sex in general is considered dirty and shameful.
One day Jesus was visiting the Mount of Olives when people started to gather around him. Seeing the crowds, He began to teach...but in the middle of His teachings, the Pharisees and the Scholars barged in and interrupted. With them was a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.
Standing her in front of the crowd, they turned to Jesus and said "The Law of Moses commands us to stone her to death," then probably with a sly smile they added "What do you say?"
It was clear they were attempting to trap Jesus. If he said spare her, then he was disobeying the Law of Moses. If he said to kill her, then he was being unloving (which was what His teachings were all about). So...
Jesus immediately began writing on the ground with His finger (wonder which one...) as these men who were known to be perfect Christians and pillars of the community, stood around him taunting and asking the same question over and over. When he rose to His feet, He said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." -John 8:7
Again he stooped back down and continued writing as the crowd began to disperse...from the oldest to the youngest. When He arose again to face the woman, only she remained.
He then looks at her and says: "Is there no one left to condemn you woman? Then neither do I condemn you...go and sin no more."
The way I see things is that we all fall into one of three categories:
1 - You struggle with sexual immorality currently.
2 - You struggle with the fact that you have been sexually immoral in the past.
3 - You look down on those that have struggled or do struggle with sexual immorality.
Since I'm throwing it all out there, let me be the first to say that this is my main weakness as a Christian. I have led such a wild past in this category that it haunts me DAILY...both as temptation in my current walk AND as my shameful past. I mean...let's face it...when you're this good looking...(kidding!). Seriously though, it hurts my pride to even be writing this because I struggle with it and claiming out loud that it is sinful makes me uncomfortable with myself...how crazy it that?? I know that I will continue to struggle...but as we talked about in the last message...struggling is how we know where we stand. It's when we stop struggling that we are in trouble!
The crazy thing is that times have not changed much from 2,000 years ago! As I read this scripture I have to wonder one thing........what about the man?? I mean...adultery is definitely a two person event...yet they only brought the woman before Jesus to be stoned!
Think about it in today's standards: A man who sleeps with 100 women is known as a stud...but a woman who sleeps with 100 men is a slut! And is not the woman of today stoned to death verbally for her actions??
Just so there is no confusion...Sex outside of marriage is sin. ANY sex! Does that include masturbation?? Nope...unless you are thinking of something or lusting for something as you do it....OF COURSE it includes masturbation!!
You see, we as Christians have allowed our society to tell us it is okay to push the limits...it's just touching, that's not sex...etc...garbage. Sex is sex.
Okay...so we've touched on #1 (currently struggle with sexual immorality), let's look at those that look down on people with a sexual past. In my mind this one is pretty easy. No sin is greater than another..."If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." -John 8:7.
Don't get upset with me...JESUS said that baby!! Look...the more I grow as a Christian, the more shocked I am to find that those whom readily accept God's grace and forgiveness are usually the ones that have such a hard time extending that same grace and forgiveness to others...
So the next time you find yourself in the middle of a conversation about someone else's sex life...Simply look at those around you and repeat John 8:7...I mean...if Jesus said it to a group of men that would eventually kill him...surely you can say it to your "friends".
And for the record, sex within marriage is beautiful!! If you think it's dirty, then get your Bible and start reading on page one...about page three or four you will notice that God COMMANDED Adam and Eve to have sex...Yup!
Now for the meat of the lesson...I want to talk to those of you that have a sexually immoral past. Those that always seem to respond with "But you have no idea of the things I have done."
You're right...But God does!! He knew you were going to do those things LONG before you even thought about it...and it was all part of His plan!!
This forgiveness stuff is a two way street. You cannot nod your head when I write about how everyone should be treated equal in Church because no one sin is greater than the other...and then sit back and say "Well...I don't think I am forgiven because my sin was horrible...".
How did Jesus respond to the adulterous woman: "Is there no one left to condemn you woman? Then neither do I condemn you...go and sin no more."
...Then neither do I condemn you...WOW!! Basically the Bible gives us a very clear and distinct example of how Jesus views our sexual pasts!! You are not condemned...go and sin no more.
Easy peasy. Thanks for reading!!
** As always I ask that you read the scripture yourself and see how it speaks to YOU personally!!
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