Legalists have their list of worst sins while being very blind to their own sins, which, of course, are never on the list. Today’s Christians have their worst-sins lists also; these are the ones we rail most against. We can quote chapter and verse that condemns them. “The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?’” (John 8:3-5 ESV). Nothing like catching the Preacher in a “gotcha” trap. Their hearts were an open book to Jesus, so He said, “Let the sinless one cast the first stone.” It was biblical to stone her, but it was not Christlike. Mercy and grace was the Savior’s solution. If we would be like our Teacher, it must be ours as well, even if it is one of the sins on our really bad list.
“Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:11 (NIV)
