Which side are you on?

John 8:2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They 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. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9At 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. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

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I read this situation and I saw three people, the accused, the accusers and GOD. Years ago I used to think I was like the accused. Yes, I may have sinned but the way the religious people handled me seemed harsh and uncaring. They were busy making sure that I confessed my sin while they went about committing their own.

Now years later, I see there are instances where I have become the accuser. It’s easy to do. When I read the Bible, I wanted to clean up my act. It felt good to drop off those sins and to worship GOD. But somewhere along the way, I picked up a new sin that GOD despises, the sin of judgment.

• When I judge people by what they are wearing (cheap or expensive) I miss who they really are.
• When I judge people by their driving, I miss out on praying for their distractions.
• When I judge people by what they are still doing or not doing, I miss out on being graceful.
• When I judge people by what they say, I cannot hear their pain.
• When I judge people by their title, I cannot understand GOD's plan for that person.
• When I judge people by their monetary status, I make assumptions that are wrong.
• When I judge people by where they work or not work, close the door on a relationship that could bring them closer to CHRIST.

It slips in so easy! Judgment happens when a person thinks they have made it. When a person believes they are clean and others have to do the same is the moment they become an enemy of GOD.

The third person in this story is GOD. HE is the only one able to accuse or forgive people. As HE wrote on the ground the accusers quickly saw what they had done. I have no idea what HE wrote, but it could have been their name and the current sin they were committing.

HE says some very interesting words. "Then neither do I condemn you" and "Go now and leave your life of sin." I like the first set of words because it shows that GOD loves me in the middle of my sins. But I don't like the last set of words. I want to keep sinning and have GOD keep forgiving me without consequence. GOD wants me to stop my sin.

Each day I choose a side. The only side I cannot choose is being GOD.

• Are you judging someone today?
• Are you holding onto sin and trying to justify it?
• Will you show grace and mercy to someone today?