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Presented by Lauren Stibgen
Do you excuse things that contradict your faith? What is important to God doesn’t have a label or a party. It is not a temporary term, nor can it be solved by human hands. Being true to Christ means standing for truth and justice and being honest about the temporary parties and candidates we may be supporting.
The politics of the day are quick to point out the “sins” of one candidate but excuse the actions of the other. Consider these verses in John 8.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 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? This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And, as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And, once more, he bent down and wrote on the ground. But, when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him (John 8:3-9).
Behaving like the scribes and the Pharisees, are you excusing sin of a candidate in the name of perceived better alignment with your faith? This can be another indication that politics have become an idol.
All sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Jesus calls us to recognize our own sins. I don’t think it is a mistake the woman who committed adultery was standing one on one with Jesus when all the others had walked away. Jesus is the only judge and the only true “cure” for sin!
How can you point someone toward salvation if you are excusing the sins of man in the name of winning? Instead of making excuses or comparing sins between parties, point out all sin is just that—sin in the eyes of God! There isn’t one better or worse. While we know the woman in John 8 was an adulteress, we don’t know the sins of the scribes and Pharisees. What we do know is they didn’t challenge Jesus to make excuses for their sin being better or less than adultery!
Focus on telling people how you pray for the candidate’s recognition of their sin instead!
