Let Him who is without Sin, Cast the First Stone
By
Gary Primo
Nov. 14, 2020
John 8:7 - When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
One clearly hypocritical fault we humans have is to point the finger at others in an effort to project ourselves in a more favorable light. We all witnessed a great deal of this when the WCG broke up and all the “learned” leaders of the various offshoots began attacking one another. And, of course, it is difficult to give an answer without getting into a great argument. Yet, it is when we are angry that we most often let down our guard and forget all righteous behavior.
In the above verse, Yahushua was addressing a crowd of Jews who were about to stone a woman for adultery. Instead of addressing the woman’s sin, Yahushua addressed the hidden sins of the crowd accusing her. They all knew what these sins were and were made ashamed by Yahushua’s words.
A sin is a sin is a sin. None is any better or worse than another. If we sin in one violation of the law, we violate them all. Yahuwah desires that we pursue salvation with all earnestness. Doing so involves discovering and rooting all sin out of our lives and our persons. We are also commissioned with helping others to overcome their sins. However, the way to do that is not by pointing the finger at them behind their backs a telling everyone else about their sin. That is not an act of love but one of hypocrisy and vanity.
Deut.15:9 - Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to Yahuwah against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.
We all are plagued daily by wicked thoughts. They creep into our minds before we even know they are there. And we will likely not be rid of our pesky human spirit that produces these thoughts until the resurrection. Meanwhile, all we can do is keep trying and never stop trying. Any who get frustrated and give up are not fit for the Kingdom.
The only formula to rid ourselves of sin is to do good instead. Every good act we do brings us closer and closer to attaining the fullness of Yahushua. With Yahuwah, there are no laws against doing good. No one will ever be punished for doing good. With man’s laws this is not always the case.
Luke 10:30 - Yahushua replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 - Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 - So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 - But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 - He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 - And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
36 - Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
37 - He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Yahushua said to him, "You go, and do likewise."
Of course, all the priests of Israel were Levites; so, we have here two of that same tribe refusing to help the injured man. They were likely afraid that the robbers would return and rob and beat them also. They did not trust Yahuwah to protect them while they performed such a righteous act of mercy. Their actions were typical of our human nature and did not reflect the nature of Yahuwah at all.
Yet, this Samaritan, who was not from any Israelite tribe and not included amongst the children of Israel, showed more compassion and more of Yahuwah’s character than the two Levites.
Throughout my lifetime, I have heard many such stories of human compassion coming from people who do not know Yahuwah at all. They are simply good by nature. One personal experience I had was when my house burnt down in 2010. Money began pouring in from various sources. Within 3 weeks I had enough for first and last month’s rent and moved into a new home. On the day we moved in, cars and trucks began showing up with furniture, household goods and clothing. We went from nothing to having everything we needed in one day. I was utterly amazed and humbled. Of course, I could clearly see Yahuwah’s hand in it all, but I knew that none of these people knew Yahuwah as we know Him. They were simply good people doing what was right and good by nature.
Ephesians 5:1- Follow Elohim’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 - and walk in the way of love, just as HaMashiyack loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to Elohim.
3 - But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for Elohim’s holy people.
4 - Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5 - For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of HaMashiyack and of Elohim.
“Walk in the way of love”. How do we do that? By following Yahushua’s example. Love conquers all. There is no law against love. We can give it and demonstrate it as often as we wish. Doing so brings us closer to Yahuwah. All the laws of Yahuwah are based on love – towards Elohim and our fellow man. It is at the root of the entire creation. Our Elohim is “living love” and that is what we are to become also.
We must practice love and goodness to the point that even the smallest hint of sin has no place in us. This is what is known as “agape” love or the love of Elohim. It surpasses all human understanding because we are basically and continually evil on account of our human nature.
No creature of sin is ever going to enter the Kingdom of Elohim. It is simply impossible. As Yahuwah approaches the Earth to establish His Kingdom, a cleansing fire will proceed from Him that will destroy all that remains corruptible before Him. Corruption simply cannot occupy the same space as Yahuwah without being destroyed by His mere presence. Therefore, we must ensure that we do not have any corruption remaining in us, if we ever hope to see the Kingdom.
Phil. 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Words and actions all begin with thought. If our thoughts are pure and admirable, so will our words and actions be. Therefore, if we begin to purify our thoughts, righteous words and actions should result.
2 Tim. 2:15 - Do your best to present yourself to Elohim as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
I am sure we have all had experiences in our own spiritual lives that have left us feeling ashamed and perhaps unworthy of the Kingdom. Perhaps some, on account of their shame, leave off following Yahuwah altogether. We must be sure not to do that as it is the one unpardonable sin. Instead, we must dig up and root out any and all sin that stands between us and our goal. This is how we learn wisdom and self-control. This is how we learn to incorporate the nature of Yahuwah in us. This is how we learn to become elohim.
1 Tim. 4:12 - Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
In this world we may believe that wisdom is the product of old age. But that fact has done nothing to bring the world closer to Yahuwah. Yahuwah is calling both young and old alike and the only thing that distinguishes them is what they example in conduct, love, faith and purity. Age does not enter into the equation at any time.
In fact, no one of any age should allow anyone to look down on them because of their faith but should be at all times ready to respond to them in words that cannot be debated.
Words should never be accepted at face value. It is the actions that follow the words that qualify them as true or false. Even if one is not a particularly good speaker (like myself) their actions should do all the speaking for them. We can talk about doing good all our lives, but it will be the good that we have done which will qualify us for a position in the Kingdom. So, try to do good at all times.
Rom. 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Elohim’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Elohim—this is your true and proper worship.
This is what our conversion was all about, folks. We consented to offering our bodies as living sacrifices for Yahuwah to use to do His work. We must not look for avenues of escape. We must roll up our sleaves and get on with the work of spreading the gospel. We must be doers of the word, not hearers only.
Conclusion
This world is full of hypocrites. There is no better example than politicians. However, we are all guilty of hypocrisy in some form of another. It goes perfectly with our human nature. No one reminds us of our hypocrisy like our spouses and children. They are our best looking glass. So, take their criticisms to heart.
We must also take extra caution not to point condensating fingers at others while we yet harbor sin ourselves. This is what is known as “calling the kettle black”. Instead, go to the person yourself and use the power of love to persuade him to repent. If he refuses, take an elder with you. And, if that does not work, take the whole congregation. Do not simply give up on the person and walk away. And, if the person still refuses to repent, do not tolerate them in your congregation any longer. This is what we are admonished to do in such cases, and it exonerates us from any further responsibility or guilt.
It is always easier to see the faults in others before our own. But we should never conclude that we are without sin. When we do, we will stop looking for any and our “spot” will remain with us and prevent us from entering the Kingdom.
A little leaven spoils the whole lump. We must become leaven-free.
Yahuwah Bless
G.P.