At the Well: Condemnation

In the previous verse Jesus called the woman to get her husband, and come back. There is a problem with this request, and it is dealt with in John 4:17-18:

“The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have said well, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

Jesus challenged the woman, and she responded truthfully. He responds by telling her he knows what her sins are. He doesn’t do this by condemning her. He only states the facts. His handling of this, and using it to reveal some of the truth about himself to the woman, is an important lesson for people today.

Essentially, the woman’s sin was that she and her boyfriend were living together. This is a common problem today as anyone who opens their eyes knows well. When many of us find out people are living sinfully in such a way we are eager to condemn them. We are righteous, and want them to know they are not. The Bible is clear there is not to be sex before marriage, and a man and a woman should not share a bed until there are two rings on that woman’s finger (engagement ring and wedding band). This is right. Our handling of knowing this truth is not always right.

Is living together, sleeping together, and doing all that stuff together before marriage wrong? Yes. Is condemning it right? No. Jesus did not condemn the woman at the well, and we are not to condemn. We are to respond to sin by continuing to make sure a lost and broken world feels the love of Jesus. We are not to condemn, but to help Jesus redeem.

The reason for this is simple. When one accepts Christ He comes to reside within them. The things they do in their life that are sins against Him will be made known to them by the Holy Spirit residing within them. This Spirit will help turn that person’s will into God’s will, and they will be transformed by it. This is true of us all. Our life is a walk with Jesus, and not a sprint. It is the job of those of us who are saved to allow Jesus to do the redeeming, and we can only do this if we cease the condemning.

Someone who sins should repent. Someone who condemns should not. Someone who witnesses should help Jesus redeem.