Not a Nation of First-Stone-Throwers

I know the passage of Scripture below doesn’t occur in the earliest manuscripts.  I wish it was in all of them, plus all 4 Gospels, plus expounded upon by every writer of the New Testament.  Its singular lesson about the Gospel and the person and work of Jesus Christ is just that important.

Let us not become a nation of first-stone-throwers
and condemn people who have engaged in sin. 
Let us be more Christlike with the Spirit that gives life. 

This is what we should seek as Roe v Wade is being considered for overturning.

John 8:2 At dawn [Jesus] appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They 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. 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.”  8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  9 At 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.

10 Jesus 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.” (John. 8:2-11). 

Life and Freedom.  Do you see them both?

The two are upheld in beautiful tension and displayed in Christ Himself, in both His life and His death.  In this instance, Jesus was sinless and had every right to throw the first stone. But His focus was the Spirit that gives life not the law that brings death (2 Corinthians 3).

Christians should be mindful of both Life and Freedom as we prepare to minister tough topics in this New Covenant world. Let us not be a nation of first-stone-throwers and focus so much on the humanity of the unborn that we lose the humanity of the woman. Let us not focus so much on the law that we lose the Gospel and the witness. When God gives us opportunities like this, let’s display His heart and live the Gospel of grace and redemption to a watching world.

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The Series on Roe v. Wade includes:
Http://seminarygal.com/ruminations-on-roe-v-wade
Http://seminarygal.com/life-and-freedom-as-old-as-eden
Http://seminarygal.com/freedom-at-the-expense-of-life
Http://seminarygal.com/no-doomsday-future
Http://seminarygal.com/no-consequence-chauvinism-of-abortion
Http://seminarygal.com/life-at-the-expense-of-the-gospel
Http://seminarygal.com/not-a-nation-of-first-stone-throwers