1. Conviction is not condemnation. When Jesus spoke with the woman who was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) He said, “Does no one condemn you? Neither do I condemn you. Go your way and sin NO MORE!” Did you catch that? Jesus tells her that He does not condemn her though He makes a point to tell her to go and sin no more. How many of you know that when God convicts us, He actually empowers us to “go and sin no more.” Get it straight, knowing the difference between right and wrong is considered wisdom, not bigotry and damnation, as the world defines it.
2. Just because something is common doesn’t make it normal. Simply because any number of people believe something doesn’t make it true. For example, cancer is common, but it’s not normal! I could say the same for lying—half-truths are widely practiced in communication today, yet, this doesn’t make lying normal behavior.3. Renaming sin is delusional. Giving sin the name of a friend instead of an enemy is self-deception and can be detrimental. For example, when we describe abortion as a “human right” other than what it is—murder—we are normalizing the brutalization of innocent life. In other words, forming a new moral code out of misguided feelings or sinful temptations pacifies society's conscience and creates a "normal" out of behavior that would otherwise be seen as overtly wrong. Renaming sin is a bottomless moral cesspool. Where is the line ever drawn?4. Turning a blind eye to sin is unsanctified mercy. Everyone deserves mercy, no question, but mercy means you didn’t get what you deserved. For example, if you say adultery is right, then you can’t possibly ask for mercy because mercy is only for people who are wrong. In other words, offering mercy without the confession of something being wrong is not God’s mercy, rather it’s unsanctified mercy. Unsanctified mercy pretends things are okay when they are in fact not. It offers mercy in a moment when God does not and turns a blind eye to sin for the sake of protecting the sinner’s feelings. One thing I think many believers forget is that God does not adjust to us, we adjust to God, and for good reason— He only has plans to prosper us, not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11)!5. Jesus didn’t relate to sinners by sinning. Jesus did not conform to sinners so that He could relate and ultimately convince sinners with His Truth. His compassion with the woman whom He told to “go and sin no more” proves that. Jesus, the spotless lamb of God, didn’t agree with sin in hopes to convince, rather He listened to the heart and revealed who the sinner truly was—God’s child.Another point I want you to consider is that Jesus was tempted in every way, but He never sinned, therefore temptation is not a sin! In fact, temptation is not only common, it’s normal. Temptation is to our soul what exercise is to our bodies. In other words, resisting temptation is like lifting weights. It is often painful at first, but your inner man is growing, becoming nobler, and maturing in character. To be able to “go and sin no” more or to resist temptation is to have the revelation of how God identifies us. Jesus knew who He was, therefore He was able to love the sinner without conforming to sin and resist temptation when it was present to Him.