The Offering

     It's a familiar story, quoted whenever someone wants people to forgive and forget a misdoing; mostly forget. The woman was caught in the very act of sin. Her punishment was laid out by Moses and it was clear, death. Jesus was passing by and some in the crowd saw a chance to trap Him, so they asked His opinion. Everyone knows how Jesus defused the crowd by saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." By pointing out their own sins, He sent the crowds away. Most people stop here, but there is more to the story.

     You see even after the crowd had dropped their stones and left, one remained who could cast the first stone. Jesus, who lived a sinless life, stood before the woman. He knew the law, she deserved death. Her life was literally in His hands. Instead of death He chose life for this woman, "Neither do I condemn you."

     Each of us have been caught in the very act of sin. Some day we will be brought before Jesus by the angry mob of this world. If we cling to the Master, He will choose life for us also.

     That woman did die that day. Her old man died and she became a new creation. The law was carried out but in a way no one expected. Jesus is offering life to you this day. Will you accept it?

Blisters and Callouses

     I used to have a job installing fence. One thing you have to do a lot of in that job is digging holes, a lot of holes. I became really good friends with a set of post-hole diggers. I also developed a lot of blisters.

     My soft hands weren't used to all of that abuse. Those first few days were extremely painful. Over time, however, something happened; my hands developed callouses. The skin on my hands toughened up and lost sensitivity. The once painful blisters were now hardened callouses. I could work all day without discomfort.

     Sin works in much the same way. At first it is painful, maybe not physically, but it pains our conscience. Over time, if you continue in that sin, callouses will develop and the pain will go away. Your skin, your heart, becomes hardened to that sin. What once caused great regret becomes something you can do all of the time without a second thought.

     I haven't dug a post-hole in many years and my callouses are long gone. It would once again be a painful ordeal to dig a hole. The same thing can be true of spiritual callouses. If you stop the sin, the callouses will go away and your spirit's sensitivity will return. A hardened heart isn't a life sentence.