ABOVE ALL THINGS by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 8, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 10.

"ABOVE ALL THINGS."

By G.

It was the Pharisees who brought the woman guilty of adultery to Christ, and told Him that the law of Moses commanded that such should be stoned. They wanted to know what Christ would say about it. He did not condemn the law. He always recognized that "the wages of sin is death;" and it was for that reason that He gave His own life as a ransom for all who would believe on Him, and thus be redeemed from the penalty, by a resurrection from the dead. But He drew the line as to who should execute the death penalty. He said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

So, when one is disposed to cast stones at the erring, even tho the offense be adultery, let him first be sure that he is without sin himself. Let him remember that it is the Pharisee who is always ready and anxious to condemn the erring. In the instance of the woman just cited, there was only one Person at hand who was "without sin," and He was the One, the only One, seemingly, to suggest mercy. He refused to condemn the woman, altho there was no doubt of her guilt. Thus it appears that the nearer one comes to being without sin, the more he will be inclined to show mercy.

The perfect Word says, "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." This is the course to be pursued by those who are spiritual; of course the other class will pursue their own course. It would be impossible for them to do any restoring, anyhow. Their religion consists in condemning and destroying.

The people of God would always do well to heed the instruction of the apostle Paul: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." G.