“GOD sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world.”
And to his disciples forever he himself says: “As my Father sent me, even so send I you.”
Then no Christian is ever sent to condemn anybody in this world. No Christian has ever been made a minister of condemnation.
As to transgressors, the only office of law is to condemn. Then, as no Christian is ever sent to condemn, no Christian is ever sent to enforce law or to demand of others the enforcement of law.
As the only office of law, with respect to transgressors, is to condemn; as in this world there will be in every place, transgressors of law; and as no Christian has ever been made of Christ a minister of condemnation; it is certain that no Christian has ever been made by Christ a minister of the law.
Therefore it is perfectly certain that all these [578] preachers, people, organizations, and combinations, professing to be Christian, who are making such a clamor for the enactment and enforcement of law, have forgotten the mission of Christ and of Christians in the world and are engaged in a work to which the Lord never sent them.
The Son of God was not sent to condemn the world, and he did not condemn. He said: “If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world.”
When there was brought to him for judgment that woman who had been taken in the very act of gross sin, he said to those who brought her, “Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone at her.” And when none could cast a stone because they themselves were wrong-doers,—none were without sin,—and they all had gone out and left him alone with the woman, he said to her, “Woman, hath no man condemned thee?” And she said, “No man, Lord.” Then said the Son of God, “Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more.”
Now all who believe on him are counted the sons of God. And to all such he says, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” “Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned.”
Therefore it is perfectly plain that all these preachers, people, organizations, and combinations, professing to be Christian,—professing to be the sons of God—in all their work of throwing stones at supposed or even actual transgressors, in condemning them to arrest, fine and imprisonment, have forgotten the spirit and the method of the Son of God. In all this they have taken upon themselves an office, and are performing a work, to which the Son of God was not sent and which he never performed: and to which they as sons of God were never sent and which as sons of God they never can perform.
Condemnation is not what the world needs. The world is already condemned, overwhelmingly condemned, and needs no more condemnation. Every soul in the world is already condemned many times over; for all have done wrong many times over. For every wrong deed each soul is condemned by the law of God which he has certainly transgressed: and in addition to this, each one condemns himself, and has already many times condemned himself for the wrong things that he has done. With everybody thus doubly condemned, and many times at that, surely it is not condemnation that this world needs.
Now what kind of a spirit can it be anyhow that cannot be content without heaping more condemnation upon people who are already condemned, even to death, many times over? Surely it can be only a spirit of vindictiveness akin to that of the devil himself, that cannot be satisfied with seeing people twice condemned many times over, but must hunt out and spy and set traps for opportunities to condemn them yet more.
In no such business as that will or can the disciples of Christ ever be engaged. These are of another spirit. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world.” And “As my Father sent me, even so send I you…. Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” This is the spirit that characterizes the children of God, the church of Christ. It is the Spirit of Christ; and “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” The Spirit of Christ, it does the work of Christ. He condemns not.
God knowing that men are so fully condemned already: and not being of such a vindictive spirit to want to put more condemnation upon people since doubly condemned; sent not his Son, nor his Spirit into the world “to condemn the world, but that the world through him MIGHT BE SAVED.”
It is salvation, not condemnation, that the people of this world need. And what a fearful perversion of the gift it is, when people professing the knowledge of Salvation, and professing to be the preachers and ministers of Salvation, turn to preaching and ministering condemnation, instead of salvation—and this too upon people who are already doubly and many times condemned.
There is more power in salvation, than there is condemnation, to turn and hold people away from worse courses. When the Lord Jesus said to that woman who was actually guilty of gross wrong-doing, “Neither do I condemn thee, Go and sin no more,” there was more power in that gentle, forgiving word to turn her into the way of righteousness and to keep her there, than there ever could be in all the condemnation of all the Pharisees in Judea and in the United States put together.
Oh that professed Christians would be Christians indeed. Oh that they would study to represent Christ indeed. Oh that they would court his Spirit, instead of indulging the vindictive spirit that cannot be sent without condemning people who are already repeatedly condemned even to death.
“Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” “As my Father sent me even so sent I you…. Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” “As he is so are we in this world.” “Condemn not and ye shall not be condemned. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven.”