John 8:10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Some Christians feel justified to condemn others for their behavior based on how long they’ve been saved or how “good” they’ve been. If Jesus, our example and the Only perfect person ever didn’t condemn others, what makes some of us think we can condemn others?

Condemnation is an act that leaves a person feeling guilty or ashamed. Jesus had a justifiable right to condemn this woman caught in adultery. Instead of condemning her, He displayed grace and mercy towards her. At the same time, He didn’t condone her sin, but He redirected her by saying “sin no more.”

Mixing grace, mercy, and redirection lovingly corrects unrighteous behavior. These are the tools a person needs when they know they’ve done wrong.

The next time someone has missed the mark, don’t condemn them. Show love, grace, mercy, and redirection towards them.