We live according to God’s standards out of gratitude for all that He has given us in Christ.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace… ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21

As we continue to look at John 8 and what Jesus had to say about Himself, we look again at verses 15-16,

¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.

A better phrase for 16 might be, “But if I were to judge…” The concept of judgment can be determined by what Jesus has previously said about judgment,

²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. ³⁰ By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

When we put these two passages together, we find that although Jesus has the authority of God, He chooses not to judge, but to render unto people that which they have chosen, “those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” His judgment is just because it is based upon the decisions of those being judged. If we want to know how Jesus feels about folks, let’s go to John 8:8-11,

⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Sin causes us to self-destruct. Jesus was basically telling her to, “go and self-destruct no more.” He wants us to see that what we do only shows what we believe. If we turn to Him and believe what He says about us, then we will begin to act accordingly. Taken from, “The Freedom Fight” by Ted Shimer, page 224,

• I am holy and blameless before God (Ephesians 1:4)
• I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• I am a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• I am beloved by God (Colossians 3:12)
• I have obtained an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
• I have bold access to God (Ephesians 3:12 and Hebrews 4:16)
• I have everlasting life (John 5:24)
• I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
• I have no condemnation before God (Romans 8:1)
• I have victory over sin (Romans 6:10-13)

In Christ, we have a new identity; we are the children of God!

If the religious leaders had just listened and believed, they, too, would have been saved from their destructive way of thinking. Alas, they did not, and less than 40 years later, their whole world came crashing down on them. In being smart, they were not wise, because smart people may learn from experience, but wise people learn from observation and knowledge. Jesus is sharing with us knowledge of Himself and what He thinks of us (He’s crazy about us!). Let’s believe it and, with grateful hearts, act accordingly.

Abba, if I could get my mind around the fact that You are much more concerned about what I think of myself in light of what I believe about You than about my living up to some standard, then I would be free to live according to Your guidance and leadership. I could learn to be just like You, Jesus! That is my goal. Amen.