So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:7
As the news media reported on the death of Ms. Whitney Houston, I, like so many others, was shocked about her sudden passing. Little by little I began to notice statements of adoration spoken by the media slowly turning in to statements of condemnation. The personal demons she struggled with became the forefront of the news reported on her.
We all have fallen short of the glory of our Creator. Yet so many of us sit in judgment and have the tendency to think one sin is worse than the other. But, I am sure in the eyes of God there is no degree to sin. A sin is a sin. Even born-again Christians will have struggles between the flesh and the spirit. We are not immune from sin. Our battle will continue as long as we breathe the breath of life. Only through the grace and mercy of God are we forgiven.
Again, some will say her public persona contradicted her personal belief in God. Some have questioned her salvation. None of us will ever know what transpired between Ms. Houston and God at her final moments. We can only speculate.
If Ms. Houston had not ever done anything special in life, her home-going celebration accomplished a great feat. It brought the world to church with the edification of faith, hope, and charity. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Cor 13:13
It was evident from testimony after testimony that Ms. Houston never gave up on her faith in Christ. Her faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, dominated these testimonies. Although her struggles continued on and off, many attested to the fact that her hope in Christ remained strong. Holding on to the charity or unconditional love that Christ gives, further I believe, she knew God would never forsake her.
This same unconditional love, God showed to Ms. Houston, has been given to all of us. The Almighty God sacrificed His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save our souls from sin. No matter what our personal demons are, He will give us an avenue to freedom as long as we have faith and trust in Him.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. I Cor 10:13
Within the walls of her church the Spirit of God was powerfully present. I am confident many lost souls were saved on that day. So, Ms. Houston, I thank you for bringing virtually millions to church to hear the Word of God. You did more than a lot of us will ever do. Rest in Peace!
