“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act’” (John 8:1-5, NASB).  Of course, the Jewish leaders were bringing this woman before Jesus in hopes of entrapping Him.  They weren’t interested in proper justice being served.  They were trying to commit an injustice - trying to find something to hold against the Perfect One.  It seems that if Jesus held to the strictness of the Law of Moses in this case, the Jewish leaders might accuse Him of lacking compassion and being unwilling to forgive - and thus contradicting His own message.  However, if He showed mercy, they would accuse Him of a direct violation of the Law.  Jesus stopped them cold in their tracks with His words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (vs 7).  I’m bringing your attention to this particular passage for one particular reason - those words, “caught...in the very act.”  You see, the Jewish leaders knew this woman was guilty for she had been caught in the very act. 

     A number of times, I’ve had individuals tell me that they have a particular “conviction.”  By “conviction” they usually mean a particular system of belief - some degree of affiliation with a particular religious group.  I know the usual intent of their comment - they’re trying to tell me - “I don’t want to discuss the scriptures with you.  I have already made up my mind.  I’m not interested in what you have to say.”  Yet, I wander - if they were charged with having such a religious mindset and affiliation, would there be enough evidence to convict them of such a charge.  In other words, could they be convicted of their “conviction.”  Could evidence be found in their daily manner of life that would support such a conviction?  Or, does their lifestyle simply fade into the ways of the world?  Do they regularly attend the services of such a religious affiliation?  Many who claim to be a part of a particular religious group rarely darken the door of the local church building.  Do they have a particular reason for believing the things they do?  Can they support such beliefs from the scriptures?  Or, do they believe the things they do...just because?  Simply put, evidence would be very hard to come by for many who claim to have a specific “conviction.”  You see, it would be vary hard to ever find them “caught in the act.”  So, if somebody claims to have a “conviction” start asking about some of the possible evidence.

     What about us?  If we were convicted of being a Christian, could enough evidence be found to render us “guilty as charged”?  Could evidence be found regarding a daily walk with God?  Could evidence be found regarding our attendance at worship services and Bible classes?  Could evidence be found in regards to our knowledge of the scriptures and our ability to support the things we believe?  How often could we be “caught in the act”?

     Let’s be sure that we could be convicted of our conviction!