Taffi Dollar - Make Room by Ending Blame - Part 2
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Eighteen percent of prosecuted rape cases end in conviction, and, you know, thirty percent of rape cases are never prosecuted. You know why? Because women have not been believed. And that same thing exists today and throughout time. It took Jesus coming to elevate the status of woman because her character was questionable. Her credibility was on the line, the fact whether or not she could be believed in the court of women. And even as we look in John chapter 8, verse 3 through 11, turn there for just a second, we see this pattern, that it even existed in Jesus’s life, and this is the seed of man’s continuing effort to do the same thing throughout time. And this pattern is obvious in many instances, such as the account of the woman, as we see here, who was caught in the act of adultery.
John chapter 8. Let’s look at verse 3. «And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou»? Why was she stoned? It goes back to this origin of the superiority that took place as a result of the things that transpired of Adam and Eve, and them eating of the fruit of the tree, and the domination that took place, where, you know, originally they were both equal in God’s eyes, in God’s likeness, in his image, but when they ate of the fruit of the tree, the Bible says that «he’ll rule over you». And that rulership translated over time where men ruled over women.
In many instances, women ruled over men. We know domination of any kind is wrong. Blaming of any kind is wrong, but we trace it back and we see that under the law, the Scripture says here, according to Moses, that she would be stoned. «Then they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you», Jesus was leveling the playing field. It wasn’t where she wouldn’t get a pass and the men would. Jesus says, «He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone».
They were trying to blame her. They were ready to stone her, incriminate her, all the things that were justifiable under the law and the specific things of Moses, but thank God for Jesus. He saved her life. He elevated her. He put her on equal playing field, on equal ground, and he said here, «He stooped down,» in verse 8, «and he wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst». Thank God for his mercy. Thank God for his goodness.
How many of you know there’s something about the mercies of God when others wanna count you out and stone you and all kinds of things are pointing fingers? But thank God for Jesus being right there with his mercy. «And when Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more». «Go, and sin no more».
So, Jesus got rid of the blame, got rid of the condemnation, got rid of the shame. He came to deliver us, to set us free, to no longer place the enemy in the position where he can defeat us and accuse us and cause us to live beneath our privileges. So, men under the law, knowing the law wanted her stoned, and Jesus expressed his heart and had mercy on her. Now let’s look back at verse 13 of Genesis chapter 3. Let’s look at that real quick here in our remaining time, because God did not accuse Eve of breaking a command, as he had done with his question to Adam. God gave Adam a chance to confess. God approached Adam as an individual person. He did not deal with Eve through Adam. He required her to account for her own behavior, and so this is so vitally important, that we understand this today, because we’re all going to answer to God for ourselves.
And so, we must listen to God for ourselves. As a result of Jesus coming, God speaks to mankind directly. He speaks through his Spirit. He wants us to have a personal, intimate relationship with him individually, and we see that in the Scripture. So, the conversation between Adam and Eve and God, it enables the husband and the wife to cultivate their relationship with truth and responsibility. It wasn’t where God came to Adam on Eve’s behalf. God went directly to Adam, and then he went directly to Eve, and so it facilitates equality and respect and enhances a level of partnership in our relationship with God. And so, let’s look at this, because the word that Satan is described as doing is that word «beguile». It means that he cheated Eve. He outwitted her, deceived her, tricked her, misled her, fooled her.
That word «beguile» also means to cause to forget, cheated. We don’t know if perhaps, you know, the information that she got concerning what to eat, which tree, and all of that was secondhand information. We don’t know if God told Eve what to do, or if Adam told Eve what to do. But at any rate, when she says, «The serpent beguiled me,» that word «beguiled» in other translations talks about being outwitted, misled and all these things. But what we see here in verse 13, look at verse 13. It says she confessed, and she said, «I ate». She did not blame God or Adam. Eve identified Satan. Eve identified the serpent as the deceiver in the act of deception, in accepting responsibility for her action and as a result of being deceived.
And so, Satan has entered into the garden. He has entered into the church. He has entered into the homes. And you know what? We have to resist him and discontinue the conversations that he has with mankind, and to understand that he is the source and he is the reason why there has been deception in the church and blame in society, where there’s the lack of taking responsibility and causing, it becomes so easy to pass blame and not take ownership. And so, today, we wanna look at some things. God gave Adam the first opportunity to confess his sins and to repent. Adam responded by blaming the woman and God and by ignoring the serpent’s role. Adam’s effort to escape the responsibility of his actions by blaming the victim, the woman, is the seed of man’s continuing efforts to do the same throughout time.
Again, Eve exposed Satan as the guilty one. God did not curse Eve, listen to this, or woman. God did not curse Adam or the man. God cursed the serpent, and God cursed the ground. That’s key, because so many times we think that God cursed Eve and that God cursed Adam, but when you read on in what we read there in Genesis 3, the ground was cursed. And the serpent was cursed to go on his belly all the days of life. So, no one can take this ability to respond to our circumstances unless we surrender it ourselves. When we blame, we turn other people or our circumstances into idols. That they are more powerful than God’s grace working in us and giving us the ability to do all things through Christ which strengthens us.
Now, let’s look at some things as we bring this to a close and we understand that we can end blame and that we can walk in victory. And we can do this in our relationships, and we can own that which God wants to do in our life, and we can recognize what he’s doing.
Number 1, no one can keep you in your current situation except you. It’s so amazing to me how Adam realized the situation that he was in, and yet he thought that it was better to place and to begin the origination of blame, instead of accepting total responsibility. We must begin today to accept total responsibility to become victors. Say, «I am victorious in Christ Jesus». We are not victims. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us, so no one can keep you in your current situation. You know why? Because you get to choose. You have choices. God gave you free moral agency, so, therefore, you have every right to not be stranded, not to be strained, not to contain. Why? Because you can choose, and you can make a decision.
Number 2, people may have had something to do with how you got in the situation, but only you can decide whether you stay, just like Adam and Eve were in that situation. But you know what? It was up to them whether or not they handled it, whether or not they stayed, whether or not they dealt with it. So, they had to decide, and we must decide.
Number 3, the victim mentality ends when we take full responsibility for our attitude and our direction in life. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 15. I give you a Scripture. Know it’s a little uncomfortable. I’m with you. We walking this out together. Bless God. I had the Lord to bring some things back to my remembrance as I was studying this and preparing for this. I said, «Oh, my goodness». Look at what he says here in Deuteronomy chapter 30, verses 15 and verses 19, so we can end this victim mentality and this blaming and take full responsibility. He says, «See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil». «I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore,» what? «Choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live».
So, we get to take full responsibility for our course in life, for our attitude, for the direction of our life. When God came to Adam and to Eve, he questioned them. And he had given them the choice to eat of all the fruit of the trees. He said, «You can eat of all these trees, except for this one,» so it was up to them to make the decision on what tree to eat from. And when they ate, we know and we read the consequences of the decisions that they made. But God says, «Choose life so that you can live and that you can prosper». He says, «Choose prosperity,» and as a result we’ll experience the God kind of life.
Look at number 4: ask the Holy Spirit to help you when you’re dealing with the temptation to want to blame, to address, perhaps, hurtful situations. Now, I say, you know, this in all matter-of-fact ways, but I understand that the reality of this is tough. This isn’t some menial thing. We know that as a result of what Adam and Eve did, I mean, it changed the trajectory of mankind. And so, many times in our life, if we make bad decisions and we become victims and we place the blame on all these other things and all these other reasons for why things are as they are, you know, as a result it limits God. And it’s going to take the Holy Spirit to help us, to raise us up out of blame and out of the place of where the enemy wants us to remain, so we can make room for God to intervene in our life, so we can get rid of all that clutter.
You know, blaming is a bunch of clutter. It causes you to be confused, and you have no clarity. There’s no coherency. It just begins to create this fog. Hurt, pain, anger, all these things come along with blame. Not just blame moves in, but then the cousin and the nephew and the auntie and all. It’s like, «No, I didn’t want all this,» but, you know, that’s what happened in the Garden of Eden when they opened the door and had the conversation and didn’t take responsibility. God stepped in, and he says, «The ground is cursed. And, serpent, you are cursed».
And the curse came into being, but how many of you know God wants us free today? He wants us free. No shame. No condemnation, just like he wanted that woman free who was being stoned. And while they were trying to stone her and picking the rocks up, God said, «Put the rocks down. He who is without sin, throw the first stone. I wish you would». 'Cause he probably said, «I saw you yesterday, so I know you don’t have a rock. I know where you were last night,» okay?
And so, this is an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to help us, and we can go to the Word. We can go to the mirror of God’s Word and say, «Lord, help me. I am so tempted right now to blame and to not take responsibility. Help me, Father, not to blame the woman like Adam did. Not to blame God». «God, it’s your fault I’m in this situation. You’re the reason why I can’t do what I wanna do». Or, «Things aren’t working like they’re supposed to work». He says, «I place before you everything that you need. I’ve given you Jesus. You have everything that you need in this life to win, to have victory. What are you talking about? Receive my Son. Receive the Word. Receive the direction. Receive the path. Receive what’s been made available for you from the foundations of the world».
It’s not God’s fault. Well, somebody said, «You know, it must have been God who took my baby». No, there’s a devil loose. «It must have been God who sent corona». No, there are things that God allows, but God is not to be the blame, like we see Adam blamed God. So, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Full responsibility doesn’t mean that we’re in it alone.