There is no such thing as a major or minor, big or small sin. Cast a big stone and a tiny pebble into the water or sea, they both sink. Such is sin, no white nor black lie, it is sin and its penalty – death, Bishop Tutai Pere.

John 8: 11 – “She (an adulterer or prostitute) said, no man Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more … Kua tuatua maira aia (te vaine akaturi), kare ua e te Atu. Kua karanga atura Iesu kiaia, Kare katoa Au e akautunga ia koe: ka aere, auraka ra e ara akaou.”

Human Procreation and Reproduction – Generally speaking and in the natural or physical, all fellow human beings born into this world is born of a woman or female only and by intercourse with a man or male only, and no way else? Whether by artificial insemination, or some form of modern day scientific means still requires a human male ‘Y’ sperm chromosome and a woman female X egg chromosome both in combination to cohabitate, mutate, fertilise and therefore produce a human species XY = male, XX = female and called human reproduction, period.

In the spiritual context, all fellow human beings, male or female, born into this world is born in sin due to the sin of disobedience that our very first forebears Adam and Eve committed, thus the penalty of such sin was death which falls upon all of humanity. It was by such man and woman; male and female relationship and marriage was instituted.

God institutes marriage (Genesis 2: 23, 24) – “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” And Jesus adds in Mathew 19: 6 and 9, “Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together (vs. 9 except it be for fornication), let no man put asunder.”

The first Edenic Covenant required the following responsibilities of Adam: 1) to procreate and propagate the human race, 2) to subdue the earth for humanity’s benefit in general, 3) to have dominion over all of God’s creation, 4) to care for the garden and eat its fruits and herbs; and 5) to abstain from eating of one tree of the knowledge of good and evil, on penalty of death for disobedience. The blood of Jesus Christ shed on His Cross on Calvary hill through repentance remits and forgives all of humanity’s sin.

Under the Jewish religious Law of Moses, the woman caught in the very act of adultery was to be condemned to die by stoning. A certain woman therefore was brought by the Scribes and Pharisees to be condemned to death by stoning but at the words of Jesus, an evil and ulterior motive to try to put him to the test. But Jesus by his divine wisdom said unto them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (v. 7). One by one, they all departed leaving behind Jesus alone, and the woman. Jesus asked the woman, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? 11, She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”. This was the day that the Grace and Mercy of God stepped in, intercepted and saved the woman. She could have died right there and then, but not only she escaped the stoning, she walked away a free woman. Jesus sent her away saying, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”. Who was this guy Jesus? What warranted him to say such words, “Neither do I condemn thee, go, and sin no more”. Was he some Supreme Judge of a High Court of the day? He was the sinless Son of God, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22); walked this sin-ridden earth, chose his own place on Calvary’s cross, to die in our stead, paid the ransom price that we, like those wicked Scribes and Pharisees deserve to pay for theirs and our own sin kaiou. Jesus paid it all instead, in full once and for all. The blood of Jesus Christ shed on His Cross on Calvary hill only through our repentant hearts remits and forgives us all of our sins. He sent the woman away but with a note of caution, as if saying: “You got away from this one woman, no telling if you will ever get another chance, so, go, and sin no more”.

God’s word in Romans 3: 23 and 6:23 declares, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God … and the penalty of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ … we are an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags and we all do fade as a leaf.” (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10). There is absolutely no Court of Justice on earth sin free, neither no church nor Christian preacher or believer totally immune of sin but by the blood of Jesus Christ. We do not take our liberty in Christ as liberty to sin that Grace may abound, God forbid. Neither do we take our liberty in Christ so as to judge, condemn anybody in society like the Scribes and Pharisees did to the woman caught in adultery. There is no such thing as a major or minor, big or small sin. Cast a big stone and a tiny pebble into the water or sea, they both sink. Such is sin, no white nor black lie, it is sin, its penalty is death, except we repent our sins and turn away from, we shall all perish likewise.

All fellow human beings in all human societies are all whom Jesus Christ died and shed his blood for, that none should perish both in this present and the life thereafter, but all come to repentance and be saved forever in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ was the most inclusive person that has ever appeared on earth and upon our human scene. He was condemned eating with sinners, associating with publicans and Roman tax collectors, being with drunkards, adulterers, prostitutes, marginalised like lepers, the blind, deaf, dumb, lame, breaking sabbath laws by healing the sick on sabbath days, casting out devils and even raising the dead to life – he was condemned and sentenced to death by crucifixion, died doing all of the above. He claimed his death as doing God’s, His Father’s will. He was a man for all people, laid hands and prayed for any needy person that he ever came across. He had no respect of persons but all equally precious in his sight and instantly swayed at the cries of any humans in need. In reply to the remarks made by his critics in Luke 5:30 - 32, “Why do you eat with publicans and sinners? He said unto them, “They that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”.

Finally, Paul in Galatians 3: 26 – 28, “For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27, For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28, There is therefore neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus … 29, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise”.

God bless our beloved Cook Islands, let us shine as lights to the world and salt of healing and flavour on earth, reach out to all the less fortunate, vulnerable, isolated, marginalised and all needing the Grace and Loving reach and touch of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Have a safe and blessed Jesus’s weekend, Amen! Te Atua te Aroa!