February 17 Sin No More

John 8:2-11 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him 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.”
 
WHEN people talk of sin and God’s forgiveness, they often refer to this passage. For many, it seems the story teaches us that sin does not keep us from Jesus. This shows, doesn’t it, that he loves everyone, regardless of their sins? Because the Lord Jesus doesn’t condemn the woman here, he won’t condemn our sins today.
   The Bible, though, is very clear that God does judge and condemn our sins. Regarding those who disobey his teachings, our Lord says, “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.” (John 12:48) Clearly the adulterous woman had rejected Jesus’ teachings – God’s commands. What then, is Jesus doing here?
   He is demonstrating the reason he came to live in the midst of sin. Remember how he said in John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” His purpose in his first coming is to open the door of salvation to the world. Jesus’ kindness with the woman is not to say, “Sin is okay.” But he is demonstrating God’s saving mercy that she might know the truth and be saved. The part many people leave out in this teaching is Jesus’ clear command, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” The Lord God is telling her she has sinned. She is a sinner. She needs a heart change to be saved. He commands the woman to repent or be condemned. For he also said in John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”
   Love the sinner. Demonstrate God’s mercy. Speak kindness. Tell the truth of God’s justice. Direct people to the right path. Help them know they must repent to be saved.
 
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for sending Jesus to serve us with the gospel. I pray for your truth to pour out from me that others will know the pathway to eternal life with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.