No Condemnation

Jn. 8:10-11

And Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more."

 

The Pharisees and scribes brought an adulterous woman to Jesus hoping to test Him in order to find some charges to bring against Him. After explaining the woman's situation to Jesus, they said, Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? Why did they think Jesus would differ with the law of Moses? Had they seen Him show mercy and forgiveness to people? Did His mercy and forgiveness convict their hearts of their self-righteousness? Whatever was in their minds, Jesus did not answer, but instead bent down and wrote in the dirt with His finger. What did he write? Could they read it? Did it expose their true motives? As Jesus stood up from writing, He spoke, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. How simple and yet powerful! The boom had just descended on these deceitful men! Their Pharisaical hearts and self-righteous attitudes were blatantly revealed and exposed. Strangely enough, these men drifted away one by one, a great disappearing act! But then, in Jesus' next words, He showed grace abounding. Since no man condemned her, neither would He! She was to go and sin no more! This is the same grace I know. Jesus looked at me, revealed my heart to me, and then told me I was not condemned. Perhaps He wrote the words of my freedom from sin in the ground and released me from its hold by giving me resurrection life in Him. How glorious! Grace is so much greater in the face of the blackness of human sin, whether actions or attitudes, religious or fleshly, or deceitful or blatant.

 

Father,

I thank You for such grace that forgives my sin and sent Your Son to be my Savior. Give me Your strength and power to go and sin no more, to hate sin and deal with it accordingly. Help me not to be soft on the attitudes and habits of my life that need to be exposed, confessed, and forsaken.

In Jesus name,

Amen