(Image: MrRes90, Creative Commons ShareAlike License)
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:10-11, KJV).
Many know the familiar Bible passage about the woman the Pharisees brought to Jesus; they stated she had been, literally, caught in the act of adultery. Reading the entire story (John 8:1-11) can help us put the above two verses in context and also shed God’s light on the scriptures.
The woman in the story is nameless, and if her name, in the context of the story, was important, it would have been recorded in the Bible. However, male or female, there are many of us who could replace “the woman” with our name. Although we may not have committed adultery, each of us was or is in need of a Savior. The Bible states clearly that all unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17). We all can think of unrighteous thoughts or acts we have committed.
The Pharisees themselves sinned against Jesus by telling him that his statement that he was the light of the world (John 8:12-13) was not true. This begs the question: Were they on a higher spiritual plane than the adulteress woman because of their outward righteousness which concealed an inward calloused heart?
This woman humbled herself and referred to Jesus as Lord. His loving response was also instructional, as he told her he did not condemn her–but that she should go and “sin no more.”
Often God’s response to our past sins is not what we think it should be. We are told that God’s hates sin, and he does, but he also loves us. He loves us enough to accept us as we are and to empower us to change. People, even those in the church, often condemn.
If we are struggling with sins from our past life or from a time when we fell away from the faith (also known as backsliding), we would do well to remember God’s word, which tells us there is no condemnation for those who long for and chase after God (Romans 8:1-2).
If you continue struggling and Satan is condemning you about past deeds through people and through negative thoughts, it is imperative that you cast those thoughts down (2 Corinthians 10:5) and rise in the newness of Christ (Romans 6:4). Here is a prayer followed by helpful scriptures:
Father, I thank you for forgiving me, for showing me limitless love. The problem, Lord, is that I cannot seem to forgive myself no matter how hard I try. I know that you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified on the Christ for me. He shed his blood and took my sins and the sins of the entire world upon himself, so I would not have to face condemnation. There is no greater love than this.
I must believe your word, Lord, that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and that the solution, the antidote for sin is Jesus the Christ. I will stand on your word and accept your love for me. Help me not to look back, Father, but to move forward as I obey you and live by your everlasting love and mercy.
In Jesus name, I pray.
Amen.
Know that God heard and will answer your sincere prayer for freedom from condemnation.
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Jeremiah 29:11
John 3:16-17
Romans 8:1-2
Romans 8:37-39
2 Corinthians 5:21
Hebrews 7:25
1 John 4:8
1 John 4:16
Daily Word from the Lord 