Set Free From Sin

 “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.””

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When it comes to sin, we have a tendency to excuse it. We have a tendency to believe that, as Christ forgives us, what we do no longer matters. We have a tendency to believe that, as his grace depends not on us or anything we do, we are free to do whatever we please. 

We see in the above passage, however, that this is far from the case. A crowd had brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery, reminding him that, according to the Law, such people were to be put to death. And they asked what he said.

He told them that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. Hearing this, the people began to go away, from the oldest to the youngest. And they did so until no one was left.

Jesus then asked the woman who condemned her. She replied that no one had done so. And he declared that neither did he condemn her.

Although she had sinned, she received forgiveness. Although she deserved judgment, she received mercy. And, as we consider our own sin, this is something that is very comforting.

This, however, was not the end of the matter. After saying this, he said yet one more thing. He told her that, from then on, she was to sin no more.

The woman, you see, was not saved for sin. She was not saved that she might continue in sin. She was saved from sin. She was saved from the bondage and the condemnation of sin.

Although she’d received his forgiveness, and set free from the consequences of her sin, she was not free to continue her adulterous relationship. She was called to end it. And she was called upon to live a life of righteousness.

In saying this, Jesus was not expecting perfection from a sinner. He was, however, calling the woman to repentance. He was calling her to turn from her sin.

The same is true of us, as we receive his grace and mercy. We are saved not because of anything that we do, but by what Christ has done for us. We are, however, called to repentance. We are called to turn from our sin and, with his help and strength, to live a life that glorifies him.

Whenever we sin, we come to him, confessing our guilt, seeking his forgiveness. We receive the grace, obtained for us by Jesus’ death and resurrection. And we seek his strength, and we might live for him.