"Neither do I condemn you. Go your way,
from now on, sin no more."
John 8:11
These words of Jesus come at the end of a startling episode in his ministry.
The woman standing before him had been taken in the act of adultery
and brought to Jesus by religious men who were willing to take her life
in order to create a dilemma for him. These men knew his nature was to forgive.
Yet the law was clear. What would Jesus do?
Satan would have us believe that we are each uniquely beyond hope.
He accuses us by our repeated failures to be holy.
How shall we escape God's wrath?
Because Jesus was without sin, he has the power to speak guilt away.
All of us need his words of mercy to forgive our sins.
By speaking our sins forgiven, he gives us power to live differently, a new life.
Because we are still in the flesh, we must now struggle against sin.
The struggles are proof of the new life, the presence of the Spirit of Jesus with us.
By virtue of his death, his words have power to transform us.
We must address Jesus' words, "sin no more."
They must be understood in the light of Scripture.
James wrote, "for in many things we all stumble." James 3:2
John wrote, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,..." 1 John 1 :8
Jesus knew that this woman would not be absolutely sinless throughout life.
Jesus was setting forth the standard of conduct for her -- and all of us.
He knew that she would fall short of it, just as we do.
Jesus also knew this woman's heart . He saw she was broken by her guilt.
He pronounced, "neither do I condemn you."
If we have been broken and made new, we know his words have power.
They were established at the cross.
"For by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified."
Hebrews 10:14