Caught In The Act

And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Text: John 8:1-11

Forgiveness is not the same thing as “tolerance.” Being forgiven doesn’t mean that sin doesn’t matter.

A Christian who engages in persistent, willful sin doesn't understand grace. Jesus' death on the cross paid for all of the believer's sins, and the cross broke sin's rule over our lives. We now have the power, in Christ, to stop sinning. We have not lost our desire to sin, but "by his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).

In our text, the religious authorities attempted to catch Jesus in a trap. They intended to force Jesus to either break the Law of Moses or the Roman law. But, of course, Jesus knew Scripture. He knew that the same scripture that commanded death for the sin of adultery also commanded the witnesses to participate in the execution by "throwing the first stone." Jesus' knowledge of Scripture prevented any attempt to get Him in trouble with Rome since the religious leaders would have to act first.

Knowing, memorizing, and saturating oneself in Scripture and prayer is the key to living a victorious Christian life.  The Holy Spirit takes the Scriptures and uses truth to fight against the lies of Satan. When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, He quoted Scripture, which eventually caused the devil to leave Him.

Sin is subtle and deceitful. Satan is described as a lion on the prowl, seeking to devour.  And the most deceitful sin of all is the sin that uses the God-given law as a means of making oneself out to be righteous when in fact, it is meant to shine the light of God’s judgment into the dark places of the heart.

Like the woman in chapter 8, all of us have been caught in the act of sin and stand condemned by God’s holy law. Don't allow Satan to use the false religion of self-righteousness to mask a heart that is actually far from God.

If God can raise Jesus from the dead, God can provide all that is promised to you. So, get up and take out the trash!