Go And Sin No More

"When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” - John 8:10-12

I wish I could say that what I am about to write will be indisputable - but I don't think it is. It is what I believe that Word of God says but the effect of sin in the Believer's life has been a point of debate for centuries. Smarter and godlier men and women than me have struggled with the reality of sin in the lives of those who have been saved from the consequence of sin which is eternal separation from God.

So - the point of my writing this is to challenge your thinking not cause doubts about your faith. A new friend here in Florida has invited me to attend his Bible study class this Sunday morning. When I asked what they were studying he said (texted actually) "John 8:2-11, Jesus gave me grace and forgiveness."

When I read the passage Jesus words, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." brought Romans 8 to mind. The woman had sinned. Jesus was not pretending that she had not. But He was calling her to repentance and a life of faith in Him. I think that He was telling her to abandon her life of adultery. To choose to go another way. I don't think he was telling her to never sin again.  But like so many before whose faith was accounted to them as righteousness, she could look forward to that day, to Jesus and His sacrifice for many. The Helper, the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived. That wouldn't happen until Jesus had ascended. The point is that doing what Jesus told her to do would require faith not simply trying harder to not sin. The thing is, she would sin again. Perhaps not adultery, but sin she will - just like us after we are born again by faith. 

It is an interesting conundrum we face. We are to resist temptation - not sin - yet we will give in and we will sin again. So what is the deal?

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh" - Romans 8:1-3

Trying to live a sinless life through the human effort - to be acceptable to God by trying to be good is futile. We were not saved because we decided that we would not sin anymore. We were born into sin and it was impossible for us to overcome the penalty of that sin or our being drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

 "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2:4-9

Because we continue to struggle with sin in no way means that our sins do not matter. Meaning that somehow my sinning does not matter since I have been saved from the eternal consequence of sin.

" Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,  so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" - Romans 5: 18-21, 6:1-3

God, the Father, sent Jesus, the Son, to suffer and die - in our place. We focus on the cross and His physical death - which was necessary - but there was something eternal going on as well. Where Jesus, the innocent, was separated from the Father so that we, the guilty, might be saved through Him. How could we think that continuing in sin is OK - of no importance.

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." - 1 John 1:6-10

If you live your life any way you choose - walking in the darkness - in the power of your flesh - and not by the Spirit - you may fool others, but you do not fool the One who called you out of the darkness into the light.

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

We are each faced with temptations - every day. I wish I could say that I have not sinned since I was born again - but that would make me a liar. I do find that my sin is predominately internal and not external. Mine are sins of the heart which man cannot see, but God can can see them. 

Don't be content with your propensity to sin as if it does not matter anymore. Walk in the light.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." -Ephesians 5:8-11

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone