Go and Sin No More

John 8:4-11, “'Teacher,' they said to Jesus, 'this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?'
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, 'All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone! Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman,'Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?'
'No, Lord,' she said.
And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'”

There are so many lessons/questions that come from this short passage, but I will only focus on one. "Go and sin no more." Jesus did not condemn the woman. He did not throw any stones, nor did he prevent others from throwing any stones themselves. He diverted their attention away from her, toward themselves, but He did not say they couldn't kill her. After the crowds attention was taken off of her and it was only her with Jesus, He looked at her and said, "'Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?'
'No, Lord,' she said. And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'”

If we have a God who is just, a God who hates sin, a God who is fair, shouldn't there be a price for sin? In every religion of the world (and yes, atheism is a religion too), in every religion there is some kind of penance. You have to do something in order to earn your pardon. In every religion of the world your pardon is based upon your works. In every religion except Christianity that is. Our pardon is based fully upon the Cross. It is through the Cross of Christ that our debt was paid. Every bit of God's judgement against humanity was felt upon the Cross. Our Lord, because He is a God of love, came down and felt the full effect of our sin on the Cross and now because of the Cross, "Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:19)

This woman did not have to pay her debt by stoning, because Jesus stood in her place and defended her. He did not condone what she had done. He finished His conversation with her by saying, "Go and sin no more." He did not say, "Go and continue on in how you are living." He said, "Go and sin no more." Why?

There are so many reasons to the, why?: (14:23), “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me." This is one reason, it shows that you love your Lord. But all too often people need something in the physical. This is the physical, so much pain comes in this life because of sin. "Go and sin no more." He has already paid the price, so why not? One reason, other people judge us. When something bad happens because of our sin, too many times, people are standing there with stones in hand saying, "well they are getting what they deserve. Its karma. They dug their grave, now they can dig themselves out."

It is only the passion of the Cross of Christ where we find our freedom. It is only in seeing the full effects of our sin being nailed upon that Cross that we can "go and sin no more." It is through the Cross where we can find the strength to allow Christ to change who we are and to start living a truly different life. Sin is the breaking of His Moral Law and with that law there are consequences here in this life that we must pay for our sin. The woman felt the sting of her sin when she was dragged out in front of everyone and made to feel the lesser. When we sin, we feel the consequences, but the Cross allows us to see the end, and the end is life. This is why Jesus answered her with, "Go and sin no more." He does not want us to continually feel the sting. He wants our life to change so that we can find the freedom of living. We cannot earn our forgiveness. Consequences are just an effect. An effect He does not want us to suffer. That is why He says, "Go and sin no more." Stop causing yourself pain. I paid the price, now learn how to live free.