Go And Sin No More
By Ruth Looper
John 8:10-11, NKJV
10 “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?’ 11 She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”
Likely, most of us are familiar with the vignette ending with the merciful words, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” In this piece,the context and implications of Jesus’ statement will be considered.
The text describing the adulterous woman reveals a couple was found in the act of committing sexual sin. Mention of the man is absent. Who is she, and who are we in relation to her? On hearing the word adultery, it may be easy to distance ourselves from her predicament. Perhaps even feel superior and think, “I’d never do that.” However, spiritual adultery is also sin. Have we ever placed anything above God in importance and priority? Is my heart, time, talent, and zeal all directed toward serving the Lord?
The authority, power, tenderness, and love of Jesus are clear as He rescues her from a certain gruesome and public death. His stance was exactly opposite that of the Jews. Imagine the love and devotion she would naturally feel for Him after His radical pardon.
As baptized believers, we appreciate the stunning generosity of our redemption owing to the excruciating, incalculable pain which was sinlessly endured by Jesus before and on the cross. Priceless redemption motivates us. Even having an inkling of how He suffered fills us with wonder at His immeasurable love. Indebted devotion attaches us to Christ Jesus and moves us to do as He commanded: “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength…” (Mark 12:30). Jesus further underscored the natural outcome of truly loving Him: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Following our rescue from a life of sin and death, we ache to show the sincerity of our love through action. Each one must determine what it means to go and sin no more. First, we need to recognize that discipleship must cost us some measure of sacrifice. David summarized, “…I won’t offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing…” Best results come when we surrender all our time, talent, and resources.
To become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must resolve to walk in the light as He is in the light (I John 1:7) after obeying the gospel. Jesus’ righteous blood is the foundation for our righteousness. We must also build on that righteousness by choosing to exercise godliness in our daily affairs. Our self-image must change. Rather than considering ourselves sinners whose sins were washed away, now we are saints who strive to live righteously. Sin diminishes as I “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (II Peter 3:18). Daily practice leads to growth.
Striving to live in a manner where sin is rare begins with an honest appraisal of our current behavior and spiritual vulnerabilities. When and where am I most tempted? In what ways must I improve? Our goals may then be formulated.
It is wise to develop a strategy to undermine every wicked thought, idea, or temptation by emulating the Lord’s example when He was tempted by Satan, combating evil with words from the Bible works best - Scripture is evil’s kryptonite. For example, if I feel anxious and my thoughts are racing, I can say, “No, I’m not going to allow this to escalate into frenzy.” Rather I will recall “…Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10a). Having ready a scriptural rebuttal is key. One idea is to have God’s word copied on an index card for easy access.
Learning to use the sword of the spirit with precision is the responsibility of every Christian (Ephesians 6:14-18). We must also train ourselves as Paul described, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (I Cor 9:27). It is a daily endeavor to choose saintly over sinful conduct. What may be helpful is to constantly reframe who we are, according to how the Scriptures describe us.
Once we identify scripture to combat sinful thinking, it would serve us well to target the thought processes which precede actual sin. Self-reflection may help us discover what line of thinking begins a slope downward. If we exercise mental deflection and consistent determination to meditate on “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report…” (Philippians 4:8), we may soon find wicked thoughts diminishing.
Keeping our hearts with all diligence means a nightly inventory of our choices that day: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves…” (II Corinthians 13:5a).
After leaving sin behind we engage in praising God in song and word, reading and meditating on Scripture, praying, fasting, giving and speaking only salt and light while spreading the gospel and edifying our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we continue in this vein, we will grow “as living stones…being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood…” (I Peter 4:16). We are referred to as part of a holy priesthood. Our productivity, however, is dependent on how extensively we continue to trust in God. We will bear fruit only if we remain in the Vine: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Given the many responsibilities we have in Christ, embodying these scriptures takes practice. May the Lord God bless our efforts to become Christlike.