John 8:11 - Go Sin No More! How Do You Do That?
John 8:11 (NKJV) She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn
you; go and sin no more."
COMMENTARY PEARL
We stop sinning not by trying to stop
sinning, but by walking with Jesus and inviting God
into the dark places of our life. When a room is
dark, you dont chase away the darkness by
talking against it, praying against it, and
commanding the darkness to leave. No, darkness
naturally recedes when light enters the room. You want
to stop sinning? Invite God into it, and watch
the light of His love cast out all sin.
https://redeeminggod.com/go-and-sin-no-more/
INTRODUCTION
Jesus didn't condemn the woman accused of
adultery, but neither did he ignore or condone her
sin. He told her to leave her life of sin. Jesus
stands ready to forgive any sin in your life, but
confession and repentance mean a change of heart. With
God's help we can accept Christ's forgiveness and
stop our wrongdoing. [Life Application SB]
Jesus pointed her to the chief thing for
which she stood in need - the immediate forsaking
of her sins. Repentance must be honest and
sincere. Not only must she be sorry for her sin; she
must turn away from it. That repentance which
consists in nothing more than feeling, talking,
professing, wishing, hoping, is utterly worthless in the
sight of God. Until a man ceases to do evil and
turns from his sins, he does not really repent
(see on Ps. 32:1, 6; 1 John 1:7, 9). [SDA Bible
Commentary]
COMMENTARY
The Woman Caught In Adultery
He was soon interrupted. A group of
Pharisees and scribes approached Him, dragging with
them a terror-stricken woman, whom with hard,
eager voices they accused of having violated the
seventh commandment. Having pushed her into the
presence of Jesus, they said to Him, with a
hypocritical show of respect, Moses in the law
commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what
sayest Thou?
Their pretended reverence veiled a
deep-laid plot for His ruin. They had seized upon this
opportunity to secure His condemnation, thinking that
whatever decision He might make, they would find
occasion to accuse Him. Should He acquit the woman,
He might be charged with despising the law of
Moses. Should He declare her worthy of death, He
could be accused to the Romans as one who was
assuming authority that belonged only to them.
Jesus looked for a moment upon the
scene,"the trembling victim in her shame, the
hard-faced dignitaries, devoid of even human pity. His
spirit of stainless purity shrank from the
spectacle. Well He knew for what purpose this case had
been brought to Him. He read the heart, and knew
the character and life history of everyone in
His presence. These would-be guardians of
justice had themselves led their victim into sin,
that they might lay a snare for Jesus. Giving no
sign that He had heard their question, He
stooped, and fixing His eyes upon the ground, began
to write in the dust.
Impatient at His delay and apparent
indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter
upon His attention. But as their eyes, following
those of Jesus, fell upon the pavement at His
feet, their countenances changed. There, traced
before them, were the guilty secrets of their own
lives. The people, looking on, saw the sudden
change of expression, and pressed forward to
discover what it was that they were regarding with
such astonishment and shame.
With all their professions of reverence
for the law, these rabbis, in bringing the
charge against the woman, were disregarding its
provisions. It was the husbands duty to take action
against her, and the guilty parties were to be
punished equally. The action of the accusers was
wholly unauthorized. Jesus, however, met them on
their own ground. The law specified that in
punishment by stoning, the witnesses in the case should
be the first to cast a stone. Now rising, and
fixing His eyes upon the plotting elders, Jesus
said, He that is without sin among you, let him
first cast a stone at her. And stooping down,
He continued writing on the ground.
He had not set aside the law given
through Moses, nor infringed upon the authority of
Rome. The accusers had been defeated. Now, their
robe of pretended holiness torn from them, they
stood, guilty and condemned, in the presence of
Infinite Purity. They trembled lest the hidden
iniquity of their lives should be laid open to the
multitude; and one by one, with bowed heads and
downcast eyes, they stole away, leaving their victim
with the pitying Saviour.
Jesus arose, and looking at the woman
said, Woman, where are those thine accusers?
hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man,
Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I
condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
The woman had stood before Jesus,
cowering with fear. His words, He that is without
sin among you, let him first cast a stone,
had come to her as a death sentence. She dared
not lift her eyes to the Saviours face, but
silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw
her accusers depart speechless and confounded;
then those words of hope fell upon her ear,
Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at
the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful
love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.
This was to her the beginning of a new
life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the
service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen
soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in
healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured
the spiritual malady which is unto death
everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most
steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and
devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.
In His act of pardoning this woman and
encouraging her to live a better life, the character of
Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect
righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen
the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but
to save. The world had for this erring woman
only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words
of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the
weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping
hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce,
Jesus bids her, Go, and sin no more.
It is not Christs follower that, with
averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them
unhindered to pursue their downward course. Those who
are forward in accusing others, and zealous in
bringing them to justice, are often in their own
lives more guilty than they. Men hate the sinner,
while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but
loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all
who follow Him. Christian love is slow to
censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to
forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the
path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein.
DA460-462
CLOSING THOUGHT [repeated for emphasis]
We stop sinning not by trying to stop
sinning, but by walking with Jesus and inviting God
into the dark places of our life. When a room is
dark, you dont chase away the darkness by
talking against it, praying against it, and
commanding the darkness to leave. No, darkness
naturally recedes when light enters the room. You want
to stop sinning? Invite God into it, and watch
the light of His love cast out all sin.
https://redeeminggod.com/go-and-sin-no-more/
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
John 8:12 - The Second I AM; Jesus the Light
of the World!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211226-1019.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
