Go, and Sin No More

[Christsfreeservant]

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. ​

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But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11 NASB1995)​

Now the Scribes and the Pharisees were known for being hypocrites, and this is just one example of their hypocrisy. But is it wrong to correct sinful behaviors in others who profess faith in the one and only true God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit? No, it is not wrong, if it is being done with the right motives, and in biblical love and truth, and not in hypocrisy, and with the intent to save lives, and not to destroy them. For we are instructed in the Scriptures that we are to help our fellow Christians to victory over sin.

[Philippians 2:1-8; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 5:13-16; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9]

But the Scribes and the Pharisees cared nothing about this woman. They were just using her as a pawn for their own purposes to try to trip up Jesus with his words, so that they would have cause to accuse him. And they didn’t really care about the law, either, unless using it served their purposes when they wanted to claim, “the law says,” but while they were those who broke the commands of God habitually, for they did not practice what they preached, but instead were full of wicked deeds, greed, and self-indulgence.

Now, the Scriptures do not teach us what Jesus wrote in the ground with his finger, which led the Scribes and the Pharisees to back off and to depart. But I have always suspected that he named names, perhaps names of harlots with whom they had committed adultery, so that they knew that Jesus knew their secret acts of sin, and that he had the power to expose their deep dark secrets, and to stand them in front of a “firing squad,” too. For they were too prideful to back down based on his spoken words alone. They needed more.

And when they had all departed, then Jesus spoke to the woman with kindness. And he could see what was in her heart. And I believe he could see that she was sorrowful and repentant. For then he said to her, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” And that is Jesus’ message to all of us who are sorrowful and repentant over our sins, when he forgives us. For forgiveness is never permission granted to keep on in sin, but it is for the purpose that we will “go, and sin no more.” Amen!

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Broken and Contrite

An Original Work / May 13, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I come before You, Lord, my Savior,
With humble heart and crushed in spirit.
I bow before You, I implore You,
Heal my broken heart, I pray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master,
You are the King of my heart.
Lord, purify my heart within me;
Sanctify me, whole within.

Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully
The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.
I pray You give me grace and mercy,
Strength and wisdom to obey.
Father God, my heart’s desire,
Won’t You set my heart on fire?
Lord, cleanse my heart of all that hinders
My walk with You, now I pray.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,
My heart cries out for understanding.
I want to follow You in all ways,
Never straying from Your truth.
Holy Spirit, come in power,
Fill me with Your love today.
Lord, mold and make me;
Your hands formed me;
Live Your life through me, I pray.

Go, and Sin No More
An Original Work / December 4, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love