"… neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." — John 8:11
In this passage, Jesus shows us His intentions. If we are tempted, if we have sinned in our minds or in our actions, Jesus doesn’t want to condemn us; He wants to set us free. Jesus knows, better than we do, how we got into the mess we may be in — and He knows how to set us free.
In the passage above, a group of religionists wanted to use a woman who had sinned as a tool for discrediting Jesus. But, instead of running Jesus out of town, they ran into their own hypocrisy. The woman, instead of being stoned, was restored by the genius of Jesus. As each accuser walked away, she became less and less a pariah, and more and more part of the human community where we all have sinned and need the grace of God. And the grace of God was given. Jesus pardoned her offenses; pouring into her heart the love that she had sought in all the wrong places.
This is the template, my friends, for God’s dealing with us. We are caught. We are exposed. We have no place to hide. But the gracious words of Jesus Christ, like sunshine after the storm, restore us and make us whole again.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.