[[ "But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:1-11 ]]
Jesus stopped the scribes and the Pharisee's in their tracks, Yes. But what about the adulterous woman? He didn't just show her grace and send her on her way. He left her with, "from now on sin no more."
You see, grace demands a response, a radical response. Jesus asks nothing less of this woman. Her accusers were put in their place, the law that she had always known and trusted had been executed in a radically new way, and now it was her turn to give an answer. Jesus doesn't give her a "Weren't you glad I was here!" or "I can't stand those self-righteous Pharisees! Don't they drive you crazy?" He barely mentions her accusers to her at all, because Jesus has a new problem. The Pharisee's had been put in their place, but this woman's sin really hadn't been dealt with. So, Jesus goes straight to the heart and literally tell her to go and leave her life of sin behind.
I was that adulterous woman, caught up in sin, with my own Pharisees condemning me in all of my gross idolatry. My story plays out the same way. Jesus came in and showed me grace and all of my accusers were put to shame when He took my place on the cross and paid for all of my sin. My eternal destiny was altered, my life was radically changed, and I was left shell-socked by His marvelous grace. But just like the story in John 8, Jesus commanded me to "Go, and from now on sin no more." I have been shown radical grace and that demands a radical response of obedience.
As I've been meditating on this story, and particularly the phrase "Go, and from now on sin no more." the Lord has made it clear to me that I don't live like He has commanded me to sin no more. It's been a slap in the face that I really needed. I'll be the first to admit that I have and often do take the grace that I have been given for granted. Taking grace for granted isn't just a misstep or a slip in the wrong direction, it's sin! If grace demands radical obedience, then taking grace for granted means that I am disobeying. It means, I am saying "Thanks Jesus for saving my life, but I think I'll keep my life of sin for now!"
So, now what...Go, and sin no more! I've been shown radical grace. Jesus demands radical obedience. It's time to obey Jesus and live out the fact that I have been saved to sin no more!
"Til all the ransomed church of God, be saved to sin no more."
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