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Loyal
Do you ever feel like what you have done is so bad that you could never be forgiven? Are you afraid to tell the truth for fear you will be rejected? Or, out of fear of other consequences? Do you remain in sinful addiction because you have given up hope of ever changing?

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 8 (Select vv. ESV).

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.” Vv. 1-11

When you are following the Lord Jesus Christ with your life, and you are teaching the truth, you should expect that there will be people who will oppose you and who will even try to trip you up. And, don’t be surprised if some of those people are within the church, and even from among the church leadership. So, we need to be watchful and be on our guard, and be ready to respond to such opposition in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. For, He will give us the words to say, if we will listen to him.

The religious leaders within the temple of God were Jesus’ strongest opponents, and they often did things to try to trip Jesus up and to show to others that he was not who he said he was or that he was in error in some way. So, their bringing this woman before Jesus had nothing really to do with following the law and maintaining righteousness. They used that woman to get at Jesus, and Jesus knew that. He had their number.

So, he bent down to write something in the ground with his finger. Many people have speculated as to what he wrote. Not one of us really knows. I have a sense that he wrote something revealing about each one who was accusing this woman, perhaps not by name, but by sin, and in a way that they recognized that he was talking about them.

This makes sense to me, because next he said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” So, I think there was something Jesus wrote in the ground that convinced them that they were not without sin, because these Pharisees were very self-righteous, and I don’t believe Jesus’ verbal statement would have been enough to convince them to throw down their stones and leave. I believe, therefore, that what he wrote was incriminating to them, and they knew it.

Sometimes we have to be humbled, and we have to be faced with the reality of our own sins, before we put down our stones we want to throw at others because we believe they are such horrible sinners while we are not. But, the Bible says there is none righteous, no not one, not of ourselves, anyway. And, it says that all have sinned and have come up short of the glory of God. It also says that it is only by God’s grace that any of us are saved, and that this is not of ourselves, lest any of us should boast, but it is a gift of God.

I don’t have to look very far into my past to see some of the horrible things I did. And, when I think about the grace of God, and his patience with me while I wandered from my pure devotion to him, for a time, how can I not show that same grace and love to others that he showed me?

Now, grace is not an excuse for sin, nor does it ignore the sin and pretend it doesn’t exist. Jesus didn’t stop with, “neither do I condemn you.” He said, “Go and sin no more.” His forgiveness of our sins is not freedom to continue in sin. His forgiveness is so we will “go and sin no more.” This is why he died, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness,” not that we would remain in our sinful addictions, still in bondage, and still under the control of Satan. His message of grace is one of freedom from slavery to sin, not just freedom from the punishment of sin.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” V. 12

If you want to be a Jesus follower, you can no longer walk (in lifestyle) in sin. You cannot be one who makes a practice of sin. In fact, the Bible teaches that if we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (in sin), that we are liars. It says, too, that if we walk according to the flesh, that we will die in our sins, but if, by the Spirit, we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live. And, it says that if we make sin our practice, that we don’t have the hope of eternal life with God, but a fearful expectation of judgment. We need to take this seriously!

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Vv. 31-32

What does it mean to abide? It means to stay, to remain, and to endure. It also means to stand, to take, and to accept without objection. We have to be in the Word daily, drinking it into our minds and hearts, listening to our Savior speak, and then we must follow in obedience to what it says.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God (is God-breathed) and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person of God might be complete, fully equipped for good works (See: 2 Tim. 3:16-17). But, not all scripture is applicable, in its strictest sense, to the church today, so we must always read the OT in light of NT teachings and our new covenant relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I note this, because I want to point out that we, as believers in Jesus, are not under all the Old Testament laws, like stoning people for committing adultery, but we are under the law of grace. But, grace is not soft on sin. God’s grace instructs us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly (fleshly) passions (lusts), and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14).

So, how does the truth set us free? We have to be in the Word, learning what it teaches us, and then we have to obey the truth and tell the truth and it will set us free, because obedience is what frees us from our bondage. Thus, we no longer walk in darkness, but we now walk in the Light.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Vv. 34-36

If you are still holding on to sinful practices, you are not walking in freedom. If these sinful practices are what you live by, then you are still a slave to sin. And, if you are a slave to sin, then you are not alive in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

BUT, if Jesus has set you free, meaning you have died with him to sin, and you are living with him to righteousness, not necessarily in sinless perfection, but sin is no longer your master, and Jesus is truly your Lord, then you are free indeed, but not just from the punishment of sin, but from the control of sin.

Again, Jesus didn’t just tell the woman that he did not condemn her, but he told her to go and sin no more. That is true freedom! Not just forgiveness, but deliverance from our sinful addictions. Then, we are free indeed!

My Prayer
An Original Work / May 30, 2011

“Fill me with Your Spirit;
help me to love others;
Let me know Your power;
be an overcomer.
Show me how to follow
Jesus Christ, my Savior;
Be His faithful servant
to obey Him always.

“Lead me with Your presence;
help me know the right way;
Teach me love and kindness,
generous compassion.
Give me grace and courage
to be Jesus’ witness,
Teaching His salvation
to a world who needs Him.”

Won’t you come and follow
Jesus Christ, your Savior?
He died so you’d be
free of control of your sin;
Free to follow His ways
in complete surrender;
Living sacrifices –
let His grace transform you.


Monday, January 15, 2018, 2:22 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for the freedom that is ours in Christ Jesus, our Lord, because you have set us free!
 
Active
Adultery, prostitution, fornication...it is so common in todays world that everyone is tainted with it.
Even in church, I have seen so many women have fatherless children because they compromised on their faith and went after seducing men or let themselves be seduced. They became unequally yoked.

Children born of fornication are bastards. They dont inherit. They are kids, not lambs.

Before I came to christ I was wandering in the world too. Every where I went strange men would try to pick me up, hit on me. Women too. I had married men look at me like I was a *****. Like many caught up in the world I would try my hand at this whole 'sex' thing because everyone else was doing it, even encouraged to! And for many people they continue on cos it 'feels good'. This world I grew up in said being a virgin was no prize! Well that is a lie!

Thanks be to Jesus that he set me free from all that. Does not mean I dont have trials and tribulations but I have learned to fight the wiles of the devil. Thank you Lord I can be free and sin no more.

If you need help being free there are prayers you can pray to apply the blood of Jesus to your life that will set you free. Come out of Babylon and do not partake in her sins.

Remember the woman caught in adultery how Jesus had compassion on her, but also, since it takes two to tango, all the men around her would have been guilty of using her. Many people blame women for perhaps seducing them without looking at themselves for giving in to that or even going after women and looking at them with lust in their eyes.

Imagine how incredible it is for Jesus to set this woman free from a life being viewed as 'the town bicycle' where everyone has had a ride. Do we know who this woman is...well we have several clues in the Bible her identity. She had been forgiven much.
 
Loyal
@Sue J Love

Free indeed, is what we are dear sister! As you indicate, who has not been there and done that in some sin of their own, which may or may not have corresponded exactly to that woman caught in the act. We might name it the besetting sin:

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Heb 12:1

I too have been there and done that... but Jesus said it, "Go and sin no more!"

Give God the glory!
 
Loyal
@Sue J Love

Free indeed, is what we are dear sister! As you indicate, who has not been there and done that in some sin of their own, which may or may not have corresponded exactly to that woman caught in the act. We might name it the besetting sin:

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Heb 12:1

I too have been there and done that... but Jesus said it, "Go and sin no more!"

Give God the glory!

Absolutely! Amen!! Who of us is without sin? There is no one righteous, not one of us in our own flesh. But, thanks be to God, he delivered us out of slavery to sin and has given us new lives in Christ, to be lived to his righteousness. Yes, he says "Go and sin no more." Amen!
 
Loyal
Adultery, prostitution, fornication...it is so common in todays world that everyone is tainted with it.
Even in church, I have seen so many women have fatherless children because they compromised on their faith and went after seducing men or let themselves be seduced. They became unequally yoked.

Children born of fornication are bastards. They dont inherit. They are kids, not lambs.

Before I came to christ I was wandering in the world too. Every where I went strange men would try to pick me up, hit on me. Women too. I had married men look at me like I was a *****. Like many caught up in the world I would try my hand at this whole 'sex' thing because everyone else was doing it, even encouraged to! And for many people they continue on cos it 'feels good'. This world I grew up in said being a virgin was no prize! Well that is a lie!

Thanks be to Jesus that he set me free from all that. Does not mean I dont have trials and tribulations but I have learned to fight the wiles of the devil. Thank you Lord I can be free and sin no more.

If you need help being free there are prayers you can pray to apply the blood of Jesus to your life that will set you free. Come out of Babylon and do not partake in her sins.

Remember the woman caught in adultery how Jesus had compassion on her, but also, since it takes two to tango, all the men around her would have been guilty of using her. Many people blame women for perhaps seducing them without looking at themselves for giving in to that or even going after women and looking at them with lust in their eyes.

Imagine how incredible it is for Jesus to set this woman free from a life being viewed as 'the town bicycle' where everyone has had a ride. Do we know who this woman is...well we have several clues in the Bible her identity. She had been forgiven much.

I am so thankful for God's grace!
 
Loyal
Absolutely! Amen!! Who of us is without sin? There is no one righteous, not one of us in our own flesh. But, thanks be to God, he delivered us out of slavery to sin and has given us new lives in Christ, to be lived to his righteousness. Yes, he says "Go and sin no more." Amen!

I couldn't agree more, there seems to be a common mis understanding of this here on TJ, many think we are made perfect in the flesh. Yet it is in the spirit we are made righteous through Jesus nothing we have done or do, only through Jesus are we made righteous
 
Loyal
I couldn't agree more, there seems to be a common mis understanding of this here on TJ, many think we are made perfect in the flesh. Yet it is in the spirit we are made righteous through Jesus nothing we have done or do, only through Jesus are we made righteous
Amen!
 
Active
We cannot perfect our flesh.. it must be put to death and crucified. God will renew us with his spirit now and new bodies in the resurrection.

We are no longer to walk in the flesh if we reckon it dead. This is where confession of sins, repentence and baptism come in as part if a christian's life. Nobody can study their way to perfection or do it themselves..only through Jesus can his light shine through us. Jesus didnt give us the gift of 'holy flesh' but the holy spirit. Flesh and blood simply cannot inherit the kingdom.

Will give you an example or two to make it clear. The bible tells us all flesh is as grass it withers away and dies. This is our physical bodies it wont live forever we know it will die everyone will die one day. Fact of life since adam and eve disobeyed God. But if we know Jesus we have access to eternal life even though all of us have to die. The bodies we have right now wont inherit the kingdom it cant..God will give us new perfect bodies but it is His spirit that makes us alive.


Think of a candle, physically it is wax with a wick, but only if it is lit will it give light. This candle will only give light if someone lights it (God') but the wax will burn away (flesh) . A candle is useless if its not lit.
Or a pot(flesh) some pots are empty but others are filled with water (spirit) its only the ones that hold water that are of use to anyone. The pots can be shaped by God and kept by him or destroyed if they are found leaking.

I hope this helps someone

Paul says Awake righteousness and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34

Read the rest of this chapter. Jesus Christ rose from the dead agreed? But it was not in his old earthly body but his glorious heavenly body. Jesus was not a walking dead living zombie. He was not dripping blood and oozing with sores..he had scars on his hands and feet they were healed.

While we are still in the flesh (physically) we can walk in the spirit but this life in the flesh we do need to live by faith. See Galatians 2:20-21

If we are not living by faith that Jesus was raised then we could just do as we please eat and drink and die tomorrow as that would be all there was for us. None of us would risk our lives for anyone else.
 
Loyal
we are of the flesh and the spirit and once saved we now are righteous in the spirit the flesh will never be righteous yet we are both the flesh and the spirit so we are not perfect in the flesh. A constant struggle rages in us but now through Jesus and only Jesus we have the power to win the struggle. But we are of flesh and spirit one day the flesh will die and then we will be made whole and perfect.
 
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