Sin No More

Lately God has been placing the words “sin no more” in my heart. So I decided to obey His instruction and go back to the verses in order to truly comprehend what He wants me to understand. Almost instinctively I connect the words with the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. We have all read this story and have heard a sermon or two on the story; however what God wanted me to understand are the many lessons found in that story which we face in our everyday life as people and especially as believers. The chapter begins with Jesus teaching a group of people at the temple, and then all of a sudden this woman is brought to Him in front of everyone. Now I am sure that we can all somewhat relate or at least imagine the picture painted. Having your mistakes, to call it for what it truly is, having your sin uncovered in public and having somebody or people bring forth your sin in front of someone you respect. It was not enough that she was caught in the sin; her sin and disgrace was revealed for all to see. What makes the situation worse is that you can actually imagine the cruel words which were not only thought about her but vocalized.

So here we find, a woman who might have transgressed in this manner for the first time or maybe being unfaithful had become part of her life; nonetheless, her secret sin was now exposed. If you have ever made a mistake or sinned, you will comprehend the remorse and shame that almost cripples you when you realize that you cannot take it back and press undo. Now visualize having to realize and acknowledge that shame in front of a multitude of people that is ready to stone you to your death. Yes, in our day and age people are not stoned to death for their sins; but in a figurative manner they still are disgraced, stripped naked for all to see and then stoned by all who regard their secret sin as worthy for the penalty.

So in this story, we find the sinner in their moment of shame, the accuser ready to condemn and we find Jesus whom they attempt to entrap by the law they know is written. There so many dynamics shown and characteristics of the human personality challenged:

Sinner:

·         Shame and regret

·         Humiliation

·         Having to face the penalty of sin before Christ

·         Having their sin exposed to everyone

Accuser

·         Wanting Jesus to uphold the law

·         Ignorant of own hypocrisy and sin

·         Being willing to cause another shame and humiliation they too would fear should they have their sins exposed in broad daylight

Jesus doesn’t merely want to teach us through this woman’s sin that His forgiveness and mercy knows no boundaries, but that we should walk in the shoes of others. As much as God expects us not to entertain sin and sinful behaviour; He still does expect of us to deal with others as we would want them to deal with our shameful sins. It is as though Christ is saying: “You are correct, the law does demand a penalty, a death by shame and stones; however are you worthy to truly petition that punishment.” It’s like He says, “Yes, I know her sin, you know it too for you caught her in her moment of disgrace, but  are you truly ready to face the penalty for your sins with the exact degree you rejoice with over hers?”

Christ was again reminding us that who are we to bring the sin of others to Him to judge as though He does not clearly see, are we perfect and holy that we dare to tell God to render judgment on his servant? Jesus was reminding us to reflect on our own lives and walk. The other lesson to be learnt in this story is valuing His mercy. We too deserved death; however Christ stood up for us against our accuser, Satan. In the light of all our imperfections and sins, known and unknown by others, we find ourselves in a special place, at the hands of a forgiving and merciful Savior. Now we can look back at that experience and say: “That was a close call, next time I will be more careful”; or we can live through that situation and be so humbled/touched by His love that we allow Him to change that life which was sin. Christ tells us that He has forgiven us so that we could live for Him and not live to enjoy more sin.  In the Book of Hebrews 10:26 it says: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins…” We cannot just expect to constantly cry and fall face down from embarrassment, only to just go back to that way of life; as though we do not appreciate God, the death of His Son. As though we simply do not care to love Him and know Him, as if we just want His blessings and help without the love. Imagine the prodigal son returning home receiving his father’s forgiveness and being welcomed back home as a son rather than a servant, only to have him ask his father for more money in order to go back to that life that had chewed him up. In all honestly that is what it is like when we receive Christ and are called of God only to go back to a life with sin.

The other section in the book of John which dealt with the subject of “sin no more” was the story of the man by the pool who had suffered from infirmity for 38 years. Now this is a long time to endure any kind of suffering, I cannot even begin to imagine the state of helplessness that he was probably feeling at that point thinking that he would die never knowing relief and that only death could make the agony just stop. We once again find a person who is in what appears to be a desperate situation which they cannot fast forward past, but have to live through. Just like the woman in John chapter 8, they have understood that no man is keen to help them at their hour of need; only Christ can free them from their bondage to sickness or sin. One of the most powerful things about these stories is that most probably they were looking forward to die to make their suffering end and that in their hour of the realization that no person would help them nor save them, Christ steps in, He heals and makes them whole.  

“Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” John 5:14.

Now Christ wants to do the same in our lives, he wants to take the shame of the sins in our life, He wants to end the suffering and above all He wants to make us whole. However that means we must live, that we live through the accusations, we live through the defamation, we live through the judgements, we live through the loneliness of realizing that people will not become our Savior. The woman had to have that sin in her life exposed in order for it to leave her soul and become transformed; it must have been painful, the death of sin in our lives is excruciating. The accusers may have shamed her, but they brought her to the feet of her Savior, and that is the part we should focus on, the accuser brings us to the feet of our Savior.

To conclude, we need to watch our walk, exposing sin yet through love of the other. We need to be changed by the hand of God, and realize that we are only whole at the feet of the Savior. Always remembering to sin no more