GOD’S MERCY AND FORGIVENESS TOWARDS SINNERS

John 8:1 AMP ‘She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.’

               This theatrical display of self-righteousness was probably the height of provocation by the religious folks of Jesus' time who sought to discredit Him before the public.He was seen as a threat to the Jewish religious folks  whose traditions thrived on inequity and injustice. For example, from the above scripture, nothing was said of the woman’s male companion; definitely adultery requires two or more sexual partners. This is typical of all man-made religion: they are often, exploitative, illogical and inhumane. 

              Jesus Christ was very consistent with his mission to save the weak, the scripture says in John 3:17 Amp “For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. He introduced the ‘dispensation of grace’ whereby a person’s justification before God is not premised on their good deeds but upon God’s mercy and forgiveness towards sinners (John1:17) God's word says in Titus 3:5 AMP Bible “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” If we were to be judged by our works , nobody will pass the test (Ecc7:20,Rom3:23).

     The Pharisees hated Jesus Christ for this kind of teaching because they taught he was condoning or practicing sin. His association and defense of sinners was considered a violation of Jewish religious traditions, which required the stoning to death of adulteresses (Deut 22:20-22). Contrary to their claim, Jesus did not condone the sin nor disregard the Law of Moses, He simply taught them that the Holy Ghost was sufficient to convict an individual of sins and as a result none of them had the moral justification to pass divine judgment on the adulteress. Their consciences bore witness to the inefficacy of self- righteousness in the administration of justice, that's why they couldn't cast a stone on the guilty woman. 

      The life of the sinner is unstable, the scriptures say in Prov 22:12 NLT that “The Lord preserves those with knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.”. It is against this backdrop that it will be wrong to say that the teaching of grace allows us to continue in sin . Jesus clearly told the woman that a life of habitual sin was unacceptable before God. He told her “sin no more” meaning, grace does not exempt one from the harmful effect of sin and through the Holy Ghost we can learn how to better live a more dignifying and peaceful life. He empowers us to live out what the word of God teaches about righteousness. The scriptures says in Titus 2:11-13 NKJV “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”  As you receive Jesus Christ as your lord and saviour and read this now , receive grace for freedom from depression , guilt and condemnation in Jesus name Amen 
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