Go, and Sin No More

John chapter 8 contains one of the strongest, most moving depictions of God’s forgiveness. In it, the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery, intending to stone her for her sin. Jesus, in an act of radical, countercultural forgiveness, replied, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”. At this, the Pharisees walked away one by one, leaving only Jesus and the woman. He then told her, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more”.

Jesus’ first statement was that only one without sin had the right to condemn this woman. And yet, despite His perfect, sinless nature, He chose not to do so either. He is the only one who completely possesses the authority to condemn us for our sins, and yet He chose instead to sacrifice Himself for us, to take on the full weight of our sins, to cleanse us from them. This is the forgiveness of all forgiveness; it’s hard to even wrap my head around.

But, Jesus’s commands did not stop there. When left alone with this newly forgiven woman, He told her to go and sin no longer. He is the essence of love – hence, the magnitude of His forgiveness – and yet He is also the essence of holiness. Thus, He could not condone her sin. He commanded her to take the forgiveness that she’d been given and to make good use of it by turning away from her sin for good and living a life of righteousness. By Jesus’ overwhelming forgiveness the adulterous woman was made new, and she was empowered to go, free of shame and condemnation, and to sin no more.

The same is true for us. We are able to live as holy, sanctified creatures by the power of the freedom given to us by God. Because of His actions, we are no longer separated from God but instead are separated from the death brought on by our sin. Our spirits have been approved of by God, and our mistakes are cast aside. And this salvation is what empowers us to daily turn away from sin and to walk freely in the purified life that He has given us.

Related Scripture

John 8:1-11

“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?’ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And He said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more’.”

Romans 6:6-7

“Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for the one who has died is freed from sin.”

Galatians 5:1

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”