“She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
TEXT — John 8:1-11
Message
The unnamed woman in our passage started her journey of shame into adultery in secrecy. The affair was to be between her and the man. But somehow, what was meant to be a private affair became a matter of public consumption.
Jesus was teaching in the temple when the Scribes and Pharisees brought the woman to Him. “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” (John 8:4,5). Even though these religious leaders did not bring her sinful partner, they wanted Jesus to sanction the verdict of capital punishment, as prescribed in the law of Moses. The Lord did not object to their opinion but He wanted the sinless person among them to cast the first stone.
The surprising verdict of Jesus caught them off guard. “And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst” (John 8:9). Jesus, seeing the disappearance of her accusers forgave her but warned her not to return to her sinful lifestyle anymore.
It makes no difference whether you are a secret sinner or a celebrity sinner. Christ has the power to forgive sins when the sinner owns up to them and asks for mercy. The woman received a pardon from the Lord because she admitted her guilt. The Lord is ever merciful and willing to forgive every repentant sinner. But once forgiven, He expects the sinner to completely change his ways and forsake all iniquities.
Thought for the day
Forgiveness is a precious gift with great responsibility.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
2 comments
Pastor wf Kumuyi thank you so much my brother God bless you
Pastor wf Kumuyi thank you so much my brother God bless you
I really need to meet with Pastor W.F Kumuyi, because I want to talk to him and see my living hero for the very first time.