Can We Really 'Go and Sin No More'?

Tom:

We are continuing with the Gospel and we are in the Gospel of John and Dave, just to remind you we are in John:8:9And 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.
See All..., but just a little background for some of our listeners who may have just joined the program or haven’t listened to the program before.We are dealing with Jesus speaking to the people and the scribes and Pharisees bring to him a woman taken in adultery and of course they say the caught her right in the midst of it.That’s a little questionable, but that’s what they said.But let’s pick up with—

Dave:

They somehow forgot to bring the man.

Tom:

Yes.

Dave:

She wasn’t committing adultery with herself.It takes two.She was a married woman or she was having sex with a married man one or the other.

Tom:

Verse 9: “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.”

Dave:

If you or I had said that Tom: “He who is without sin let him cast the first stone,” I don’t think it would have convicted anybody.But when Jesus said it, there’s convicting power and they recognized that they’re sinners each one of them.Maybe some of them have even committed adultery and the Lord would have known that, but part of it is I think they recognize they are not being honest at this time.They didn’t bring the man.Why are they pushing this woman?Now of course the whole purpose of it Tom, I don’t think we mentioned it to our listeners last time—they are trying to trap Jesus.If he says let’s take her out and stone her then he’s breaking Roman law and the Romans will crucify him.If he says no let’s not stone her, let’s have some sympathy for her, then he’s breaking Moses law and the people would turn against him.Now what is Jesus going to do in this situation?Well he stoops and writes on the ground; they persist and he says, “Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone.” Then he looks down and writes on the ground again maybe, “Where is the man?”I don’t know.So this is where we are and verse 10: “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?She said, No man, Lord.”She recognizes who Jesus is.They don’t recognize [him].If they do, they are not willing to admit it.“Lord, she says, No one has condemned me.Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee.Go and sin no more.”

Tom:

Dave is it possible that this is the woman who came to him later and washed his feet with her tears?

Dave:

Well it says she was a harlot, that woman.It’s a little bit different from being an adulteress.I don’t know Tom.We can’t speculate upon it.It’s more than significant.Jesus is not condemning this woman, but he does say go and sin no more.He’s not condoning and he’s not encouraging her in this kind of immorality, but he’s saying neither do I condemn thee.I think what it refers to is the law that required stoning for adultery.And if these men had condemned her then she would have to be taken out and stoned.So that’s why Jesus says, “Has no one condemned you?”And she says, “No man Lord.”“Neither do I condemn thee, go, and sin no more.” Jesus is not condoning what she had done, but he’s telling us (I think) also that this sin is not going to damn her soul.If she believes in him, he paid the penalty for that sin.Of course he had not at that point but he was going to.We see a picture again Tom that we’ve talked about as we’ve been going through John.The law.We talked about it earlier on this program.The law can’t save anyone.She has violated the law.The law requires that she be put to death.This was the Old Testament law, death by stoning for adultery.But it very clearly said BOTH parties.But there is forgiveness being offered by Jesus.The law (we read it in John 1) was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.How could he say, “Neither do I condemn thee?”Only because he was going to the cross to pay the penalty for her sins.And on that basis he could offer her forgiveness.Now the woman could have gone away condemning herself in her heart, feeling that she was damned for eternity or she could have gone away believing that Jesus not only is telling her I personally—I’m just a mere man and in my opinion I’m not condemning you.No, no, something more than that.Jesus is God and he is offering her pardon, forgiveness.That’s powerful.

Tom:

Right.Well verse 12 really underscores that.“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Dave:

That’s quite a statement isn’t it?Look Tom, we talked about that earlier.We have to face the statements of Jesus.You get out on a street corner and Tom, let’s try it.Just stand out there and yell at people, “I am the light of the world, he that follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”See how that goes over.You’ll be in the looney bin shortly.

Tom:

Well maybe sometime ago, but today—

Dave:

Oh Tom, you’re right.

Tom:

I think everybody outside—the inmates are—

Dave:

Yes, the inmates are on the outside.

Tom:

Yes.

Dave:

Well they’re everywhere.But Tom, let’s say they would look at you as a bit peculiar.And they wouldn’t believe what you said.Now when Jesus made these statements, people believed him and he is the light of the world.Let’s go back and just look at what it says.Back to the John:1:6-9 [6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. [8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. [9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
See All..., “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”Now Jesus in John 1 is not the one who is saying this, John is making this commentary.But now he is saying John:8:12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
See All..., “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”I want to follow Jesus; I want to walk in this Light of life.Of course he gives us eternal life, but John in his first epistle says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.”So the expression “walking in the light,” or “following the light,” or “the light that enlightens man” is used a number time in scripture and it is God who in Genesis:1:3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
See All... I think it is who said “Let there be light and there was light.”The scripture says, “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.”Jesus is claiming to be God. “I am the light of the world.You follow me and you won’t walk in darkness, you will have the light of life.

Tom:

Dave, I just want to go back what we referred to earlier about the law and you refer to it here as well.The law was just to point us as you said, point out sin.And I remember again, with regard to your debate, your opponent kept saying, “You’ve got to do it, you have to do it.You keep saying Mr. Hunt that you can’t do it, that you can’t—you know God knows you can’t do it.”But God has provided, once you understand you can’t do it, now he has provided the solution which is a gift!

Dave:

Yes, amen.