1174-No More Condemnation#
1174-No More Condemnation
(JP Text Group - Embroidery Organization)
John 8:3-11
3 The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 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.
7 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.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 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. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. We come to seek You once again. Every time we come before Jesus, we come to receive Your grace. You are the source of our blessings. Having received Your forgiveness, we have the strength to forgive others. Today, please renew my thoughts and ideas through Your words. Bless the time ahead; I am willing to open my heart to receive Your words. May the Holy Spirit guide me and help me understand. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!
Christians must interact with others in life. We are not to isolate ourselves from the city and the world.
In this world, we inevitably have to deal with those who do not believe or those with very poor qualities. When faced with people who do not understand and make you feel wronged, what is your reaction? When people slander you innocently and defame you, it is very painful to hear, and it is easy to get hurt. How should we respond to these situations? Should we accept or reject? If we say reject, how should we reject?
We know that unbelievers are under the law. The characteristic of being under the law is often to condemn others. Therefore, we must learn to reject these erroneous thoughts from entering our hearts to avoid affecting our lives and face life with the heart of Christ.
We share the first point: The message Jesus spoke is one of no condemnation.
John 8:1-2
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.
What kind of words did Jesus use to teach people? Not words of condemnation, but words that give life and peace.
What Jesus told them is that the Heavenly Father accepts you and loves you. When Jesus preached the gospel, the Pharisees heard His words and thought, “Does God really love us unconditionally and provide for us? Don’t we need to give anything in return?” They found a woman to try to trap Jesus.
4 They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”
If Jesus said that the woman caught in adultery should be stoned, He would have violated Roman law, as the Jews did not have that authority; they were under Roman rule. If Jesus said that the woman was innocent, He would be contradicting Moses' law, and the people would no longer believe in Him.
If Jesus’ message was the same as that of the past scribes and Pharisees, they would not have brought this woman to Him. It is precisely because Jesus spoke of grace and preached the love and forgiveness of the Heavenly Father that the Pharisees brought this woman. Adultery should involve two people, yet they only brought one woman, which shows that the Pharisees wanted to test Jesus.
In verse six, they were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him.
Brothers and sisters, what kind of grounds are there in this matter? Jesus spoke of the way of grace and truth.
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
The Pharisees believed that the woman’s sin was a fact. If you forgive this woman, it would be a blatant violation of Moses' law. However, if Jesus said to stone this woman, then the message of forgiveness He just preached would become empty words. Therefore, the Pharisees’ scheme was very malicious.
At that moment, Jesus did not speak; He wrote on the ground. The Bible does not specify what Jesus wrote. Since it does not say, we do not need to discuss what He was writing. Some say it was a fish; others say it was the Ten Commandments. There is no biblical basis for this; it only indicates that there is a special historical significance to where Jesus was writing.
According to the history of Israel, the area around the temple was made of copper stones, which was a place where rabbis taught people. Jesus also stood there to preach.
At this time, when Jesus was writing on the ground with His finger, He was actually telling people, I am the one who wrote the law! Then He stood up and said to them,
“He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
When they kept asking Jesus, it was because they felt they had the upper hand. Jesus wanted to tell these people how to uphold the law, so He said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
When someone wants to condemn others, they must first look at themselves to see if they have sin. If that person is guilty themselves, how can they have the right to condemn others?
Among this group of people, only Jesus was without sin. The only one with the authority to judge this woman did not judge her. Instead, it was those without the right to judge who wanted to throw stones at her.
When you encounter others who condemn or slander, whether in work or life, return to God’s words. Do not forget that Jesus still accepts you; He does not condemn you anymore. You are a beloved child of God, a unique existence in this world. Every time you come before God, He rejoices in you.
There is nothing unimportant in the Bible; every detail is particularly important, as the next verse says.
So Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground again. In verse nine, 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. Brothers and sisters, the order is from the older to the younger. Notice that the oldest left first. Why? Many teachings in the church tell you to continually sanctify yourself, to live out good behavior, and not to sin, lest God’s judgment come upon you. The older one, having known God longer, realizes their sins more…
Before the law, the older ones see their sins the most, so they left first. The younger ones, with less understanding of sin, followed when they saw the older ones leave.
Jesus was still writing on the ground. Brothers and sisters, in the Bible, how many times did God write with His finger on stone? Twice. The first time God called Moses up the mountain and gave him two tablets of stone, on which were written the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 31:18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Moses took the two tablets down, and when he saw the people worshiping the golden calf and rejoicing, he threw the tablets down and broke them. Some ask, “This was written by God; why did Moses break them?” God did not punish Moses for breaking them. If Moses had brought the tablets to the people, all of them would have had to die!
The people had just violated the first commandment of the Ten Commandments, You shall have no other gods before Me. Moses broke the tablets and did not bring them to the people. Yet judgment still came.
Exodus 32:25-28
When Moses saw that the people were out of control (for Aaron had let them get out of control to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” 28 The sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
The consequence of violating God’s law is judgment and death. The Pharisees knew this. Therefore, when Jesus first stood up and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” the lawyers would remember this history. They felt they also had sin and left.
Exodus 34:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you shattered.”
A few days later, God told Moses to go up the mountain again and cut two stone tablets to replace the ones he had shattered. Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days, and God wrote the two tablets again. This time, He did not bring them to the people but placed them directly in the Ark of the Covenant. Looking at the picture in front, do you see the two cherubim above? Their wings are touching. The cherubim actually stand on the cover of the Ark, and inside the Ark are the two tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain.
God placed them inside the Ark, covered by the mercy seat. The two cherubim’s wings create a space, which is called the mercy seat. Once a year, the high priest would bring the blood of bulls and goats into the Most Holy Place, and when he saw this, he would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. God would speak to the high priest from the mercy seat. When the people’s sins were covered by the blood, God would bless the people with a great harvest that year.
When the two tablets were placed inside the Ark, people outside could not see them; what they could see was the mercy seat. When God saw the blood of bulls and goats on the mercy seat, He would no longer condemn the people because of that blood, and their sins would be covered. God could then bless them.
In the New Testament, we do not use the blood of bulls and goats but the precious blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. When the precious blood was shed on the cross, it redeemed us from our sins, and from then on, blessings from God flow continuously from the mercy seat. Because this blood is eternally effective, God’s acceptance and blessings for you are also eternal.
In the Old Testament, the blood on the mercy seat was only effective for one year because it was the blood of bulls and goats. But today, the blood of Jesus Christ is effective forever, which represents that God’s blessings for you are also eternal.
Hebrews 10:11-14
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
The priests stand daily ministering to God, offering the same sacrifices each time, but they cannot take away sins because the blood of bulls and goats is limited. But we are blessed because the blood of Jesus is eternally effective. Therefore, when He was offered once, He made us perfect forever. Because of Jesus, God will never condemn us again. We are justified by faith.
The Ark represents the covenant God made with the people. When the blood is on the mercy seat, the sins of the Israelites are covered. God’s righteousness is satisfied. Therefore, God is responsible for the people. This is why the Old Testament records that the Israelites took the Ark into battle; when they placed the Ark on the ground, their enemies were killed.
Because the Philistines were uncircumcised and had no blood of bulls and goats to atone for them, when God looked at the people through the law, they all had to die. Once, the Ark was captured by the Philistines, and wherever the Ark went, that city experienced disaster. The Philistines were very afraid, thinking the Ark was an ominous object, so they used a cart to transport the Ark back to Beth Shemesh. The people, having never seen the Ark, were curious and gathered around it, resulting in a bad outcome.
1 Samuel 6:19-20
The Lord struck down the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord; He struck down of the people seventy men, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall we go up from here?”
The people did not understand how to serve and carelessly looked into the Ark. To see the tablets inside the Ark, they first had to push aside the mercy seat, which means the people pushed aside God’s grace, resulting in seeing the law and falling from grace into judgment.
The people mourned because the Lord had struck them down greatly. In fact, as long as the people did not act recklessly, no one would die. God sealed the tablets and placed them in the Ark to prevent people from dying; God hoped people would receive His grace!
Yet people always want to show themselves and are unwilling to follow God’s way. In the Old Testament, God clearly stated that only the priests, the Levites, were qualified to serve in the tabernacle. But this group of people seemed to disregard this, ultimately leading to unfortunate events.
Returning to our main text today, when Jesus first stood up, He revealed the law of Moses to them. As a result, one by one, they left. Jesus continued to write on the ground, which was the second time He wrote. After Jesus stood up the second time, the situation changed.
10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Why did Jesus not say words of condemnation to this woman? This woman was indeed guilty. Why did Jesus not condemn her? Let us look at the true meaning of God giving the tablets!
Exodus 24:8-12
Moses sprinkled the blood on the people and said, “Behold, the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up; and they saw the God of Israel, and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets and the law and commandments which I have written for their instruction.”
God spent forty days on the mountain teaching Moses how to make the tabernacle in detail. The purpose was to place the finished tablets inside the Ark. The Ark symbolizes our Jesus Christ. Through the Ark, God can accept the people. Because of the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark, God can bless the people.
At this moment, the physical Ark stood before this woman. This woman also knew her problem; she hoped to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation. Jesus was willing to shed blood for her sins, sacrificing Himself, thus fulfilling the law without violating Moses' law.
Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Please note this order. Jesus first gave her the grace of no condemnation. This would make this woman grateful to God and give her the strength to overcome sin.
What is the difference? Many churches, when teaching Christians how to live, get this order reversed. They say, “You must not sin anymore, so that I will not condemn you!”
However, if a person does not have the strength of Christ, relying on themselves will never overcome sin. Only when a person receives this power of no condemnation can they overcome sin.
What Jesus said to this woman was not to condone her sin. Jesus never said that this woman was without sin. Jesus meant that He did not condemn her sin; He forgave her sin. Many people misunderstand grace, thinking that speaking of grace means that sin does not matter and does not emphasize God’s righteousness. Many worry that this will lead people to sin intentionally. Paul has already given us the correct answer:
Romans 6:1-4
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Paul was also preaching the message of forgiveness, and some misunderstood what Paul was saying, thinking that living in sin could make grace abound. Paul’s answer is direct and simple: “May it never be!” When we realize that we are new creations, living with the glorious Lord and no longer living for ourselves, our lives will change.
Sharing the second point: Learning to Accept Others
This woman sinned, and people’s response was to kill her, to no longer accept her, and not even give her a chance to repent. This is the way people under the law act, cold and heartless! Where is our difference from the world? If we look at those who are lost, condemn them, slander them, and discard them, how are we different from unbelievers? Jesus took upon Himself all our sins on the cross, reconciling us with God. The Heavenly Father knows that we still sin today and sometimes cannot overcome our weaknesses. But He will not abandon us, nor will He condemn us. Romans 8:1-2 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. When you know what Jesus did for you on the cross, God no longer condemns you. Once you understand this, you can live out the new life of Christ. First, do not condemn yourself. When we are weak, fall, or fail, we can rely on the strength God gives us to repent and stand up again. Secondly, do not condemn others. Because condemnation carries judgment. We have no right to judge anyone. We are all forgiven by Christ. We are those who live by receiving His grace together. Since Jesus does not condemn us, we should not condemn others. Instead, we should gently admonish them. The law constantly points out others' mistakes but cannot help them; Jesus’ grace gives others the power to overcome sin, guilt, and the attacks of the devil.
Last night, I saw a WeChat post about an elderly couple. The wife had great faith in her husband. Neither of them was educated, but the wife said, “Whatever my husband does is right.”
They were so poor that they had only one horse, which they planned to sell to see if they could exchange it for something else. The old lady said, “You go ahead; whatever you do, I support you. You are always right.” Later, the old man traded the horse for a cow, then the cow for a sheep, then the sheep for eggs, and finally, he ended up with a pile of rotten apples.
A smart person heard the old man tell this story and said, “When you go home, your wife will definitely scold you.” The old man replied, “No, I tell you, when I get home, my wife will kiss me. Do you believe it?” The man said, “I don’t believe it.”
So they made a bet: a bag of gold. The man was confident he would not lose. “You made such a mess; who could accept you?” When they got home, the old man began to tell the old lady what he had done. The old lady said, “Old man, what you did is always correct,” and kissed him. The wise man was left speechless and admitted defeat.
Brothers and sisters, we must have absolute faith in God, and at the same time, know that God has unconditionally forgiven you and no longer condemns you. Even if your actions are really terrible, just like this old man, having failed miserably, God will still not abandon you but will turn your situation around and ultimately bless you.
God has forgiven you and no longer condemns you. What God gives you is love, grace, and acceptance. What you give to others should also be acceptance and grace. Hallelujah! This will enable others to overcome their mistakes.
When a person knows that God accepts them, they are willing to draw near to God and willing to act according to God’s words. When a person understands God’s love and receives this love, they can live out God’s love. We often say that Jesus Christ does not condemn you anymore. Under grace, you should live a life that is worthy of grace. One aspect of a life of grace is not to condemn others. Even if they have truly failed, remember that they are still God’s children, and God’s sovereignty is upon them. God will turn them around.
In the Old Testament, Job had lost everything and was covered in sores. In today’s world, who would want to be close to him? But God never abandoned him, and in the end, God restored everything he had lost, doubling it. So remember, when others are in trouble and helpless, when they make mistakes, you should give them encouragement, not criticism. Learn to accept others.
Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
This is a verse we should meditate on: in Christ, God no longer condemns you.
When interacting with others, learn to accept them and be good at discovering their strengths. Encourage others. Do not maliciously attack others with slanderous words. God no longer condemns you, so you should not condemn others. God has released you, so what you bring to others should also be release. Learn to love others with Christ’s love, accept others, and care for others, even if that person is truly unlovable.
Luke 6:31-35
Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
Receive love from God and live out love before others. Be kind to those around you. Help the weak and insufficient, and you will have a reward in heaven. This is God’s forgiveness and grace towards us. He also expects us to live it out in our lives.
Verse 36, Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
If we condemn each other, others will surely find your faults because no one is perfect. Our Heavenly Father is merciful. Therefore, we should treat others with mercy.
Romans 8 begins by saying that you are no longer condemned in Christ Jesus, and it immediately mentions that nothing can separate you from the love of God. This is the way to victory. When a person knows that God does not condemn them, what they receive from God is His love and acceptance. This is the power to overcome sin. Amen.
When you understand God’s love for you, you can achieve victory. This enables us to overcome life’s challenges. When bad things happen in life, remember that God still treats you with grace. Even if the current situation seems bad, know that God still loves you. Even if others do not accept you, know that God accepts you.
2 Corinthians 3:7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
This speaks of two covenants. We are not ministers of condemnation. If we serve people with words and methods of condemnation, we belong to the ministry of condemnation. Although such service has some glory and may achieve a little effect, the results are not significant.
When your child misbehaves, if you treat them with very coarse language, they may change temporarily, but more out of fear than love. When they grow up and their children make mistakes, they will use the same method. This is called the ministry of condemnation, which may have some effect but leads to endless consequences. The ministry of righteousness has greater glory. In the house of Christ, our change is lasting and comes from within.
Verse 11 says, For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
The glory of the law is the glory that is passing away. It is temporary.
Jesus Christ came to bring grace and truth, to forgive and heal.
The ministry of the New Testament always points to what Jesus accomplished on the cross. In Christ, you are righteous; you are pleasing to God. Even if your situation is very bad now, do not be afraid; with God, you can pass through safely. Bring others this kind of faith and encouraging message; the glory is greater.
Many people are bound by messages of condemnation. People are afraid to take action, fearing failure. People see a girl they like but do not dare to confess, fearing rejection. People see a good business opportunity but do not dare to pursue it, fearing loss. In Jesus Christ, God gives you the way to move forward; He will guide you on the path you should take.
Although Joseph was sold by his brothers and isolated, God watched over him and was with him. It seemed like he had failed in the eyes of people, but in the end, he was victorious. The grace of Christ is greater.
Last time I chatted with a brother who is in business, he said, “I have a habit: before I start a business, I always think of the worst-case scenario.” This is a mindset of condemnation that makes people fearful and hesitant to act.
If a person constantly condemns themselves, they will lack confidence in their actions. If they think of the worst before starting, how can they dare to take a step? But in Jesus Christ, God loves you deeply. He supplies you every day and watches over every matter. Move forward with confidence; He will help you.
If the ministry of condemnation has glory, then the ministry of righteousness has even greater glory. Churches that preach the law will have healing and some miracles occur. Churches that preach grace will have even more testimonies of healing and prosperity, and this has been proven.
The gospel is currently reviving globally. People are being healed, lives are being changed, marriages are being restored, and many young people are turning back, willing to draw near to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the ministry we are currently engaged in.
Wherever Jesus went, people were willing to crowd around Him and draw near to Him. Therefore, put into practice what you have learned and heard in the gospel. When you receive Christ’s love, you can accept those who are unlovable.
When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He did not bring condemnation or death to others. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets, he brought the law, and that day three thousand people died. When Jesus came down from the mountain, He cast out a demon from a boy, giving him freedom.
Colossians 3:12-14
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Jesus Christ accepted us, and may we all become messengers of the gospel. You have received grace; transform it into love and give grace away. Use the love you have received from Christ to love others. If you cannot do this, continue to receive the truth of Christ! Start with your family, with those closest to you. Treat them with words of grace, regularly say encouraging words, and be good at discovering their strengths and speaking them out. You know this is what you have received from the Lord, and you are giving it away.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise Your grace. In Christ, You no longer condemn me. Through the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, I am forgiven. I am accepted by You; I am righteous, and I am willing to share this blessing.
In this new week, please lead me. Let me live with grace. Help me to see You more and experience more in my life. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.