Day 8
John 8:10-11
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
When a woman accused of adultery is brought before Jesus, He reveals his absolute compassion and absolute standard when he refuses to condemn her but then tells her to go and sin no more. Jesus does not condemn you for sin (Rom 8:1) but calls you out of sin. He knows that when a person continues in sin, their own sin condemns them because anyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). However, Jesus saved you so that you can be free (Gal 5:1). When the enemy comes to accuse you in the presence of Jesus like the woman caught in adultery, Jesus doesn’t just declare you innocent by his blood, he calls you out of a way of life that’s beneath who you were created to be. His grace not only covers you, it elevates you. In verse 32, we see that that elevation is to the place of truth. In verse 31, we see that Jesus is talking to those who already believed in him and says only if you continue (remain, abide) in my word (which is the truth- Jn 17:17) can you be a disciple (student) of Jesus Christ. In the next verse, we discover why that is. In the Word of God, you find the truth, “and the truth will make you free.” When you personally know Jesus, not just believe in an idea of him but have a life-changing encounter with him that causes you to press into his word to learn about the one who is truth, it changes everything. It’s one thing to hear Jesus loves you; it’s another to experience that love for yourself when you feel unlovable. It’s one thing to read that Jesus is the way; it’s another thing to follow him and see your whole life transformed by the relationship with your maker. Knowing about Jesus saves you if you believe, but an intimate relationship with him sets you free from bondage to everything that you placed your identity in outside of Christ. It sets you free to be the version of yourself that God knew before the foundation of the world. Like the woman who encountered the radical mercy of God, that person can worship God in spirit and truth.
Next Steps
Read John chapter 8 and take notes, making observations and asking questions as you read.
Mediate on 1 or 2 verses that stood out to you. Focus on what they reveal about God and how the Spirit is inviting you to respond. Find a helpful guide to biblical meditation here.
Write down whatever the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.
Reflection Questions
How can we find a balance between receiving God’s grace and freedom from condemnation and refusing to take that grace for granted by living a righteous and holy life?
When have you been quick to condemn someone instead of living out of the grace that God has shown you?
In what way have cycles of sin kept you in a place of shame instead of walking in freedom?
Prayer Points
Lord I rebuke every spirit of shame that keeps me far from your presence when I fall. Help me to remember the freedom I have in you. (Rom 8:1, John 8:10-11)
Lord deliver me from every sin cycle that is disrupting my intimacy with you. Let me walk in the freedom you died for by the power of your spirit (Gal 5:1, John 8:10-11)
