Last Thursday, we talked about the amazing gift of forgiveness and mercy that God offers those of us who have messed up in the area of sex (which is most of us, if we’re honest).

We looked at John 8:1-11 about a woman who is caught in the act of adultery. The leaders bring her to Jesus to see if He will command that she is stoned to death, as the Law said to do. Jesus gives an interesting answer. He says, “Whoever of you is innocent, throw the first stone.” All the leaders realize that they are sinners (because they’re human), and the woman is left with only Jesus to condemn or forgive her. Jesus looks around, noticing that everyone else has left, and he offers the woman (full of shame, I’m sure….I mean, she was caught in ADULTERY) forgiveness. He says to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

GO AND SIN NO MORE. We have two options when we see look at the forgiveness that God offers us….we can keep on sinning, so that we need the forgiveness over and over. It makes sense, right? (Hopefully not!) God offers forgiveness, but it’s not to be used relentlessly. I’ve had personal experience, where I would feel bad for my sexual sin for a while, but a few weeks or months later, I would find myself right back where I began. I’m sure God forgave me every time I asked for it, but I felt miserable! Jesus tells the woman to go and sin no more. That’s what’s best for her….to cut her ties with sin. And Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross where he defeated sin and death once and for all gives us the ability to say NO! There is power to quit sexual sin. Jesus’ forgiveness should change our lives!

Props to Brooke for sharing her testimony. Jesus is doing some AWESOME stuff in her. It was nice to hear, and fit in well with the lesson!