The day Guilt met Grace

John 8:1-11

Introduction: This morning, we will examine a very familiar story found only in John’s gospel. I’m taking about the woman caught in the act of adultery.

Full disclosure: The earliest manuscripts of John’s gospel date back somewhere between 100-200 AD and do not include the story of the woman caught in adultery story. The earliest manuscripts that contain this story date somewhere between 300-400AD.

However, scholars refuse to omit the story in our modern bibles because the story is consistent with the character, style of ministry and teachings of Jesus.

ALL SAID, I believe this story is most beautiful and true and worthy to speak from.

FOUR GOSPEL TRUTHS DISCOVERED IN THIS PASSAGE

1. SOME PEOPLE ARE , MOST ARE , BUT ALL ARE .

All have sinned and come up short of the glory of God. All of us miss the mark. Romans 3:23

2. GOD TAKES SIN AND SO MUST .

Sin is not overlooked. Sin must be reckoned with.

• Adultery under the law was to be punished by death (Leviticus 20:10). Both the man and woman were to be killed. Leviticus doesn’t say explicitly that stoning was to the method of punishment, but Jesus didn’t debate the pharisees on this point.
  • Under the law homosexuality, bestiality, incest, idolatry were all under the same sentence.

• The Apostle Paul in his doctrinal dissertation had the following to say about sin’s consequences: 

^“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.  And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.  But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:20-23 NLT

• The pharisees were just as guilty of sin as the woman they caught in the act.

The first of you without sin please throw the first stone!

3. JESUS DIDN’T COME TO SINNERS BUT TO THEM FROM THE AND OF SIN.

“Neither do I condemn you.”

• Jesus was the only one qualified to condemn this woman and yet he chose mercy!

^“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19 NIV

Illustrations:

• For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

• Jesus was be criticized for breaking bread at Matthews house along with all his friends: sinners and tax collectors. And Jesus challenges their theology with a statement, go and figure out what this scripture means, “I desire mercy not sacrifice.” ^{Hosea 6:6} Matthew 9:10-13

4. GOD’S GRACE DOES NOT US FROM .

                                           “go and sin no more.”

” But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.  No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”  1 John 3:5-6

Question:

• Jesus knew this woman would continue to wrestle with sin, but he was expecting her to walk away from this sin.
• As Christians, we will not be sinless in this lifetime, but we will sin less if the Holy Spirit is in us.

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

• Antinomianism is the belief that some laws, particularly moral laws, are not binding for Christians because they are freed from the law by grace through faith in Christ.
• We are not under Jewish law as Gentiles, but we are not free live any which way we desire. We are now slaves to righteousness not licentiousness.
• Sometimes people are not caught in the act of sin more often than not, people are stuck in the trap of sin and need help getting free. Galatians 6:1-3

There is now therefore “NO CONDEMNATION” for those in Christ Jesus. Roman 8:1