Bible Ballistics: Vol. 9 No.25 He That Is Without Sin???

 

“And early in the morning he came again into the temple,

and all the people came unto him;

and he sat down,

and taught them.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him,

Master,

this woman was taken in adultery,

in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us,

that such should be stoned:

but what sayest thou?

6 This they said,

tempting him,

that they might have to accuse him.

But Jesus stooped down,

and with his finger wrote on the ground,

as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him,

he lifted up himself, and said unto them,

He that is without sin

among you,

let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down,

and wrote on the ground.

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.

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?

11 She said, No man, Lord.

And Jesus said unto her,

Neither do I condemn thee:

go, and sin no more.

12 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.”     John 8:2-12

Jesus in his public ministry encountered all kinds of people, and on this day of ministry and teaching the people, some religious leaders tried to set a trap for Him. They brought a woman before Jesus, and accused her of adultery, which was an offense worthy of death, according to the Law. One of the questions that has always stood out in my mind, is “Where was the man, she was caught in the act with?” These leaders weren’t concerned with justice, but with trapping Jesus and discrediting Him. But Jesus turned the tables on them, and in our vernacular, He told them to “go ahead”—but He pricked their hearts for the wickedness that they held onto. He hit the target of their ‘sinful’ hearts:

“He that is without sin

among you,

let him first cast a stone at her.”

While Jesus didn’t condone her ‘sin’, He did call them to judge their own hearts first! And while we live in a culture that says, “don’t judge” at all, what Jesus is saying is that we must judge ourselves first, before we can judge others. And even then we must judge with the righteous judgment of God. And God says that ‘sin’ is ‘sin’ and Jesus has paid the price for sin for all who believe in Him. I’ve often wondered what Jesus was writing on the ground that day—perhaps dates, or names, or places or ‘sins’, but whatever it was, the hearts of those men couldn’t withstand His silent judgment. When confronted by “God in the flesh”, they hung their heads and left one-by-one until there was just Jesus and the woman. This unnamed woman stood before the creator of the universe, and He simply asked where her accusers were!

“hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord.”

Then Jesus told her to “go, and sin no more”! And that is what Jesus calls us all to do, because sin is the issue. What will we do with it? If we claim that we have no sin, we are lying to ourselves and may never hear the voice of Jesus.

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you,

that God is light,

and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him,

and walk in darkness,

we lie,

and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light,

as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful

and just

to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.

2: 1 My little children, these things write I unto you,

that ye sin not.

And if any man sin,

we have an advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation

for our sins:

and not for ours only,

but also for the sins

of the whole world.”     1 John 1:5-2:2

Once again we find the emphasis is on the reality of ‘sin’! We all have it, and denying that we do doesn’t change the fact. John makes it clear that only Jesus can deliver us from the penalty of sin. He alone was, is and ever will be “the propitiation for our sins”! “Propitiation” is the payment in full for a debt. Jesus paid that debt with HIS blood! But we must recognize our own sin, repent and trust in Him. Then we will find the cleansing healing power of cross!

“For all have sinned,

and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely

by his grace

through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth

to be a propitiation

through faith in his blood,

to declare his righteousness

for the remission of sins that are past,

through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say,

at this time

his righteousness:

that he might be just,

and the justifier

of him which believeth

in Jesus.”   Romans 3:23-26

Jesus’ sacrifice redeems us from our sin, forgives and delivers us from the penalty of our own sin. Only Jesus could provide a life changing, transforming, redeeming work that pays our sin debt.

“But now being made free from sin,

and become servants to God,

ye have your fruit unto holiness,

and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin

is death;

but the gift of God

is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.”    Romans 6:22-23

The payment for sin is death, but Jesus has paid that debt for all who will come to Him in repentance and faith. How about you? Have you come to Jesus? Have you faced your own sin, or are you still blaming someone else for the choices that you have made, or are still making. As the old adage says, ‘Every pot has to sit on its own bottom’? Are you “Washed In The Blood” of Jesus”? Only His blood can save, and He is waiting for you to hear His voice and open the door of your heart to Him.

“Behold,

I stand at the door, and knock:

if any man hear my voice,

and open the door,

I will come in to him,

and will sup with him,

and he with me.”    Revelation 3:20

Jesus came that we might have life—He paid the price for our life at the cross, and He wants us to live with Him, both now and forever. Have you heard His voice? Is He knocking at your heart’s door right now? Won’t you respond to His call in faith, knowing that when we come to Him He gives new life, eternal life, abundant life—Jesus’ resurrection power living and working in us!!!

“If ye then be risen with Christ,

seek those things which are above,

where Christ sitteth

on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above,

not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead,

and your life is hid

with Christ

in God.

4 When Christ,

who is our life,

shall appear,

then shall ye also appear

with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

We can not only look forward to His coming in glory, but we can live victoriously for Him in resurrection power each day until He comes (or calls us to Himself). And we can do that by His power, and in living a crucified life!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live

in the flesh

I live by the faith

of the Son of God, who loved me,

and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

I can live the “crucified” life in and with Jesus, because He gives His Holy Spirit to dwell within those He saves. When we live “crucified with Christ”, His life will be seen in and through us; and we can do that because “Christ liveth in me”! Then we can say with Paul, that I “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”! He paid it all, what less could I give to Him? I can live as the “new creature” that I am in HIM!

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God,

who hath reconciled us

to himself

by Jesus Christ,

and hath given to us the ministry

of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ,

reconciling the world unto himself,

not imputing their trespasses unto them;

and hath committed unto us

the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God did beseech you

by us:

we pray you in Christ’s stead,

be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him

to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made

the righteousness of God

in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Have you received Jesus’ righteousness applied to your life? If not, I pray that you will seek Him; and I pray that if you know Him and have been born again, that you will walk in HIS transforming power. May we each be HIS ambassadors, busy for Jesus, knowing that HE “hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”! And while He hasn’t called us to the “rock throwing” ministry, He has called us to declare salvation through His name to those who will hear the truth, acknowledge their own sin and bow before The Lord and Master, Jesus. We must preach and teach sin as sin, calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus. For the question isn’t, “Will you bow”; for all “will bow” before Him. The real question is when! Will you bow before Him as your Lord and Savior now, or will you bow before Him as your “judge” then—with no opportunity for salvation.

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name

which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow,

of things in heaven,

and things in earth,

and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.”    Philippians 2:8-11

The choice is yours, but choose wisely. There is a test at the end!

“And I saw a great white throne,

and him that sat on it,

from whose face the earth and the heaven

fled away;

and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead,

small and great,

stand before God;

and the books were opened:

and another book was opened,

which is the book of life:

and the dead were judged

out of those things which were written

in the books,

according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead

which were in them:

and they were judged

every man

according to their works.

14 And death and hell

were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written

in the book of life

was cast into the lake of fire.”    Revelation 20:11-15

The choice is yours, but remember God loves YOU.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9