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John 8:11 - Go Sin No More! How Do You Do That?

John 8:11 (NKJV) She said, "No one, Lord." 
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn 
you; go and sin no more."  

COMMENTARY PEARL

We stop sinning not by trying to stop 
sinning, but by walking with Jesus and inviting God 
into the dark places of our life. When a room is 
dark, you dont chase away the darkness by 
talking against it, praying against it, and 
commanding the darkness to leave. No, darkness 
naturally recedes when light enters the room. You want 
to stop sinning? Invite God into it, and watch 
the light of His love cast out all sin. 
https://redeeminggod.com/go-and-sin-no-more/ 

INTRODUCTION

Jesus didn't condemn the woman accused of 
adultery, but neither did he ignore or condone her 
sin. He told her to leave her life of sin. Jesus 
stands ready to forgive any sin in your life, but 
confession and repentance mean a change of heart. With 
God's help we can accept Christ's forgiveness and 
stop our wrongdoing. [Life Application SB] 

Jesus pointed her to the chief thing for 
which she stood in need - the immediate forsaking 
of her sins. Repentance must be honest and 
sincere. Not only must she be sorry for her sin; she 
must turn away from it. That repentance which 
consists in nothing more than feeling, talking, 
professing, wishing, hoping, is utterly worthless in the 
sight of God. Until a man ceases to do evil and 
turns from his sins, he does not really repent 
(see on Ps. 32:1, 6; 1 John 1:7, 9). [SDA Bible 
Commentary] 

COMMENTARY

The Woman Caught In Adultery
   He was soon interrupted. A group of 
Pharisees and scribes approached Him, dragging with 
them a terror-stricken woman, whom with hard, 
eager voices they accused of having violated the 
seventh commandment. Having pushed her into the 
presence of Jesus, they said to Him, with a 
hypocritical show of respect, Moses in the law 
commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what 
sayest Thou? 
   Their pretended reverence veiled a 
deep-laid plot for His ruin. They had seized upon this 
opportunity to secure His condemnation, thinking that 
whatever decision He might make, they would find 
occasion to accuse Him. Should He acquit the woman, 
He might be charged with despising the law of 
Moses. Should He declare her worthy of death, He 
could be accused to the Romans as one who was 
assuming authority that belonged only to them. 
   Jesus looked for a moment upon the 
scene,"the trembling victim in her shame, the 
hard-faced dignitaries, devoid of even human pity. His 
spirit of stainless purity shrank from the 
spectacle. Well He knew for what purpose this case had 
been brought to Him. He read the heart, and knew 
the character and life history of everyone in 
His presence. These would-be guardians of 
justice had themselves led their victim into sin, 
that they might lay a snare for Jesus. Giving no 
sign that He had heard their question, He 
stooped, and fixing His eyes upon the ground, began 
to write in the dust. 
   Impatient at His delay and apparent 
indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter 
upon His attention. But as their eyes, following 
those of Jesus, fell upon the pavement at His 
feet, their countenances changed. There, traced 
before them, were the guilty secrets of their own 
lives. The people, looking on, saw the sudden 
change of expression, and pressed forward to 
discover what it was that they were regarding with 
such astonishment and shame. 
   With all their professions of reverence 
for the law, these rabbis, in bringing the 
charge against the woman, were disregarding its 
provisions. It was the husbands duty to take action 
against her, and the guilty parties were to be 
punished equally. The action of the accusers was 
wholly unauthorized. Jesus, however, met them on 
their own ground. The law specified that in 
punishment by stoning, the witnesses in the case should 
be the first to cast a stone. Now rising, and 
fixing His eyes upon the plotting elders, Jesus 
said, He that is without sin among you, let him 
first cast a stone at her. And stooping down, 
He continued writing on the ground. 
   He had not set aside the law given 
through Moses, nor infringed upon the authority of 
Rome. The accusers had been defeated. Now, their 
robe of pretended holiness torn from them, they 
stood, guilty and condemned, in the presence of 
Infinite Purity. They trembled lest the hidden 
iniquity of their lives should be laid open to the 
multitude; and one by one, with bowed heads and 
downcast eyes, they stole away, leaving their victim 
with the pitying Saviour. 
   Jesus arose, and looking at the woman 
said, Woman, where are those thine accusers? 
hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, 
Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I 
condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 
   The woman had stood before Jesus, 
cowering with fear. His words, He that is without 
sin among you, let him first cast a stone, 
had come to her as a death sentence. She dared 
not lift her eyes to the Saviours face, but 
silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw 
her accusers depart speechless and confounded; 
then those words of hope fell upon her ear, 
Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 
Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at 
the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful 
love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins. 
   This was to her the beginning of a new 
life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the 
service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen 
soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in 
healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured 
the spiritual malady which is unto death 
everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most 
steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and 
devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy. 
   In His act of pardoning this woman and 
encouraging her to live a better life, the character of 
Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect 
righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen 
the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but 
to save. The world had for this erring woman 
only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words 
of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the 
weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping 
hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, 
Jesus bids her, Go, and sin no more. 
   It is not Christs follower that, with 
averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them 
unhindered to pursue their downward course. Those who 
are forward in accusing others, and zealous in 
bringing them to justice, are often in their own 
lives more guilty than they. Men hate the sinner, 
while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but 
loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all 
who follow Him. Christian love is slow to 
censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to 
forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the 
path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein. 
DA460-462 

CLOSING THOUGHT [repeated for emphasis]

We stop sinning not by trying to stop 
sinning, but by walking with Jesus and inviting God 
into the dark places of our life. When a room is 
dark, you dont chase away the darkness by 
talking against it, praying against it, and 
commanding the darkness to leave. No, darkness 
naturally recedes when light enters the room. You want 
to stop sinning? Invite God into it, and watch 
the light of His love cast out all sin. 
https://redeeminggod.com/go-and-sin-no-more/ 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC

John 8:12 - The Second I AM; Jesus the Light 
of the World! 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211226-1019.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs