Go, and sin No More
What if — at the moment of your deepest and darkest sin — you were caught?!??
Not only were you caught! The purpose of the ones who found you was not blackmail, but it would cost you public humiliation, along with the threat of possible execution.
In John 8: 1-11, we are told of a woman who experienced exactly that:
One day during Jesus' earthly ministry, some of the scribes and Pharisees broke into Jesus' teaching. They brought a woman with them and accused her of being caught in the very act of adultery. - Was she still wrapped in the bed coverings from where they had taken her? Or did they even give her the respect of having any covering whatsoever?
However she was clothed, or not, this woman's life was being destroyed by the public nature of this pseudo-trial. - And yet, she was only being used as bait! - The religious leaders who dragged her across the town had done so with the hopes of trapping Jesus! That was the crux of their purpose. The woman — what she had done, how this would affect her — seems to have meant nothing to these men!
In contrast — What did this woman mean to Jesus? – This Teacher, Who was God in human form, was standing there – perhaps between the crowd He had been teaching and the entourage of accusers who condemned this woman.
Jesus' focus turned from teaching the crowd to the men who made the accusation. - Instead of looking on the woman — or otherwise taking the bait of her presence and the accusation against her — Jesus stooped down and began to write in the dirt with His finger.
The religious leaders did not seem to pay any attention to Jesus' posture or what He was doing. They continued to ask Jesus whether she should be stoned for adultery – because stoning adulterers was required in the law of Moses.
Jesus responded to them by saying, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
We are not sure what Jesus wrote, but the scriptures tell us that as He continued writing, they were "convicted by their own conscience" and "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 [of those who had been listening to Jesus teach]."
Jesus stood and asked the woman if she had any accusers: "hath no man condemned thee?"
She replied, "No man, Lord."
I think that it is important for us to pause and realize that Jesus was – and is – without sin. Jesus had the right to cast the first stone. - Understanding that, what do you think Jesus did?
Graciously, Jesus answered, "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more."
Wha-a-a-at?!! - This woman was released!?!?? - I love that!
She was released to go. To clean herself up and get dressed.
More than that, she was released from her sin! - She was free to go live differently. To live a lifestyle free of sin, freed from a life of death.
Jesus — The KING of Kings and The LORD of Lords — released her, saying, "Go, and sin no more."
Did Jesus excuse her behavior — as if what she did wasn't that bad, or because she somehow had a good excuse? - Absolutely not!!
So how could He justly release her?
Jesus could release her, because in this earthly realm He alone had the authority to do so: Jesus had the authority to forgive this woman's sin.
Jesus offers the same to us: And just like the woman, we get to choose:
We can choose sin — and all the painful consequences and shame that come with living in the guilt of disobedience.
But gratefully, by the power of Jesus' Spirit at work in us, we can choose life and light!!
After the woman went on her way, Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (v. 12)
In what way(s) does this story apply today?
I will divulge a bit of my own story in a minute, but first, I turn the question to you, "In what areas can you connect with this woman's story?"
Do you have a pet sin that you have refused to give up?
As you consider, I must ask, "Is the momentary pleasure of that sin worth the guilt, shame, and negative consequences that come with it?" - Looking only from an earthly perspective, have you considered what would happen if you were to continue in the sin that has come to mind until you were actually caught? - Please take a minute to think about the reality of that (increasing) possibility if you continue to hold onto it.
In contrast, maybe you are not sure that this discussion applies to you at all! - Perhaps you know that you are saved, and you are trusting that you are already forgiven in Christ. - Praise the LORD for your salvation and your forgiveness!
But please be aware:
If we choose a lifestyle of sin instead of repentance and obedience, the sin that we choose puts distance in our relationship with God. - We know that we are guilty. God knows the truth about what we are doing — or thinking.
I challenge you to not walk away untouched by Jesus' command. - Lean in. Ask God to make this personal to you:
Jesus' command, "Go, and sin no more," applies to each of us at all times. - It applies to us at the moment of conviction! Wherever we are. No matter what we are doing:
Personally, when I am convicted that I am speaking to my children harshly, I am responsible to stop — mid-sentence! — and tell them that I am going to try again. – I had to do that so many times when I was first aware of the wrong I had been habitually doing!!
Here is a completely different example:
When I am convicted that I am not hungry, and I do not need to eat — or do not need to eat any more — that conviction is for the prospective next bite. It is not for the next day, or week, or month. That conviction is for the immediate! I must decide, "Am I going to eat — or keep eating — it, or am I going to stop?"
Jesus' call is clear: "Go, and sin no more." Not one more bite, not one more time, not one more sentence. Not until I have convinced the other person that I am right. - Oh! That can be so tempting!!
But we are not invited to delay.
Jesus' command is clear: Conviction in our hearts is an immediate call to repentance and obedience.
So, what do you say? - Will you, "Go, and sin no more"?
Note: If we are comfortable living in a lifestyle of sin without our conscience warning us to leave our sin, we need to stop and consider: It could be that though we believe that there is a God, we are not actually saved. Consider, do you have a time that you stopped and prayed and submitted yourself to God’s authority? Have you asked Him to be your LORD and Savior? - If we are comfortable living in sin, it is possible that we are not saved.
The question of personal salvation is the most important question for us to have settled in all of our lives. - A little over a year ago, someone very close to me realized exactly that: He realized that he was not saved. – Aware and convicted, he prayed to be saved. It has been amazing to watch the life-changes following that decision! The transformation I have watched have been dramatic! Praise the LORD!!
Submitted by DorothyJane Cross
To God be the Glory!
June 22, 2026