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Go and sin no more

By Dean Kelly

Once, in an attempt to trap Jesus, a group of scribes and Pharisees brought a woman that they had caught in adultery to see what Jesus would do. They quoted Moses as saying that she should be stoned. If Jesus said to stone her, He would have been violating Roman law. If He did not say to stone her, He would be ignoring the law of Moses. 

The Pharisees thought they had Him trapped. After writing on the ground, Jesus told them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7). By bringing just the woman and not the man, these men were disobeying the Old Law which taught that if a couple were caught in adultery, both should be brought to be punished. 

The Pharisees did not care what the Bible taught; they were not concerned about God’s will. They simply wanted to trap Jesus, even at the expense of this woman.

Jesus asked the woman, “Has no one condemned you?” She replied that no one had, and Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 

Jesus was explaining that He would not condemn her to be put to death. But Jesus clearly told her, “Go and sin no more.” He recognized her sin and did not condone it; He told her to repent, to no longer sin.

It needs to be noted that this record of Jesus does not teach that we cannot recognize and oppose sin. It is true that we must recognize sin in ourselves and have a penitent confessing attitude (1 John 1:8-10). The hypocrite sees sins in everyone else but themselves. The faithful child of God sees sin in self, and recognizes sin committed by others. True love for God and others does not ignore sin in others, as Jesus did not ignore it in this woman. 

All of us must repent of sin, make changes needed and bow at the cross where Jesus forgives us and tells us “Go and sin no more.” 

Dean Kelly is minister at Highland Home Church of Christ.