John 8:11 “She said, No man Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
The woman Jesus was talking to, in the opening scripture, was caught in the very act of adultery and per Jewish law, she was to be stoned to death (John 8:1-11). According to the account, notice that Jesus did not defend her sin, neither did He belittle her sin nor made it seem trivial, He simply forgave her without condemnation.
And then He gave her an instruction, “go, and sin no more.” We must not simply gloss over this very important instruction of Jesus or take it lightly. This is because we have been called with a holy calling according to His purpose and grace and so we must live a life of sanctification unto the Lord.
Here are three things to help us sin no more:
1. Change your environment. Psalm 1:1 says “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Turning away from sin requires that you completely let go of all the things that influence you towards the old sinful lifestyle. It may include changing your circle of friends, avoiding certain types of conversations, and not hanging out at certain places anymore. It can be difficult, but it is necessary.
2. Resist the Devil. James 4:7 issues a command, “Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The verse makes us understand that resisting the devil is to be done by you, not the Holy Spirit. You have an active part to play in resisting the Devil. You have to first submit yourself to God and the authority of His word and you will succeed in resisting the devil. When faced with a temptation or a situation, it is up to you to stand your ground and say “Not today, you Devil!”
3. Have faith you have changed. After you have given your life to Christ or rededicated yourself to the Lord after backsliding, you might still be filled with guilt and regret even though you have been forgiven, and sometimes you might even feel like you are not truly saved. Those thoughts are lies from the devil and you should not believe a single one of them. The truth about your salvation is fully assured in the Word of God and so you must constantly feed on the Word. Believe that you are a new creature and that sin has no dominion over you (Romans 6:14)
Precious one, our Lord Jesus commands us to go and sin no more. You can do this by changing your environment, resisting the Devil, and having faith that you have truly been saved.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, as I submit myself to you, I receive grace to resist the devil and to overcome every sin and temptation, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Related Topics : Charles Agyinasare, Sin,
