The Boobytrapped Christian

 

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

 

She was caught in the very act of adultery.  She was dragged into town and in front of Jesus.  Can you imagine her shame?  Can you imagine the indignation of those who stared at her?  She was about to be killed.  Stoned to death. 

Then comes Jesus!  Her captors asked him what they should do with her – not because they wanted his opinion, but because they wanted to see if He abided by the Laws of Moses, which stated that she should be killed. 

Quiet Jesus, writing in the dust with His finger.  No one knows what He was writing, but I think at this point it would have been cool if He was writing the sins of her captors!  Then Jesus raised his head and said “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”  And he went back to writing in the dust. 

All the captors left that day, knowing none of them were without sin.  But there stood sinless Jesus.  Would He throw the first stone?  No.  He simply told her “Neither do I condemn you – go  and sin no more!”

We don’t hear if the woman left, stood around to listen to Jesus, or what became of her.  But I often wonder where she went when she was asked to “go and sin no more”.  Did she go back to the same house she was caught in?  Did she end her adulterous relationship?  Did she become a follower of Jesus?  Did she sing Elvis’s song “I’m caught in a trap, I can’t walk out, be cause I love you too much Baby!”

Many of us seek God’s forgiveness for our sins, and He forgives us all at the request of His forgiveness.  But how many of us go right back into the boobytrap of a life we were living before?  Friends, a sincere request for forgiveness should include a new path for life, a change in your heart to desire to walk away from your sin. 

But so many times I find myself asking for forgiveness and not even trying to change my ways.  I wear out God’s mercy and grace on my sorrow for a sin, but I don’t stop what I’m doing so I don’t have to be sorry anymore.  Doesn’t make much sense, now does it?

Friends, when you decide to give “it” up, whatever it is, be sure you have a path out of it.  You wouldn’t stop smoking and leave cigarettes lying around, you wouldn’t give up cake and have one on the counter.  If you’re going to walk away from your sin, know what you’re walking into.  Chart your path out of it.  And ‘go and sin no more’.