The Christian should preach the gospel to himself daily. —Jerry Bridges
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” —John 3:16-21
53They went each to his own house, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” —John 7:53-8:11
Three Observations in this text:
Diagnosis of the
(7:53-8:6)
4 traits of a hardened sinner
1. They fail to see their own
Righteous judging is for the building up and restoring of a person to a right relationship to others and to God. It seeks to assist a fallen brother or sister back to their spiritual feet. —Will
Unrighteous judging is done in a way that seeks to condemn and tear down without any regard to one’s own spiritual status, motive, or intentions of the heart. —Will
2 They twist
This story does not seek to down play the seriousness of sin; it seeks to elevate the beauty of God’s grace. —Will
3 They are driven by
4 When offered
The Description of the
(8:7-11)
The display of a
(6:11)
The judge took our place as the condemned and bore our penalty, so that we are free of all the charges. —Will