The Saviour’s Grace For Sinners’ Guilt

THE SAVIOUR’S GRACE FOR SINNERS’ GUILT

Study Text: John 8:1-11

Introduction:

- When this woman met Jesus, her life changed forever. Her sin was forgiven. Her guilt was removed. Her fear was turned to peace.

- What appeared to be a hopeless case suddenly became a time of forgiveness, salvation and joy.

- Let’s imagine the scene. It is very early in the morning. Jesus is sitting in the Temple. A crowd has gathered around Him as He teaches them the word of God. It is a scene of peace and tranquillity.

- This poor woman’s story speaks to us today.

i. This story teaches us that no sinner is too far gone.

ii. It teaches us that no one’s guilt is too deep.

iii. It teaches us that no one is beyond the reach of the grace of God.

iv. This is a story of hope in the midst of hopelessness.

- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:

1. The Guilt of the Adulteress

2. The Game of the Accusers

3. The Grace of the Advocate

1. The Guilt of the Adulteress

- This woman was caught in “the very act” of adultery. Evidently, she was caught having sexual relations with a man to whom she was not engaged. She was guilty of a terrible sin, of that there was no doubt. Her guilt is beyond question.

- Adultery is a vile sin. We have whitewashed it in our day and we call it “an affair.” God calls it adultery and He says it is a sin! It’s easy to see why.

i. It breaks the Law of God. ii. It violates marriage vows.

iii. It breaks hearts and destroys families. iv. It destroys trust.

iv. It shatters dreams. vi It is horrible, evil, and inexcusable.

- Yet, as horrible as the sin of adultery is; it is no worse, in the eyes of God, than any other sin, James 2:10. All sin is evil in His sight.

- Certainly, some sins carry greater consequences than others. For instance, adultery can destroy your marriage; you might acquire a sexually transmitted disease; or a multitude of other terrible things can happen.

- Contrast that with someone who takes a piece of candy from a store without paying for it. It happens and no one but God and the shoplifter know anything about it.

- We look at those sins and we think they are worlds apart. While, they do carry vastly different consequences if the sinner is caught, in God’s eyes, however, they are the same thing. They are both sin! Rom.3:10–18.

- Each of us is just as guilty as this adulterous woman; our problem is that we simply won't admit to it. And, admitting that we are sinner is the first step toward finding forgiveness.

- Sin is a shameful thing! The sinner will always be brought to shame, if not before other people, surely before the Lord.

- For, no matter how skillfully sin is hidden from the eyes of others, Jesus knows all about it. Pro. 15:3.

- One day hidden sin will be revealed for all to see. That is the Lord’s clear statement. Luke 12:3.

- One day, even the true state of the sinner’s heart will be revealed, the truth about your profession will also be made public, Matt. 7:21-23.

- This woman was guilty, and the men who accused her were correct; she deserved to die. The Law of God said so: Lev. 20:10, Deut. 22:22.

- Adulterous women who were betrothed were stoned to death, married women were strangled, and if the woman was the daughter of a priest, she was to be burned to death.

- Of course, there was a little problem with their accusation: Where was her partner? Both were supposed to die for this sin! The man may have been part of this scheme to attack Jesus. He may have been allowed to slip away. Regardless of where the man was, this woman was guilty and she deserved to die.

- Again, there is a lesson here for us: nobody gets away with sin! Sin demands a price, and that payment always come due; Rom. 6:23; Eze. 18:4.

- If you are not saved, you need to know that there will be a payday associated with your sin. The ultimate price will be paid when you die.

- If you die without Jesus, you will go to Hell. From there, you will one day stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and be cast into “the lake of fire.” The Bible calls that “the second death,” and that is the future every lost soul faces, Rev. 20:11-15.

- The only hope any sinner has is found in the person of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only hope anyone has in this world or the one to come. Jesus is the only way, John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31.