"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:7-11 NIV)
We are grateful, Father, that Your Son did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. By Your grace, You have invited people who are imperfect, who are sinful, who have every reason to be ashamed of themselves, who are failures, who are guilty of wrong, to come to You and to find in You relief from their burdens, hope beyond the present, and relief from shame.
Living in self-condemnation for something we have done wrong, we often forget, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So, this very moment we pray, Father, that You will bring to Yourself those who have not yet found a way to silence the accusers within them—the thoughts that condemn as judge and jury. The tragedy is, when we hear those thoughts, we believe them as true! Give us the first of several steps toward relief. Today, we come to the One who is qualified to judge and condemn but, because of His death and resurrection, has set us free. May we find ultimately the joy of living by grace because of the finished work of Jesus Christ our Savior.
In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
See also Zephaniah 3:19; Luke 5:32; Romans 8:1, 33-34.
Excerpted from The Prayers of Charles R. Swindoll, Volume 1, Copyright © 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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