Sin No More
The Woman Caught In Adultery, Part II
By Bill Blue
The Woman Caught In Adultery, Part II
By Bill Blue
In last week’s article (WWJD no. 23), we reviewed John 8 where Jesus was confronted with the woman caught in the act of adultery. He convicted the woman’s accusers of sin (John 8:7-9). He did not condemn the adulteress, but told her to “sin no more” (John 8:10-11).
Jesus’ instruction to “sin no more” was a command to end her adulterous activities and adulterous relationship. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines an “adulteress,” as one “who has unlawful intercourse with the spouse of another” (see Rom. 7:3). Apparently, either the woman, or the man with whom she was having intercourse, was married to another person.
Implicit in Jesus’ command to sin no more is repentance. Jesus did not tell the woman that she could continue sinning, or that forgiveness absolves continuing sins. Jesus said to “sin no more.”
Jesus spoke of repentance on many occasions (Matt. 4:17; Matt. 11:20-24; Matt. 12:41-42; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:1-4; Rev. 3:19). Jesus says that death through persecution and tragedy is preferable to the judgment that comes upon those who do not repent (Luke 13:1-5). In Revelation, Christ told members of the church – “Christians” - to repent or else: He would remove the congregation’s lampstand (Rev. 2:5); He would fight against the evil doers with the sword of His mouth (Rev. 2:16); He would cast those who committed sexual immorality into a sickbed and great tribulation (Rev. 2:21-22); and He would come upon them in judgment as a thief in the night (Rev. 3:3). Like the woman caught in adultery, Christians cannot continue sinning. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
Vine’s says repentance, “In the NT … has reference to ‘repentance’ from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God” (cf. 2 Cor. 7:9-11).
How then would a thief repent of sin? Not simply by stopping his stealing, but also by returning or restoring that which he stole (Luke 19:8-9). As one man once said, “A horse thief has not repented while he is still sitting in my saddle.” Similarly, drunkards should stop drinking (1 Cor. 6:10). The materialistic should stop coveting (1 Cor. 6:10), and those committing sexual immorality of any form – whether pre-martial, extramarital, or homosexual – must end these activities and relationships as well (1 Cor. 6:9; Rev. 2:18-23).
Jesus says that a marriage relationship can be sinful if one party to that relationship is not free to remarry. “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality [“marital unfaithfulness” NIV], and marries another, commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9 NKJV; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). The wife and her new spouse are also guilty of adultery if she remarries (Matt. 5:32; Luke 16:18). Jesus said that sin attaches when the husband (or wife) “marries another.” Of course, a widow (or widower) is free to remarry (Rom. 7:3; 1 Cor. 7:10-11).
How then do we repent of an adulterous marriage? Stop sinning (John 8:11) by removing yourself from the unlawful marriage (Ezra 10:18-19, 44). These partners are not rightfully yours anymore than the saddle belonged to the horse thief. As Jesus said, “the one whom you now have is not your husband” (John 4:16-19).
Admittedly, ending a marriage with someone we love isn’t easy. The Apostles acknowledged that Jesus’ commandments on marriage, divorce, and remarriage are difficult (Matt. 19:10). Sin, however, is not defined by the attitudes of men and popular culture, but by God. Sin is defined as a violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Man may have passed laws regulating marriage, but God will judge us by His laws (John 12:48) A marriage certificate from the clerk of the court does not absolve a husband and wife of sin any more than a law permitting abortion absolves the doctor or pregnant mother of homicide in God’s sight.
Some who do not believe that a marriage can be sinful have a double standard where homosexuality is concerned. They have no difficulty saying that homosexuals must quit having sex, but they refuse to apply the same standard to unlawful marriages. Some draw a distinction between sexual activities and sexual relationships, saying that activities like homosexuality are sinful, but relationships, like marriage are not. Should we then say that homosexuals have the right to marry so long as they do not have sex? Jesus wouldn’t. Jesus said that relationships can be sinful. “Whoever divorces His wife and marries another commits adultery” (Luke 16:18). “Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32).
The Disciples rightly understood that God’s expectations for marriage are demanding when they concluded, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10). If marriage relationships cannot be sinful, then all one would have to do to avoid sexual immorality is to marry their partner. If this is true, then why would the Disciples believe that Jesus’ commands were so difficult that, “it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10)?
Being a member of the body of Christ does not absolve us of continuing sins, including the sins of sexual immorality, unless we repent (Rev. 2:21-22) and resolve to “sin no more” (John 8:11).
Jesus’ instruction to “sin no more” was a command to end her adulterous activities and adulterous relationship. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines an “adulteress,” as one “who has unlawful intercourse with the spouse of another” (see Rom. 7:3). Apparently, either the woman, or the man with whom she was having intercourse, was married to another person.
Implicit in Jesus’ command to sin no more is repentance. Jesus did not tell the woman that she could continue sinning, or that forgiveness absolves continuing sins. Jesus said to “sin no more.”
Jesus spoke of repentance on many occasions (Matt. 4:17; Matt. 11:20-24; Matt. 12:41-42; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:1-4; Rev. 3:19). Jesus says that death through persecution and tragedy is preferable to the judgment that comes upon those who do not repent (Luke 13:1-5). In Revelation, Christ told members of the church – “Christians” - to repent or else: He would remove the congregation’s lampstand (Rev. 2:5); He would fight against the evil doers with the sword of His mouth (Rev. 2:16); He would cast those who committed sexual immorality into a sickbed and great tribulation (Rev. 2:21-22); and He would come upon them in judgment as a thief in the night (Rev. 3:3). Like the woman caught in adultery, Christians cannot continue sinning. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
Vine’s says repentance, “In the NT … has reference to ‘repentance’ from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God” (cf. 2 Cor. 7:9-11).
How then would a thief repent of sin? Not simply by stopping his stealing, but also by returning or restoring that which he stole (Luke 19:8-9). As one man once said, “A horse thief has not repented while he is still sitting in my saddle.” Similarly, drunkards should stop drinking (1 Cor. 6:10). The materialistic should stop coveting (1 Cor. 6:10), and those committing sexual immorality of any form – whether pre-martial, extramarital, or homosexual – must end these activities and relationships as well (1 Cor. 6:9; Rev. 2:18-23).
Jesus says that a marriage relationship can be sinful if one party to that relationship is not free to remarry. “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality [“marital unfaithfulness” NIV], and marries another, commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9 NKJV; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). The wife and her new spouse are also guilty of adultery if she remarries (Matt. 5:32; Luke 16:18). Jesus said that sin attaches when the husband (or wife) “marries another.” Of course, a widow (or widower) is free to remarry (Rom. 7:3; 1 Cor. 7:10-11).
How then do we repent of an adulterous marriage? Stop sinning (John 8:11) by removing yourself from the unlawful marriage (Ezra 10:18-19, 44). These partners are not rightfully yours anymore than the saddle belonged to the horse thief. As Jesus said, “the one whom you now have is not your husband” (John 4:16-19).
Admittedly, ending a marriage with someone we love isn’t easy. The Apostles acknowledged that Jesus’ commandments on marriage, divorce, and remarriage are difficult (Matt. 19:10). Sin, however, is not defined by the attitudes of men and popular culture, but by God. Sin is defined as a violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Man may have passed laws regulating marriage, but God will judge us by His laws (John 12:48) A marriage certificate from the clerk of the court does not absolve a husband and wife of sin any more than a law permitting abortion absolves the doctor or pregnant mother of homicide in God’s sight.
Some who do not believe that a marriage can be sinful have a double standard where homosexuality is concerned. They have no difficulty saying that homosexuals must quit having sex, but they refuse to apply the same standard to unlawful marriages. Some draw a distinction between sexual activities and sexual relationships, saying that activities like homosexuality are sinful, but relationships, like marriage are not. Should we then say that homosexuals have the right to marry so long as they do not have sex? Jesus wouldn’t. Jesus said that relationships can be sinful. “Whoever divorces His wife and marries another commits adultery” (Luke 16:18). “Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32).
The Disciples rightly understood that God’s expectations for marriage are demanding when they concluded, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10). If marriage relationships cannot be sinful, then all one would have to do to avoid sexual immorality is to marry their partner. If this is true, then why would the Disciples believe that Jesus’ commands were so difficult that, “it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10)?
Being a member of the body of Christ does not absolve us of continuing sins, including the sins of sexual immorality, unless we repent (Rev. 2:21-22) and resolve to “sin no more” (John 8:11).
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