Much like the religious leaders in John 8 who dragged a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, a treacherous enemy has dragged many men and women of this generation naked and guilty before a holy God. Even now, the serpent mocks the Lord with our shame:
What is to be done with these sons and daughters of sin? How many times will You forgive them and release them from the judgment of death?
For Him there can be only one answer:
I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more.
Sin no longer has power over us. We can turn from it and say no! Jesus has extended mercy and empowered us with the grace of God. In Him, we don’t receive the judgment we deserved. We are forgiven and born anew out of death and into life.
Beloved child of God, the enemy of your soul doesn’t want you to know this. He wants you to remain in shame and therefore bound to sin. He wants to make you think you have no dominion over sin, but that just isn’t true. Certainly in our own strength we will try and fail, but we are no longer alone in our battles. We are in Him, and our weapons are mighty.
So stand firm! Stand strong against any condemnation trying to lure you back into a lifestyle of sin. Stand against every shadow of past shame challenging your right to say no to ungodliness. It is time to step out of the shadows of sin and into His light. We have His grace. It empowers us to free ourselves from the chains around our necks. The power of bondage is broken!
How have the shame and regret of your past affected the way you see God? Or the way you believe He sees you? How would this change if you knew that Jesus had not come to condemn you but to save you? I invite you to turn from the lie and embrace His truth. You are not condemned; you’re forgiven. You’re free to leave sin and shame behind, to go and sin no more.
*Adapted from Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry: Why Women Lose When They Give In (Thomas Nelson, 2002).
