John 8:2-11 (NIV) 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 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. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Jesus provides freedom from….
1. Accusation
Revelation 12:10, John 8: 44
The spirit of accusation…
Focusses on individuals not issues.
Labels and values people according to their weakness, failures & sins.
“One can be right in their assessment yet wrong in their assertion.”
Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ.
2. Condemnation:
Romans 8:1-4 (NLT) 1 There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Condemnation &. Conviction= can feel the same.
Condemnation: Drives us away from Gods presence.
Conviction: (from Godly sorrow) Drives us into Gods presence. Invites us to share in holiness.
3. Shame
Shame is an identity issue.
4. Sin
“Go and sin no more” Not just forgiveness but Freedom!
Walking in Freedom: freedom & fellowship
1. Focus(not on our sins or the sins of others, not on the past)
Psalm 34:5 (NIV) Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
2. Fellowship
1 John 2:28 (NLT) Dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.
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John 3:17-18 (NIV) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.