183-The Gift of No Condemnation Brings the Power of Victory#
183-The Gift of No Condemnation Brings the Power of Victory
(JP Text Group - Yun Dan Feng Qing Compilation)
John 8:3-11
3 The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. This is Your day of victory, a day for all Your children to worship You together. Through Your words, awaken our hearts, and in this new week, let us look up to the grace given by Jesus, living with the power of no condemnation. May the Holy Spirit personally guide each of our hearts, so that we may all receive. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!
Look at our topic today: The Power of Victory Brought by No Condemnation
Many people say: When we talk about no condemnation, people will deliberately sin. This statement itself does not align with the Bible. What the Bible says is that Jesus did not condemn many people, and many overcame sin.
Today, the article mentions that the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. Is this woman a prostitute? No, the Bible does not say she is a prostitute; it only says she was caught in adultery. Therefore, we cannot casually label someone; many people say she is a prostitute.
If she were a prostitute, she might have been stoned to death long ago. She may have fallen into sin or could not withstand temptation... In any case, the Bible only states that she was caught in adultery. The situation at that time was indeed very bad. How did they catch her? There should have been at least one man involved. If both were caught, they should have brought both of them.
Many people speculate that the man might be a Pharisee. They deliberately used this situation to test Jesus; otherwise, according to their way, they would not have let the man go. According to the law, both the man and the woman should be put to death in such a situation, not just one person.
Why was the man absent? Perhaps he was a Pharisee. They brought this woman before Jesus, saying: Teacher, Moses commanded us in the law to stone such a woman. What do You say?
The Bible mentions that Jesus did not immediately respond to them but stooped down and wrote on the ground, which has a spiritual meaning. At that time, the temple was surrounded by stones; it was a stone ground, and Jesus wrote on the stone with His finger. Let’s think: When did God write with His finger on stone in the Old Testament? That’s right, God wrote on stone with His hand, only the Ten Commandments.
Look at this verse, Exodus 31:18, When the Lord had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
In the Old Testament, God wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger on stone. At this moment, Jesus did not answer the group questioning Him with the law; He was simply writing on the stone with His finger. God wrote the Ten Commandments on stone, and Jesus writing on the ground clearly indicates that Jesus is the one who gave the law, the only one who can fulfill the law, and only Jesus can truly obey all the laws.
After that, Jesus stood up. Note that if Jesus had answered at that moment, “Do not stone her,” He would have violated the law of Moses. If Jesus had said to stone her, then everything He had previously spoken about His love, grace, and even forgiveness for sinners would have become empty words.
The intention of this group was very malicious; no matter how Jesus answered, it seemed He would fall into their trap. If Jesus said to stone this woman, then everything He had previously said would make the audience feel that Jesus was a hypocrite, saying one thing and doing another. At this point, wisdom was needed. He could not violate what He preached, nor could He violate the past law. Just like when we talk about the grace of Jesus Christ today, if you want to talk about grace and tell people what God has done for us, you cannot violate the law; you cannot abolish the law.
Jesus was in such a situation; He needed wisdom to explain to this group of people, not violating the law of Moses nor what He preached. So Jesus spoke a word that acknowledged the law and also revealed God's love, saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
This is a very wise statement. Whoever has not sinned can throw the first stone at her. After saying this, the Bible says: Jesus again stooped down and continued writing on the ground.
Actually, there is also a spiritual meaning here. When God gave the law in the Old Testament, was the law not given twice? Where did the law go the first time? The first law did not reach the foot of the mountain; it was destroyed by Moses.
At that time, the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf at the foot of the mountain. Before the law was given, the people boasted to God, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” After God gave the tablets, the people immediately violated the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
These people had already violated God's law, and according to God's law at that time, they should all have died. Therefore, Moses smashed the two tablets on the mountain; why did he not bring them to the people? Once he brought the two tablets to the people, everyone would die because they had all violated God's law.
Today, it tells us one thing: Those who boast based on the law and their own actions cannot keep the law. Today, some pastors say, “You must strive to keep the Ten Commandments,” but they themselves cannot keep them; “You must strive to love others,” and they may not be able to love others; “You must strive to forgive others,” and they may not be able to do what they preach.
Many people boast based on the law; what they practice is just worshiping the golden calf, only doing different things. Today, those who boast based on the law are the same; what they do is also contrary to the law.
When God gave the law a second time, it was not brought to the people but placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, covered with the mercy seat, and every year blood from bulls and goats would be sprinkled on the lid. When God saw the blood of these bulls and goats, He would no longer treat these people according to the Ten Commandments.
This is why it is said: If the people do not offer sacrifices, they will often fall under God's punishment because their sins are no longer covered. At that time, the efficacy of the blood of bulls and goats lasted only one year.
Later, the Israelites stopped offering sacrifices and closed the doors of the temple, so they were invaded by enemies for many years and became slaves to others. This is also the reason. If they had offered the blood of bulls and goats every year on the mercy seat, God would not have allowed these things to happen to them. Because of the blood of bulls and goats, the sins of the people were covered.
But today, we do not use the blood of bulls and goats; we use the blood of Jesus Christ, which is more effective than the blood of bulls and goats and lasts forever. God's grace is higher than the law, but God's grace does not contradict the law. God covered the law with the mercy seat, sealing it. When a person enters the Holy of Holies, it is not to see the two tablets of stone, not to see the Ten Commandments; he can only see the mercy seat outside. Amen!
When God sees the blood on the mercy seat, He blesses the high priest through the mercy seat. Brothers and sisters, if someone wants to see the two tablets inside, what is the way? If someone wants to see the two tablets inside the Ark of the Covenant, there is only one way: to push aside the mercy seat. Do you understand? By pushing aside the mercy seat, you can see the law.
So in the Bible, Galatians 5:3-4
3 For I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
When a person wants to be justified by the law, wanting to be blessed by God through the law, it is equivalent to saying that he has pushed aside the mercy seat, and he has fallen into the law. Amen! So today, those who reject the grace of Jesus Christ do not go directly to hell; they fall under the law.
So today, rejecting the grace of Jesus Christ is a terrible thing. The Jews rejected the grace of Jesus Christ, and they are still living under the law, trying to gain God's acceptance through their own actions.
Here, Paul tells us: I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that circumcision is a requirement under the law. You are a debtor to keep the whole law; who can keep the whole law? No one. Those who want to enter under the law have fallen from grace and are estranged from Christ. In the Bible, there are indeed some people who have pushed aside the mercy seat above the Ark to see the two tablets inside. When did this happen? When a person presumptuously pushes aside the mercy seat and places himself under the law, what will happen?
1 Samuel 6:19-20
19 Then the Lord struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people. And the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?”
Brothers and sisters, at that time when Eli was the priest, Eli was old and blind, and as a result, the Ark was captured. At that time, the Ark represented the presence of God! In the past, when the priests carried the Ark, wherever they went, the enemies were defeated. When a person's heart departs from God, carrying the Ark, God is not present.
The Ark was captured by the Philistines. Even so, wherever the Ark went, it brought disaster to the people there. The Philistines saw that wherever the Ark went, people developed tumors, and the whole city suffered. As a result, they said: We cannot offend this God; we must send Him back. They placed the Ark on a cart and sent it back to the land of Judah, which is where the men of Beth Shemesh were located.
Do you think ordinary people could see the Ark? They had never touched the Ark. They thought the Ark was something only the priests carried, and ordinary people would never dare to touch it. As a result, when they saw the Ark in that place, some people presumptuously looked into the Ark. Even the high priest had never seen what was inside. But these people did not know; they thought this was the legendary Ark, the thing the high priest saw every year, and they wanted to see what was inside...
These people wanted to see what was inside the Ark, so they had to push aside the mercy seat above it. What did they see inside? The Ten Commandments! At that time, anyone who could see the Ten Commandments died.
The Bible says: The Lord struck the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord, and He killed fifty thousand and seventy men of the people. In fact, in the original text, it is fifty thousand and seventy, which is not a small number, brothers and sisters. Those who wanted to see the Ten Commandments, at that time, fifty thousand and seventy people all died.
When the people saw that the Lord had struck them, they lamented. Can you imagine, suddenly over fifty thousand people died; could they not be afraid? The men of Beth Shemesh said: Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? In fact, it is not that they cannot stand before God; it is that they pushed aside God's grace.
Brothers and sisters, think about it, who can stand before this holy Lord today? No one. Why can we serve God today? The reason is simple; it is God's grace! Hallelujah! It is God's grace!
So the second time, why did our God place the tablets inside the Ark? It is precisely because He wants to give us His grace. This is the reason Jesus stooped down again to write. If today you want to teach people the law or make them obey the law, you must push aside the grace of Jesus Christ to take out the law. Today, many pastors in churches do the same, and what happens? Many people were healthy before believing in Jesus, but after believing in Jesus, because they often teach the Ten Commandments, these people fall into sickness.
Many people initially had prosperous families, but after believing in Jesus, they incurred a lot of debt. I have encountered too many such people. What is the reason? The messages they hear are all about the law, bringing curses, weakness, and death to people. Just like the judgment and death that came upon the men of Beth Shemesh. Because they do not want God's grace, they want to return to the law of God, which is a very pitiful thing.
Hebrews 9:22-26
23 According to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
This clearly tells us one thing: Why can we be in God's grace today? Why does God's grace always come upon us? It is because the blood of Jesus has been sprinkled on the mercy seat between heaven and earth. Amen! Jesus did not enter the Most Holy Place made by human hands; Jesus entered the Most Holy Place of God's kingdom. Do you understand?
So Jesus did not offer the blood of bulls and goats as a sacrifice; He offered His own blood on God's mercy seat. Hallelujah! Just this once, He offered Himself as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Brothers and sisters, do you know? When your sins are taken away, God's grace can come upon you.
Jesus said to this group of people, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” He continued writing on the stone. The second tablets were placed under the mercy seat; Jesus entered a better heaven, the true heaven, and sprinkled His blood on the mercy seat, the true mercy seat in heaven. Therefore, today God can forgive our sins, no longer punish us, and no longer let us die, because the blood of Jesus is sprinkled on the mercy seat. Amen!
This is why Jesus stooped down again to write; the second time represents God's grace! You see, when Moses received the tablets a second time, what he saw was no longer the thick clouds, thunder, and lightning; he saw God as if laid out on a sapphire stone, so beautiful. God said to him: I am a God full of mercy, full of grace, and slow to anger. This is what Moses saw about God the second time.
When Jesus stood up the second time, He expressed God's compassion. The first time Jesus stood up, He said: “He who is without sin among you?” Was He telling the people the law? When these people saw they all had sinned, they left one by one, from the oldest to the youngest, while Jesus was still writing.
When Jesus stood up the second time, remember I mentioned that the law was placed under the mercy seat the second time. Therefore, God wanted to treat the people through the mercy seat. When Jesus stood up the second time, those under the law had all left, and now only one woman remained. What she received was the grace given by God the second time. Hallelujah!
At this time, Jesus asked the woman: Where are those who condemned you? The woman said: No one. Brothers and sisters, do you know why no one condemns this woman today? Because those under the law have already left. Amen! Because God placed the law under the mercy seat, if the blood of Jesus had not been sprinkled on the mercy seat, today God would still treat us the same way: “Go and keep the Ten Commandments,” and we would all die. Because Jesus fulfilled all the law, the law was placed under the mercy seat. Today, God says to us: Where are those who condemn you? Jesus asks us this, and when we look back, we say: Lord, no one condemns us because You have already fulfilled the law. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for us. Amen!
So what Jesus gave to this woman was “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” How does the grace of Jesus Christ come upon us today? It comes like this: I do not condemn you; go. Today, God does not condemn us anymore because the blood of Jesus is sprinkled on the mercy seat. He has given this group of people mercy and grace for the second time, and today God also gives us mercy and grace in this way.
If there were no Jesus, we would all be under the law. Just like today, why do many people still teach the Ten Commandments? It is like the first time Jesus stood up and said, “Who is without sin among you?” It gives the law to the people, so the only result for the people is to stay as far away from this pastor as possible.
So today, pastors who teach the law and the Ten Commandments have a distant relationship with their congregations because every time they go to the pastor, they are always condemned, saying they are not doing well and have sinned again. That is the first situation. But the second time, when Jesus stood up, He said: I do not condemn you. Hallelujah!
Today, Jesus no longer condemns you; He has given us all a gift of no condemnation. When we receive this gift, we have a power, which is the power of victory! The power not to want to sin anymore. When a person receives the gift of no condemnation, remember: this gift has no conditions. Just like the Israelites at the beginning, God placed these two tablets inside the Ark, and the people did not do anything at that time, and then God's grace came upon this group of people. Hallelujah!
When you accept Jesus, God gives you His grace as a gift for free. After you accept this gift, it will empower you not to sin anymore, and God will also give you the best gift: the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit will personally guide you to live a victorious life.
Many churches have reversed this order, saying: You must not sin first, and then I will not condemn you. If we could stop sinning, why would we need Jesus? It is precisely because we cannot stop sinning that we need to look to Jesus! Until today, when we know that Jesus no longer condemns us, we will instead have the power not to sin! When those teachings say you should not sin and you must stop sinning, they will cause people to repeatedly fall into the cycle of sin because they focus on sin.
I do not know how many churches are still teaching people to focus on sin rather than on the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Look at what the entire New Testament says? I do not condemn you; your sins are forgiven. The entire book of Acts says: He came not to preach the gospel of condemnation but to preach the way of forgiveness. Amen!
The teachings Jesus gave us have always been the way of forgiveness. Today, how many churches are teaching the way of forgiveness? Because when people sin, if you tell them again that they are guilty, they will feel guilty, and they will blame themselves. When they feel self-blame, they will not only suffer condemnation from people but also feel unworthy before God. Even this cycle of sin will remind them of God's punishment, and they will fall back into the cycle of sin.
But when a person truly focuses on the forgiveness of Jesus, on the grace of Jesus, and on no condemnation, they will move from the cycle of sin into righteousness. Amen! This gift of no condemnation will empower them not to sin anymore. Suppose we have children, and you beat them every day. One day they go to school, and their teacher treats them very well. Do you think they will be eager to go home every day? No, they would rather stay outside than go home because they know the closer they are to you, the more dangerous it is.
Conversely, if you always show mercy, love, and care for this child, even if they are wronged outside, and the teacher says: You are a fool; you are destined to fail... they will not be hurt because they know that when they go home, their parents will still accept them.
Brothers and sisters, the church should do such a ministry. When we are in front of the world, and the world constantly slanders us, looks down on us, and attacks us with various evil words, we are hurt. At this time, we should return to God, knowing that God no longer condemns us. At that moment, you will regain strength, overcome those evil words, and you will be able to forgive them because you know they are pitiful and filled with bitterness. But if they return to the church and hear: What others say about you is true; you have sinned, why would they want to return to church? Where can the grace of Jesus Christ be reflected? Today, the power of victory for a Christian must come from the no condemnation of Jesus Christ. Amen!
There will always be people saying, do not abolish the law, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Brothers and sisters, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, in all our preaching, we have never said to abolish the law because Jesus has come; He has fulfilled the law and redeemed us from the curse of the law. We used to live under the curse, under the law.
The first time the Israelites encountered God, it was under the law; the second time we encountered Jesus, it was under grace! Today grace has come; why do you still want to live under the law? That is a painful life. Do you know why Jesus wants to redeem us from the curse? Because we are under the curse, and we cannot live at all.
When Jesus was nailed to the cross, it was because of our unrighteousness and sin. Do you remember why they had to offer bulls and goats in the Old Testament? Because people have sinned! The bulls and goats they offered had to be without blemish, and the blood of the lamb had to be sprinkled on the mercy seat. Because people have sinned, they must use the life of the lamb to replace themselves.
Today, when we are all sinners before God, if we want to get rid of the identity of a sinner, to get rid of the curse, to get rid of unrighteousness and sin, there is only one way: the blood of Jesus Christ is sprinkled before God to replace us. All of God's anger must fall upon that true Lamb, and in the end, this matter was accomplished on the cross. God's righteous anger was heavily struck upon Jesus until God's law was fulfilled.
This is why Jesus said, “It is finished.” What did He accomplish for us? He bore the wages of all our sins. Amen! This is why today we can be beloved saints, a group of people who are saved. You cannot say that God has softened His heart today; you cannot say that God has lowered His standard of righteousness.
No, God's standard has never been lowered. It is precisely because there is a person, Jesus, who paid the full price, that we are no longer condemned. Amen! This is absolutely good news for us. When you understand this gospel of no condemnation, you will have the power to overcome in life. Amen!
Under the law, God said, if you do not forgive others' sins, I will not forgive your sins. At that time, all of us fell under the law. People would strive to forgive others, even if they did not forgive in their hearts; they would have to forgive with their mouths. How pitiful it is to raise a large number of hypocrites in that situation.
In the church, everyone is good, but outside the church, they do not care about you. In reality, they do not truly forgive. Life is the same; seeing their home like that, they think: I am a Christian; I must forgive you, but in their hearts, they do not forgive at all. They say they forgive with their mouths, but in their hearts, they are filled with bitterness and hurt. This is the case for many people living under the law because no one can keep the law under the law.
But under grace, God, through Paul, tells us in both Colossians and Ephesians about forgiveness, forgiving one another, giving you the power to forgive. How do you have the power? When you think of Jesus, how He forgave you, you will have the power to forgive others.
Under the law, the power of forgiveness must come from within you, no matter whether you can do it or not; you must forgive him. But under grace, the power of forgiveness comes from the Holy Spirit! It comes from Jesus Christ! This is not forgiveness from the outside in; it is a life that flows from the inside out. Hallelujah! Under the law, it is very difficult for people to achieve complete forgiveness; they cannot do it even seventy times seven. We cannot possibly do that. But under grace, Jesus says: I am the one who can forgive seventy times seven, and I give you this power. This power is placed inside you, and you can easily forgive others, and you can easily overcome. Amen!
Recently, I heard a sister send me a testimony saying: Many people say what you preach is incorrect, but I do not want to argue about it. In the past, my body was often sick, but now God has brought me out of it. In the past, I was a very petty person; when others hurt me, I would hold a grudge for a long time. When I understood the grace of Jesus Christ, I can truly forgive those who hurt me today. This power comes from within and can be obtained easily, unlike when we try hard to improve ourselves and find it very difficult to achieve. Under grace, you only need to receive the power of Jesus, and you can easily overcome. Amen!
Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
**Today, we are not under the law, which does not mean we have no constraints and can do whatever we want. No, we are not under the law; we are in Jesus Christ; we are not bound by the law of the Ten Commandments; we are under the law of the Holy Spirit. Because being bound by the law brings death and curses. But under the law of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the law of life!
You must remember: The Bible mentions two kinds of laws: one is the law of the Ten Commandments, which brings death and curses, and the second is the law of the Holy Spirit, which brings life to people. When the Ten Commandments were given, three thousand people died, but when the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost, three thousand people repented and received life.
So today we live under this law of the Holy Spirit, which is higher than the law of the Ten Commandments. The law of the Ten Commandments can reveal your sin but cannot help you overcome sin. But the Holy Spirit, this powerful Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, can give you strength! He can help you, guide you to understand the grace of Jesus Christ, and enable you to overcome all the sins you cannot overcome and guide you on the right path.
Today, when you do not know which way to go, the Holy Spirit will personally guide you. Amen! He will lead you to victory in life! When we are in the Holy Spirit, we receive not bondage but release, and we will also receive the power of Jesus Christ, which enables you to easily overcome sin. You will find that under the law, you are always relying on yourself, trying hard to forgive others, trying hard to please God, trying hard to keep the law to gain God's blessings. But under grace, all of this is reversed. Under grace, you only need to receive the grace of Jesus Christ.
We see many testimonies; how did these people change? They did not change by doing something; they just repeatedly listened to the word until they finally understood that God no longer condemns them. At that moment, they had the power to overcome sin. Many people, during the process of listening to the word, repeatedly heard the word, and as a result, their tempers changed, bad habits changed, and families changed. What is the reason?
Jesus Christ has turned their entire lives around from the inside out. Hallelujah! I wish brothers and sisters to live in the grace of Jesus Christ, under the law of the Holy Spirit, so that you may have life and have it more abundantly. Hallelujah! And the Holy Spirit will personally guide you to live a life different from the world. The fruit of the Holy Spirit, we know, includes love, joy, and peace, which are not in us, but the Holy Spirit has them.
A person who truly understands the grace of Jesus Christ is different from those under the law. If you have been to a church that teaches the law, you will see that the faces of brothers and sisters are full of sorrow, frowning, and lacking joy because they always feel unworthy of God and unworthy of receiving God's blessings. But if you look at those who understand the grace of Jesus Christ, they know that God no longer condemns them, and their relationship with God is very close. Hallelujah!
These people always have peace and joy on their faces, which is what those under the law lack. I wish that our brothers and sisters could live out a life of grace, knowing that Jesus no longer condemns you, so that you can rely on Jesus in everything and gain victory, thereby glorifying the name of Jesus Christ. The fruit of the Holy Spirit will be borne in you, and the Holy Spirit will bear fruit through you. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You! We know that when we receive the gift of no condemnation from Jesus Christ, we can gain victory in life through You. Today, we can do nothing by ourselves, but through the Holy Spirit who strengthens us, we can overcome in everything! Just like this woman, when Jesus said He would no longer condemn her, she had the power not to sin anymore.
Lord Jesus, as this new week begins, grant me this power, reminding me that today there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus because all our sins have been placed upon Jesus. Today we come before Your mercy seat to receive mercy as our timely help because You are the God who gives grace.
As the new week begins, please add this grace and power to me, allowing me to live out this life of grace, so that I may bear the fruit of peace and joy in life, and let many see the glory of Christ through me. Please use me to bring this gift of no condemnation to more people, so they too may have the power of victory. All glory be to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!