10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:10 ESV)
The world and the enemy desires to condemn us and keep us in a perpetual state of shame. However, Christ came to forgive us so that we do not have to live in this perpetual state. He desires that we ask for forgiveness, repent and sin no more. Even though we may stumble, we live in a state of grace. In this way Jesus tells us, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
This state of grace is such a wonderful gift and one, while we know it exists, should not test its boundaries. God meant it as a gift to avail ourselves of and not something to abuse. The act of repentance is one that we often take too lightly. Yes, a prayer is all that is needed for forgiveness, but our actions moving forward must reflect a constant state of repentance. Only in this state can we hope to not repeat sinful behavior.
Thus, we should take time to reflect upon our state of grace, what it affords us and how we are to live in it. Not as an open invitation to sin more but one where we focus our reflections on a state of thanksgiving and constant repentance.
