something i learned from John 8

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them,“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 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 reminded me how gracious and forgiving our God is. God does not see one sin greater than another. Sin is sin, and we are all born sinners. However despite our mistakes, God is so gracious and loving that He overlooks these and forgives us. Who are we to judge others for their sins, when we have sinned? When did we hold the right to judgment of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? What did we do to deserve God’s forgiving and loving heart, and why should we take the gift of salvation for granted? Reading John 8 reminded me how blessed we are as His children. Despite our failures, we are set apart by God and we’re justified. Because Jesus took our punishment, we are able to come to God and in return, we should give grace and sacrifice in light of what Jesus did for us. We didn’t deserve God’s grace. He did it willingly. Father, I pray that we will not forget or take for granted what You have done!