"Think of what Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery. He said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more' (John 8:11 NKJV). What is most significant about His statement is its order: promise first; command second. 'Neither do I condemn you' precedes 'go and sin no more.' We almost always try to reverse those. We say, 'If you can manage to go and sin no more, then God will accept you.'- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, pages 53-54
God, however, motivates us from acceptance, not toward it. Jesus' affirmation would give this woman the security that could free her from her destructive relationship with sex. Without that, she'd never truly break free. God's approval is the power that liberate us from sin, not the reward for having liberated ourselves."
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Promise First
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It is interesting how we do seem to reverse the two. I know I have done so and still catch myself doing so every now and then.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say that I do appreciate your blog and enjoy seeing a fellow Christian sharing their perspective on God's word. I myself just started a blog, and I have the same fears as you, that I am not perfect and that I do not want to lead others astray.
Thanks for coming by, Chantelle, and welcome to the blogging world!
ReplyDeleteOH, and Chantelle, I looked at your blog - Nice job!
ReplyDelete