Selah List for July 29 2010 - Where are your accusers
July 29th, 2010
SELAH LIST
We read in John chapter 8 the account of the woman caught in adultery. This event was preceded by the attendance of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. He had been preaching in the porches of the Tabernacle. The Pharisees are incensed at His teaching, and really want to do away with Him. Their legalist behaviour is so contrary to the loving, yet authoritative teaching of Jesus. They are trying to trap Him, yet the people who are listening are marvelling at His words. The Pharisees see a golden opportunity, and bring to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. They want to see His reaction at this blatant act which is most definitely contrary to the Law of Moses.
The reaction of Jesus is most extraordinary. He simply begins to write with His finger on the ground. They of course don’t give up, and keep questioning Him. Finally He makes this statement. (verse7) “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her”. They begin to slink away, one by one, until no one is left to accuse. Jesus asks the woman, where her accusers are, “Has no man condemned you?” She answers “No Lord”. He says to her, “I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more” Although we are not given any more information about her, I have a strong feeling that she changed from that day on. The saving words of Jesus always had an incredible impact. Many wonder what Jesus was writing on the ground that day, some think that maybe He was writing down some of the personal sins of those who were accusing. Maybe so, but you know there is a deeper issue in this whole account that I believe we can learn from this week.
In the previous chapter, we read that on the last, and most important day of the Feast, Jesus had cried out loudly, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, from his innermost being shall flow continuously springs and rivers of living water”. We know that He was speaking of the Holy Spirit which would be given to those who would believe after He was glorified, raised to honour.
The fact was that the Pharisees would not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, even though there were undeniable proofs. They were rejecting the very One who had come to seek them, and bring them into true freedom. They preferred however to remain in their legalistic darkness.
So when Jesus wrote on the ground, there was something very significant in what He was doing. There is a verse in Jeremiah which says this. Chapter 17, verse 13. “O Lord the hope of Israel, all who reject You shall be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust, because they have forsaken the Lord the Spring of Living Water”. These guys were very well versed in the Torah, and no doubt their thoughts would have gone immediately to this verse.
Legalism has no place in the gospel of the kingdom. It flows contrary to the Spirit of Jesus. As people of the Way, we are to reject legalism, and embrace Him who is the Spring of Living Water. He is still saying to us “Go and sin no more”, and when we accept and receive Him as the true giver of life, we will find that sin has no attraction for us any longer. However trying to do away with sin through legalistic endeavours will never have victorious endings. We are also to flow and receive Holy Spirit, and not curb His activities in our personal lives. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Jesus on the earth. Why would we want to inhibit His work in us? May I encourage you this week, to thoroughly receive all that He has for you. Nothing that has happened in your past, can curtail what He wants to do in your present and future. My prayer for you this week is that the Holy Spirit will be allowed full freedom to write on your heart. As the apostle Paul says in 2 Cor. “You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on the tablets of human hearts.” Be filled continually with the Spirit.
Think on these things.
Blessings on you and your household
Janet.
I’m on vacation for the next 2 weeks. Will continue with the Selah List when I get back.
Entry Filed under: Pastor Janet's Selah List
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