In Christ, there is no condemnation for you

Our Lord Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman (John 4) is wonderful. The woman was living in sin but Jesus did not condemn her, even though He mentioned her sins. Yet, somehow, the encounter turned the woman into the first evangelist ever!

Jesus did not ask her to first go and get rid of the man she was living with before revealing Himself to her. He even complimented her in verse 17, 18!

How true are Paul’s Holy Spirit-inspired words in 1 Corinthians 1:21 – “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” The life of the Samaritan woman was changed by that meeting. This is the power of His Grace!

The woman felt that Jesus, a Jew, should not want anything to do with her, a Samaritan. This is the same way that many believers feel - that Jesus will not have anything to do with them much less bless them because they sinned, thanks to the preaching of a different gospel by some that Paul spoke of in Galatians. But look at Jesus response to her when she expressed her surprise at Jesus, a Jew asking her, a Samaritan for water:

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

Even in her sinful state, Jesus was ready to bless her with His Spirit. All she needed to do was ask! Believers this living water is the Holy Spirit that transforms us to the image of the glory of our Lord Jesus. We get to live right because of His Spirit that dwells in us. We don’t live right first in order to get living water from Jesus! No one can live right by themselves. Keeping the law in order to be righteous is what makes Christ of no effect in the lives of believers according to Galatians 5:4- 

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

Come to Jesus with your all of your baggage and be transformed by His Spirit. His righteousness is a gift. Believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. His righteousness - the only one that cuts it with God- cannot be earned. It is a gifT according to Romans 5:17- 

"For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)"

The reason Christ came was to save us (from sin and death) and not condemn us – John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

If we could save ourselves from sin, Jesus would not have needed to come and save us.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.

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