Christ saves from sins. Watch what you are hearing.

Believers, remember the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-12? Jesus told the woman’s accusers (the scribes and Pharisees): “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” The accusers, being convicted by their conscience “went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.”

Not one of the law-hugging Pharisees and Scribes could stone the woman, "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." James 2:10. They were just as guilty as the woman because "all have sinned." 

Same thing applies to today's Pharisee-type pastors and churchgoers who point accusing fingers at you for your sins, shortcomings and your inability to obey the law that you struggle with everyday; those who drag you into the presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ that they do not really know (just like the Pharisees!) and then tell you to expect judgment for your sins, just as their counterparts of old did with the woman caught in adultery. They are just as guilty as the people that they accuse. 

They don't know Jesus. If they knew Him, they would know this about Him: "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17. Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery.  He saved her from judgment and her sin! 

Worse, such Pharisee-type pastors tell you that you can escape God's wrath/judgment or get right with God by obeying the Ten Commandments, fasting, paying tithes, confessing sins in order to be forgiven and doing your best to be good going forward, all while calling Jesus "Saviour!" This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the neither cold nor hot that Christ spoke of in Revelation 3 - trying to be saved from wrath by letter (law) that kills yet professing Christ as Saviour! There is no salvation here, only getting cut off from Christ:

“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.” Galatians 5:4.

Believer, this is the only Way to escape God's wrath:

And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God." Romans 5:9.

Believers, the wages of sin is death! Hebrews 9:22 says "...For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." Someone has to die. Regarding payment for ANY sin, only death suffices for the Law that many are trying so hard to obey in order to be godly. No amount of confession of sins, tithe payment or promising to be good could have saved the sinner woman from death. This is the Law. It cannot bend for anybody. It will exact full punishment - death, preceded by its symptoms of sickness, lack and earthly ills in general. The letter kills. 

But Grace in the person of Jesus Christ "the same yesterday, today and forever" saves from sin and death, just as He did with the sinner woman. Don't let any Pharisee-type pastor deceive you into thinking that judgment and death await helpless sinners who are brought before our Saviour Jesus Christ for judgment. Matt. 1:21 says of Him:

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Christ came to save us from our sins, not condemn or judge us for them as today's Pharisee-type pastors preach. Are you a helpless sinner, struggling with your sins  and addictions with no strength of your own and looking for salvation? Christ is Saviour from sins. He will save you from those sins that you struggle with. He knows how weak and screwed up we are of ourselves. There can never be judgment/death for the helpless sinner that is dragged into His presence to be punished. Only Salvation. In Him we have Salvation from sin and judgment. 

No sin will go unpunished. Christ bore the full punishment for our sins. This is how come the sinner woman did not die and how we who are in Him are made righteous in the sight of God and escape punishment (God’s wrath) - not with our puny arm of flesh aka human effort-driven fasts, confession of sins, attempts at keeping the Ten Commandments and good deeds which Isaiah 64:6 describes as "a menstrual rag" but by the finished work of Christ- See Romans 5:9-

“And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God.”

Believer in Christ, God did not just sweep our entire lifetime of sins under the carpet neither did He forgive us because we are cute. Christ paid in full with His life, a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Hebrews 10:12- "But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time."

Watch what your pastor is preaching. Is he saying God will punish you if you don't obey the Ten Commandments (the doctrine of the Pharisees) or is he teaching that Christ will save you from your sins and judgment as He did the woman caught in adultery (Grace)?

Remember James 2:10 shows us that adultery and lying on the phone for a good reason carry the same judgment- death, "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." 

Believer, don't be deceived by false teachers. The arm of flesh (human effort at attaining godliness) will fail. Nobody alive today can keep the Law like the Pharisees yet Christ called them "white-washed tombs" and "brood of vipers." For all their efforts, none of them could cast the first stone at the adulterous woman, yet many religious churchgoers think that they are "still okay." We all need God's saving grace.

To those who think that some sins are beneath them, the reason you are not committing particular sins is because a big enough trial has not come your way. Just ask Peter who denied Jesus three times after swearing that He would follow Him to prison and to death. The first denial was to a servant girl who accused him! No one put a gun to his head. The arm of flesh will fail. Don't trust in yourself. Trust in Jesus who will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. He is the Way of escape with every trial.

In verse 11 of John 8, Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery-  “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 

But today's Pharisee-type pastors have this in reverse. They preach "Go and stop sinning then Jesus will not condemn you." Why on earth would anyone need Christ's gift of no condemnation (Romans 8:1) if he has not sinned? Christ's gift of no condemnation to the woman caught in adultery was BECAUSE she had sinned and the gift was given AFTER she sinned. Believers, let's take our blessed brains to church! See Romans 8:1-

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

This gift is not for those who have it all together by themselves or those who contributed works to their salvation. It is for those who have no righteousness of their own. None whatsoever. Those who are made righteous not by their own obedience or puny attempts at obeying the Ten Commandments but by the obedience of Christ. See Romans 5:19-

"For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous."

With the abundance of grace and this gift of righteousness that we have in Christ, we get to have victory over sin and death through Christ: Romans 5:17-

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

With God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ comes no condemnation. And as it was with the woman caught in adultery, it is our Saviour's "Neither do I condemn you" that makes us "go and sin no more." 

Believer, Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Many who are fighting to be under the Law and thus EARN eternal life - God's GIFT to all who believe -  think that we Grace children just want an excuse to wallow in sin and that Grace will make people go on sinning sprees. Nothing could be further from the truth. Grace redeems/frees from sins - Titus 2:14 - 

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Like our Abba Father in Christ, we HATE sin and realise by His Grace that the law is what gives sin its power. 1 Corinthians 15:56 says "...the strength of sin is the law." 

In Christ (Grace personified,) you will not continue to live in sin, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:14. Hinge your righteousness and salvation on your own human ability to keep the Law and sin will have dominion over you, but many in the church have this backwards. Believers, let's live by Grace. Jesus Christ (Grace personified) saves from sin and death.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.