Sunday 14th December, 2014.
FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER,
Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina
GOFAMINT
LAW AND GRACE JUXTAPOSED
Sunday 14th December, 2014.
“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not: (John 8:3-6)).
The story in this Scripture passage centred on a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery which the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus for judgment. There is much to learn in the story but the one that is very important in the story is the difference between the law and grace. According to the accusers of the woman, Moses’ law was to stone the woman to death without any mercy: “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death” (Lev 20:10). That means the woman was facing a serious death penalty that day.
The Scribes and Pharisees wanted to see how Jesus would react to the matter so as to accuse, criticize and ridicule Him. But Jesus did not say anything, He only stooped down and began to write something on the ground with His fingers which was a surprise to the woman’s accusers, as if He didn’t hear their question, “So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you let him throw a stone at her first” verse 7. Then, He stooped down on the ground, verse 8. When the accusers saw what was being written on the ground by Jesus which they read, each of them took to their heels and left the woman alone being convicted by their conscience (verse 9).
Then Jesus having known that the accusers had left one by one, Jesus was left alone and the woman standing: “Jesus asked the adulterous and accused woman: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (verses 10-11). The woman was freed, went home uncondemned but with the warning: “go and sin no more”.
What are some lessons for us to learn from this story?
(1) Sin is punishable with death penalty under the law (Rom 6:23a)
(2) Sin is forgivable under grace (unmerited favour) (Rom 6:23b)
(3) The Scribes and Pharisees (the woman’s accusers) where themselves guilty – no one of them was without a sin.
(4) You should judge yourself before you judge others.
(5) The woman’s accusers’ charge was wrongly presented and biased – it takes two persons of opposite sex to commit adultery but the accusers brought only the woman, where was the man? Both of them were guilty under the law and deserved the same penalty.
(6) Though He forgives but does not encourage sinning.
(7) If it were not for Jesus’ sake, the woman would have been stoned to death that day regardless of what went wrong in the way the charge was presented by the accusers.
Up till date, sinners have an accuser – Satan, the only way out is for a sinner to be forgiven – To be forgiven is to come to Jesus, accept the death, the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross for all humans and repent from sinning. Death penalty still awaits any unrepentant sinner. The opportunity you have today if you have not been born-again is to come under the grace which Jesus brought for humanity (see John 1:17): “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age.
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purity for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14). No human being is too bad that Jesus cannot receive, once the persons acknowledges his/her sin, repents and receives Jesus as his/her Lord and Saviour (see John 6:37).
Today is your day of salvation, procrastinatin is dangerous; accept God’s offer of salvation by faith through grace now and it shall be well with you. Amen.
French
LA LOI ET LA GRACE SONT JUXTAPOSEES
Message en provenance du Surintendant Général
de la MEF (La Mission Internationale de la Foi Evangélique)
Le Pasteur (Dr.) E.O. Abina
dimanche 14 décembre, 2014.
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Sous la loi, le péché est passible de peine de mort. (Ro. 6:23a).
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Le péché est pardonnable sous la grâce. (faveur imméritée) (Ro. 6:23b).
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Les Scribes et les Pharisiens (les accusateurs de la femme) étaient eux-mêmes coupables. Aucun d’entre eux n’était exempt de péché.
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Juge-toi toi-même avant de juger autrui.
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L’accusation de ceux qui accusaient fut mal présentée et n’était pas impartiale. Il faut deux personnes de sexe opposé pour commettre l’adultère mais les accusateurs n’amenèrent que la femme. Où se trouve donc l’homme (le co-accusé)? Ils étaient tous deux coupables sous la loi et méritaient la même sanction.
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Quoiqu’il pardonne, il ne tolère pas le péché.
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Si ce n’était pas à cause de Jésus, la femme aurait été lapidée à mort ce jour-là sans se soucier de ce qui a mal tourné dans la façon dont le chef d’accusation fut présenté.Jusqu’à présent, les pécheurs ont un accusateur, Satan. La seule issue est pour le pécheur d’être pardonné. Le pardon vient de Jésus. Accepte la mort, la mort substitutive de Christ sur la croix pour tous les humains et repends-toi (du péché). La peine de mort attend toujours tout pécheur impénitent. L’occasion qui se présente à toi aujourd’hui au cas où tu n’es pas né de nouveau est de venir sous la grâce que Jésus a apportée à l’humanité. (Voir Jean 1:17).«Car la grâce de Dieu, source de salut pour tous les hommes, a été manifestée. Elle nous enseigne à renoncer à l’impiété et aux convoitises mondaines, et à vivre dans le siècle présent selon la sagesse, la justice et la piété, en attendant la bienheureuse espérance, et la manifestation de la gloire du grand Dieu et de notre Sauveur Jésus-Christ, qui s’est donné lui-même pour nous, afin de nous racheter de toute iniquité, et de se faire un peuple qui lui appartienne, purifié par lui et zélé pour les bonnes œuvres » (Tite 2:11-14). Aucun être humain n’est si mauvais qu’il ne peut être reçu par Jésus, une fois que la personne reconnaît ses péchés, s’en repend et reçoit Jésus comme son Seigneur et Sauveur. (Voir Jean 6:37).Aujourd’hui est ton jour du salut. C’est dangereux de tergiverser; accepte l’offre du salut de Dieu par la foi à travers la grâce et tu réussiras. Amen.