Monday, July 5
No longer
Scripture: 1 Chronicles 12-13, Psalm 78, John 5
John 5:14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
Observation
At first glance, Jesus’ words in John 5:14 to the freshly healed man sound harsh. But look again. First, Jesus heals the man with no reference to his sin—pure grace. Then He says, “Stop sinning.” Or, “Sin no longer.” The Greek word meketi means “no longer, or no more.” “Sin no more.”
Jesus does the same thing with the woman taken in adultery. He forgives her with no strings attached—pure grace. Then He sends her away with the same words as here. “Is there no one to condemn you?” Jesus asked. “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) It is the exact same Greek words as John 5:14.
Paul, the apostle of grace, said the same thing. He expected that we stop sinning not to earn God’s love, but as the result of receiving His love and grace. All these verses use the same Greek word as John did (meketi = no longer).
Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
2 Corinthians 5:15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
Ephesians 4:28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Peter repeats this idea in:
1 Peter 4:2 …so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.
The big idea is that when we receive the grace of God, it leads to change. We stop sinning, we sin no longer—not to earn God’s favor but because we’ve already received it so generously.
Application
It seems to me that sometimes in our emphasis on God’s grace and love and forgiveness we fail to remind people (as Jesus did here) that receiving that grace should lead to change. We stop sinning. If we keep doing the same things, we are treating the grace of God as license, and we are failing to live motivated by grace—that is, we are living as if we never received it!
Imagine someone living in poverty who suddenly received an inheritance of millions of dollars. You would expect them to stop living in poverty! If they continued, you’d want to ask them why. “Why haven’t you stopped living in poverty? Why don’t you live like the gift you’ve received enables you to live?”
Where am I still living like I haven’t received the riches of His grace? I’m no longer a slave to sin!
Prayer: Lord, show me where I’m living below the poverty line. Help me to live into the gift of grace You’ve so freely given. Sin no longer. No more!