The Writing in the Sand

John 8:6-8 KJV
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

In this familiar passage of scripture Jesus has been confronted by the religious leaders with a woman caught in the very act of adultery. While being questioned by these self-righteous men, Jesus does what he so often does. He stoops down farther than He ever needs to. This is a great characteristic of God, He is willing to stoop as far down as He can in order to reach a sinner. 

While He stoops down, He begins to write in the dust on the ground. Over the years I have heard preachers speculate at what He might have written down that day. What could it have been that along with His words caused the accusers to drop the stones they had in their hands and walk away?

I hate to let you down, but I have no idea. All I know is whatever He wrote that day is no longer there. Just like the sins of the woman who laid on the ground not far from our savior on that day. Maybe God is trying to show us just how easy it is for Him to wipe away our sins. Maybe He wrote the word adultery and then brushed it away.

Here is what I know, if we will let Jesus get His hands involved in our lives, then our sins will only become a temporary condition. Satan doesn't want us to know this. He wants us to think that our sin is permanent, that we have no hope, and whoever we are before we come to Jesus is who we are destined to be. 

Satan's condition is permanent. He has no hope of avoiding hell and will end up there one day. As far as you and I are concerned, as long as we have breath in our lungs, then we have a chance to overcome the sin that is in our lives. 

Sin is something we must all deal with, but God has given us an opportunity to overcome it through His blood. As my former pastor used to say, the only sin God won't forgive is the one you won't repent over. Sin only becomes permanent when we bring it with us to the afterlife. 

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

It really is that simple, we have to take our sins to Jesus if we are going to have them forgiven. When you make a mistake, just remember, it is just as easy for Jesus to forgive you of your sins as it is to write something in the dust and then wipe it away.

Don't let your sin become permanent. Take it to Jesus and let Him wipe your sins away.

By Brett Clark