TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

There is hardly anything more emotionally and spiritually crippling than shame. It clings to us, whispering lies about our worth, our failures, and our standing before God. Shame robs us of joy, poisons our peace, and makes love seem distant. It convinces us that we are unworthy, that we stand forever on probation before God, always at arm’s length, never truly accepted. We begin to see Him not as a loving Father but as an ill-tempered celebrity—someone to be respected, perhaps, but not approached too closely.

But Jesus came to set us free.

Consider the story of the woman caught in adultery. She was dragged into the public square, exposed before the crowd, her shame laid bare for all to see. The religious leaders, eager to trap Jesus, demanded a verdict: “The Law of Moses commands us to stone such a woman. What do you say?”

Jesus said nothing at first. Instead, He bent down and wrote on the ground. What did He write? We do not know. Some have speculated that He traced the commandments, or perhaps the sins of her accusers. Whatever it was, the silence stretched long enough for the weight of the moment to settle. And then He stood and spoke:

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

One by one, the stones fell from their hands. The oldest left first, their years making them more keenly aware of their own sinfulness. Soon, only Jesus remained. He, the only sinless One, the only one truly qualified to condemn her, looked at the woman and asked, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, Lord.”

“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more.”

These are the sweetest words a sinner could ever hear. Neither do I condemn you. This is not because Jesus dismisses sin. No, sin is real. It is ugly. It is destructive. But He could speak those words of mercy because He would soon take her condemnation—and ours—upon Himself. The sinless One would carry our guilt to the cross. He did not pick up a stone that day; instead, He picked up a cross.

But His grace is not an invitation to continue in sin. “Go, and from now on sin no more.” He calls us out of shame, not so that we can return to what bound us, but so that we can walk in freedom. Grace is not a license to sin; it is the power to leave it behind.

The invitation stands for all of us. We do not have to live in shame. We do not have to remain in condemnation. Jesus has made a way. Let us run to Him, draw near to His throne of grace with confidence, receive His mercy, and find the strength to live in the freedom He has won for us.

For those who come to Him, there are no stones—only grace.