Jesus gives grace to believers, but what about those who don’t have faith? The Bible tells us those people will be separated from the Lord in eternity because they have not accepted the free gift of salvation.
Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” What was finished? His sacrifice was payment for our sins so He could extend grace to us instead of justice. Justice is getting what we deserve. Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.[1]
Eternal life is a gift from the Lord that can not be earned or purchased but is freely given. Paul tells us clearly that no person can earn their salvation, for it is only by grace. What is grace? Grace is God’s undeserved love. Ephesians 2:8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [2]
Jesus Extended Grace to the Woman Caught in Adultery
In our story, the Jewish leaders dragged a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus in the Temple. She was expecting to be stoned and pay the price for her sin and was expecting justice, but instead, Jesus extended her the hand of grace. She went from hopelessness to being filled with hope. This is the hope we all have in Jesus as our Savior.
John 8:4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 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.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I.[3]
Jesus Extends Grace to Us
The same hand of grace that Jesus extended to this woman is the same hand of grace He extends to us. The same Light that shone on her shines on us. We can choose to stay in the Light or run back to the dark. The most remarkable example of God’s mercy and grace is Jesus paying our debt on the cross. When we are truly repentant, God shows us grace and welcomes us with open arms. Even when we stray, God loves us and yearns for us to repent so He can extend grace. Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. [4]
To learn how Jesus gives grace to believers, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/light-in-sin
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.