JESUS CHRIST ~ The Savior of Lost Sinners

"But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not." -John 8:6 [KJV] 

Note: Friends, also see the prophetic fulfillment of Christ's saying found in Jeremiah 17:13: as it is written, "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters."

Every, the most minute transaction of the life of Christ, should be precious to the faith of our hearts. For in all that He did in life, and by all that He suffered in death, He manifested Himself to be the Saviour of lost sinners. The love of His heart knows no bounds to such. He willingly came to seek, and to save them. It is His joy to find, and His glory to save the lost. O were it not so, the hand that writes must tremble, that holds the pen, drop it with terror, while his heart would be filled with distress, and his soul sink into black despair. 

But, O this faithful saying, “That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” braces every nerve with joy, and fills the whole man with triumph—See a vile prostitute brought before our Lord; and her crimes charged upon her. She was taken in the act. Here are witnesses to prove it. Her sin admits not of a doubt. Yet, Christ pays no attention to them. He pours the utmost contempt upon them. From the holy Jesus, should we not expect to hear, “Take the vile abandoned woman from before Me, and punish her as her abominable sin deserves”? Are not our self-righteous hearts ready to rise at His conduct? 

“With His finger He wrote on the ground.” Fine amusement for a judge! No, that was not His office. He came not to try, judge, and condemn, but to save sinners. But does He not seem to connive at her sin? By no means. He has an utter abhorrence of all sin, at the same time that He has infinite love to sinners. His love works by conviction on the heart, and then administering comfort to the burdened conscience. He had many self-righteous persons before Him. While they accused this woman He aimed to convict them. 

It is said, an ancient Greek copy declares, “Christ wrote on the ground the sins of every one of them.” Be that as it may, they were convicted in their own consciences. They had not a stone to cast at this poor woman. They left her alone with Christ. What says He to her? “I do not condemn thee, go and sin no more.” He speaks as the sinner-justifying, sin-hating Saviour. Now imagine yourself to be that guilty sinner, such you are: Standing before Christ, that you do: Accused by the law, and condemned by your own conscience, that you must own; and yet Jesus saying, guilty, hell-deserving as you are, yet I do not condemn thee, I fully justify, and freely absolve thee from all sin. O what peace, comfort, and joy would inspire your soul! Well, this is true. Faith receives it, and takes up the triumphant challenge, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? Romans 8:33. 

Tho’ Jesus pleads the sinner’s cause, 

Yet sin He hates, detests, abhors; 

Then let us sin avoid with care, 

That we may in His favour share. 

Because grace reigns thro’ righteousness, 

Shall we not strive for holiness? 

The love of Christ constrains that heart, 

That e’er of sin has felt the smart.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)