Can God really love and accept me?

A woman was brought to Jesus who had been caught in the act of committing adultery. Jesus was asked,

“Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say? This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.” John 8:4-6.

With compassion, Jesus simply stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger the sins of the accusers. This made them feel very ashamed and one by one they turned around and left. Then Jesus asked the woman,

“‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” John 8:10,11.

If all the accusers had stayed around, Jesus would have given them the same message.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17 NKJV

Wow! No Condemnation! That is wonderful news. It seems too good to be true, but it’s clear: Jesus came to save us, not to condemn us. Condemnation: we have all experienced it. We know the feelings it creates: discouragement, failure, worthlessness, resentment, and anger.

Experiencing God’s forgiveness, grace and love creates other feelings: appreciation, peace, hope, joy, and a desire to be gracious toward others.

Opening your heart to this truth will change your life. To better understand God’s gracious love, see Lesson #2, The Love Of God.