River Of Grace #RTTBROS #Nightlight River Of Grace: Receiving and Giving Scripture Reading: John 8:1-11 (KJV) "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." --- In this powerful scene from John's Gospel, we witness divine grace in action. The accusers came armed with stones and self-righteousness, demanding judgment. Yet Jesus responded with a grace that both convicted and liberated. Consider the contrast you've observed between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The Dead Sea receives the Jordan River's waters but has no outlet—it only takes in and never gives out. As a result, its waters become increasingly salty, making it impossible for most life to flourish. The Sea of Galilee, however, both receives and gives, allowing life to thrive within its waters. This natural example perfectly illustrates a spiritual principle: what God gives to us, He expects us to share with others. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we read: "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." Grace, by its very nature, must flow outward. When we truly experience God's forgiveness and mercy, it transforms how we view and treat others. The forgiven woman in our passage wasn't told to go prove herself worthy of Jesus' mercy—she was simply instructed to "go, and sin no more." Her encounter with grace became the catalyst for transformation. Those who brought the woman to Jesus carried stones but left empty-handed, convicted by their own conscience. They had yet to understand that they too needed grace. Their hearts were like the Dead Sea—receiving God's blessings but failing to extend mercy to others. Jesus challenges us to examine our hearts with His penetrating question: Have I experienced God's grace in a rich enough way to express it to those around me? If I find myself quick to judge, slow to forgive, or resistant to showing mercy, perhaps I have not fully comprehended the depth of grace I've received. In Matthew 10:8, Jesus instructs his disciples: "Freely ye have received, freely give." Grace is not meant to terminate with us but to flow through us. When we grasp how much we've been forgiven, extending that same grace to others becomes not a burden but a natural response. Today, consider whether your life resembles the Dead Sea or the Sea of Galilee. Are you merely receiving God's grace, or are you also allowing it to flow through you to others? Remember the woman caught in adultery and how a single encounter with Jesus' grace changed everything for her. That same transformative grace is available to us—and through us—today.
