When her brutal accusers, made cowards by their own consciences, slunk away one by one, leaving the sinner alone with her Saviour, His word to her was one of pure compassion, “Neither do I condemn thee.” There was pardon for her black sin, forgiveness for her shameful past. But having forgiven her, Christ did not let her go without laying a command upon her. This forgiven woman was not at liberty to return to her old life of folly and shame. “Go,” said Jesus, dismissing her, “sin no more.” That is an illustration of Christ’s unvarying methods with sinners. Forgiveness—full, free forgiveness—is to be had for the asking. Bring your sinful, shameful past before Him; you will hear no bitter, angry words of reproach from His lips. The words you will hear will be words of tenderest compassion. Bring your terrible debt before Him and tell Him of your dire, your abject, your utter poverty. Say to Him, “Lord, I have nothing to pay,” and He will say to you, “All this thy debt, I freely forgive.” Bring your burden of guilt and shame to Him. He will not spurn you from Him though He is so pure and you so unclean, but with words of pity and love He will welcome you, and take the burden of your guilt and shame clean away. Yes, Christ will freely forgive you. He will have mercy upon you. He will abundantly pardon. But forgiveness of the past is not all. What of the future? Well, as to that future the Master will lay upon you also the old injunction, “Go, sin no more.” For the forgiven man cannot return to his old life of sin. After forgiveness comes the life of struggle and conflict against the world, the flesh and the devil. After the blotting out of the shameful past comes the earnest striving to keep the record of the future clean. Forgiveness is not the end, but the beginning. After forgiveness comes all that our fathers meant by the old term, “sanctification.” After forgiveness comes all that John means when he tells us to purify ourselves even as He is pure; all that Paul means when he tells us “to work out our own salvation.” The struggle, the conflict, the battle comes after pardon has been bestowed. For when Jesus whispers into our ears the gladsome message, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” He lays upon us also the command, “Go, sin no more.”