This is an important question that many Christians wrestle with. On one hand, Jesus clearly told people to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Yet on the other hand, the Bible teaches that all people are sinners and no one is without sin (Romans 3:23). How do we reconcile these two truths?
There are a few key things to understand here:
1. Jesus calls us to pursue holiness, even though sinlessness is impossible in this life
Jesus sets the bar high for holiness. He wants His followers to strive to live holy lives, even though we will fall short due to our sinful nature (1 John 1:8). When Jesus told people to “go and sin no more,” He was calling them to repent and turn away from their lifestyle of sin. Jesus calls us to pursue obedience, righteousness and freedom from habitual sin, even though we will stumble at times.
Philippians 3:12-14 illustrates this principle well. The apostle Paul says he has not yet obtained perfect holiness (“not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect”), but he presses on to take hold of that perfection in Christ Jesus. As Christians, we are to have the same mindset – recognizing our shortcomings, but earnestly striving to grow in Christ-like character.
2. Complete sinlessness will only be attained in the next life
Due to our fallen nature, believers cannot achieve complete sinlessness in this life (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 7:14-25). Sin inevitably taints even our best efforts. Thankfully, positionally we are counted as righteous before God when we repent and believe the gospel (Romans 4:5-8). But practical sinlessness will only come when we are glorified and made perfect in Christ in the next life (1 Corinthians 15:50-57).
So when Jesus calls us to “go and sin no more,” He is not claiming we can achieve absolute perfection now. But He is telling us to break free from bondage to sin and instead pursue obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:6-7, 12-14). One day when we see Christ, we will finally be like Him and sin no more (1 John 3:2).
3. We are called to depend on Christ’s strength, not our own willpower
Trying to stop sinning through our own effort is futile. We cannot overcome sin merely through self-discipline, New Year’s resolutions or willpower. Only the saving power of Christ can set us free from sin’s grip (John 8:36; Romans 7:24-25).
This is why Jesus commanded people to “go and sin no more” immediately after demonstrating His power and authority to forgive sins (John 8:10-11). It was a call to turn from sin and walk in the new life Christ provides – a life of freedom and victory only possible by His grace (Titus 2:11-14).
As believers, we still have a moral obligation to pursue holiness, since God calls us to moral transformation (1 Peter 1:13-16). But we must depend continually on Christ to do this. We can only obey His command to “go and sin no more” through faith in Him (John 15:5; Philippians 4:13).
4. Our salvation is not based on our own perfection, but on Christ’s finished work
Crucially, our salvation does not depend on achieving complete sinlessness, but on God’s grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins – past, present and future – through His once-for-all sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10:10-14). We cannot earn salvation through good works or moral perfection; it is a gift we receive when we trust in Christ (Galatians 2:16; 3:2-3).
So when we fail and give in to temptation, we can repent, receive God’s forgiveness, and continue to follow Christ – not wallow in guilt. We have an advocate in Jesus, and His blood cleanses us from all sin when we confess our failures to Him (1 John 1:7-9). By God’s grace and strength, we persevere in faith and run after holiness.
In summary, while complete freedom from sin will only come in the next life, Jesus calls us to pursue practical holiness in this life. He instructs us to go and sin no more, not meaning absolute perfection now, but a new direction under His Lordship. Dependent on His grace, we make progress in obedience. Our security rests in His finished work.
5. Jesus offers forgiveness, not condemnation, to humble repentant sinners
It is also worth noting that when Jesus told people to “go and sin no more,” His tone was one of gentle restoration, not harsh condemnation. For example, when the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus and accused of sin, He showed her love and forgiveness, and admonished her to leave her life of sin (John 8:1-11).
Likewise, when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He offered her the living water of eternal life, even though she had been divorced five times (John 4:1-26). Jesus came to call sinners to repentance in order to save them, not to crush broken people (Luke 5:32).
So Jesus says “go and sin no more” to challenge and restore us, not destroy us. Convicted by His Spirit, we can freely receive His mercy. When we fail, He gently picks us up again and again – granting us grace to continue following Him (Hebrews 4:14-16).
6. Sin has damaging temporal consequences, even for believers
Why does Jesus command us to stop sinning and pursue holiness – even though perfection is impossible in this life? Because sin is still devastating and dangerous, even for Christians. Sin can stain our fellowship with God, quench the Spirit, harm our witness, and destroy relationships and lives when persistently indulged (Psalm 66:18; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Peter 2:11-12).
Sin plants seeds of destruction that may bear bitter fruit. David’s sins had horrific consequences in his own family despite being forgiven (2 Samuel 12-13). Persistent sinful patterns can put our eternal salvation in question too (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21). So Jesus warns believers strongly against sin out of love, knowing its corrosive effects if not repented.
7. God lovingly disciplines His children when they sin
When believers continue in unrepentant sin, God will lovingly discipline them, calling them back to holiness (Hebrews 12:4-11). His discipline can take many forms – conviction of conscience, natural consequences, or removal of blessings. As a good Father, God does this not to punish, but to produce Christ-like character in us (v.10). His discipline flows out of His faithfulness and love.
So Jesus tells us to go and sin no more because He wants to spare us from the hard lessons of persisting in sin. His desire is to see His children living freely in the blessings of obedience, not crippling themselves through rebellion. Just as a loving parent reaches out to a wayward child, so Jesus continually beckons us back to the path of life.
8. Sin grieves the heart of God
Most importantly, Jesus commands us to go and sin no more because sin grieves God’s heart. After David’s horrific sins of adultery and murder, he cried out, “Against you [God], you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David realized that even though we hurt ourselves and others through sin, we ultimately rebel against a holy God.
God is unwilling that any should perish, but desires all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Like the father rushing to embrace the prodigal son, God’s heart longs for His wayward children to come home. When we spurn His love and pursue sin, it wounds Him who gave everything to redeem us. Out of that heart of divine love, Jesus pleads with sinners, “go and sin no more.”
9. One day all sin and darkness will be eradicated
Finally, we must remember that Christ promises to ultimately eradicate all sin, pain and darkness from the world. Revelation 21-22 paints a glorious vision of the future Kingdom of God where there is no more sin, suffering, death or crying. God Himself will dwell with His people in perfect harmony and peace. One day we will know complete holiness, as we are made like Christ in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 John 3:2).
This absolute sinlessness awaits us in the life to come. But until then, may we heed Jesus’ call to pursue holiness in the power of His Spirit. By God’s grace, we can make progress in godly living. And through Christ’s sustaining grace, we can live with hope that the war against sin will one day be won.