Exposing the Religious Spirit
Pastor Zach Dillon
July 5, 2026 Message Recap
Some of the most familiar stories in Scripture are the easiest to misunderstand.
The account of the woman caught in adultery is one we know so well that we often stop letting it challenge us. This story isn't just about a guilty woman receiving mercy. It's about every person who has ever stood before Jesus with sin, shame, or self-righteousness.
In the early morning at the temple courts, the Pharisees interrupted Jesus' teaching by bringing a woman they had caught in adultery. They dragged her into the most public place in the city, placed her before Jesus, and demanded that He respond. She was guilty, exposed, and standing before a crowd that was ready to stone her.
This is one of the most familiar stories in the Gospels, but that familiarity can keep us from seeing how deeply it confronts us.
Instead of reading ourselves into the crowd watching Jesus, this passage invites us to imagine ourselves as the woman standing before Him—and even as the Pharisees holding the stones.
The Pharisees were not villains in their own minds. They sincerely believed they were honoring God. They knew the Scriptures, pursued holiness, and cared deeply about obeying the Law. Yet somewhere along the way, their devotion became more about proving their own righteousness than knowing the heart of God.
One of the clearest signs of a religious spirit is that it becomes far more concerned with someone else's sin than its own.
Rather than arguing with them, Jesus finally spoke and said, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone." One by one, beginning with the oldest, they dropped their stones and walked away until only Jesus and the woman remained.
Augustine described this moment with two simple phrases: "the wretch and Mercy Himself." The woman had nothing left to hide and no defense left to make. Jesus, the only person who truly had the right to condemn her, instead spoke words of astonishing grace: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more."
Jesus did not excuse her sin or pretend it didn't matter. Instead, He offered mercy while calling her into a new way of living. Within days, He would go to the cross and bear the punishment that our sin deserved so that forgiveness could be offered to all who trust in Him.
That is the invitation this story still gives us today. We all carry sin, shame, and struggles that we would rather keep hidden, but Jesus invites us to bring those things into His presence instead of hiding from Him. He meets us not with condemnation but with mercy.
Religion says that we obey so that God will accept us. The gospel tells us that because we have been accepted through Christ, we are now free to walk in obedience.
The more we understand His mercy, the more our lives are transformed by it.
Scripture References
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About Radiant Church
Founded in 1996, Radiant Church has grown into a multi-location church committed to biblical teaching, discipleship, and mission.
At Radiant Church, there is an invitation to grow in your spiritual journey, build meaningful community, and truly get connected. We are passionate about helping people grow in faith, encounter the Presence of God, and become part of a church grounded in Spirit and truth.
Here's a 5-day devotional guide based on this sermon:
Day 1: Reading the Familiar Story Differently
John 8:2–6 | Psalm 139:23–24
Most of us have heard this story so many times we can read it without letting it connect to our hearts. That comfort is actually what the religious spirit sounds like. This week, before you read anything else, ask God to show you where you placed yourself in the crowd. Were you with the disciples? The woman? The Pharisees? Psalm 139 invites God to search us and expose what we would rather leave unexamined. Start there.
Day 2: The Religious Spirit in All of Us
Mark 8:15 | Matthew 23:25–28
Jesus warned His disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees, the subtle influence of a spirit that redirects worship from God onto performance and appearance. It is sneaky because it attaches itself to genuinely good things: Scripture, holiness, theology. The sign of it is not that we are doing bad things. It is that we have stopped coming to God in honesty about what is really in our hearts. Where is the religious spirit quietly at work in yours?
Day 3: Standing Honestly Before God
Romans 3:23 | 1 John 1:8–9
Every person in that crowd had sin in their hearts. Jesus' one sentence exposed it, and they all walked away. None of us would have stayed either. The honest truth is that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. That is not to shame us. It is to bring us to the place where we stop pretending we do not need what only Jesus can give. First John says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. The confession is the door.
Day 4: Neither Do I Condemn You
John 8:10–11 | Romans 8:1
When everyone else had left, the only One qualified to condemn looked at her and said He would not. That is the gospel. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Not because sin does not matter, but because the penalty was paid by someone else. This is not a license to keep sinning. It is the love that actually makes change possible. Spend time today receiving this—not just believing it theologically, but letting it reach the parts of your heart that still expect God to be angry with you.
Day 5: Mercy Empowers Obedience
Luke 7:47 | Ephesians 2:4–5
Jesus said the one who is forgiven much loves much. The measure of our love for God is directly connected to how deeply we have understood His mercy. Religion produces obedience out of fear of what happens when we fail. The gospel produces obedience out of gratitude for a love we did not earn and cannot lose. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead. That is the love that changes us from the inside out. Let it.