Here lies a seemingly unsolvable (to the carnally-minded) problem. A sinner is guilty before Holy Law — guilty by birth and practice. A just God cannot, at the expense of His Justice, show mercy without full payment being made for the offense. If this payment must be made in and of the sinner, the wrath of God will surely be spewed out against that sinner in eternity. Christ, who stooped twice to write upon the ground (once to symbolize the establishing of the Law this adulteress broke, and again to signify Himself as the Substitute between the Law and those it condemned) declared that He found no condemnation in this woman. As such, the Gospel, in type and shadow, was preached on a back street somewhere in Jerusalem as Christ wrote on the ground. Arrogant religionists bent on trapping the Lord of Glory went away condemned in conscience but unmoved to cast themselves on the mercy of God's Pascal Lamb. This adulteress, guilty, vile and helpless, had a glorious revelation (by the Holy Spirit) of her Substitute. Constraining love, held her to Him Who pronounced her not condemned. All her guilt (by His own declaration to her new heart) was made His own — her guilt was His by imputation and by that same imputation, His righteousness was made her righteousness.

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