Some who are reading this are making plans to join me this Saturday for the re:garding HIM women’s conference at our church. Others of you may live so far away that attending isn’t an option. I rejoice that there could be readers of this blog from so far away! But, regardless of whether you can be in Toledo this weekend or not, we all can benefit from hearing a word on forgiveness. As I’ve been preparing to talk about this subject at the conference, my heart has been convicted, soothed, challenged and motivated.
Forgiveness…what a concept.
There’s so much wrapped up in it. It’s mind-blowing that sinful creatures could be forgiven by a holy God. And, then there’s our response to this amazing act of love…forgiving others. I’m sure I’ll have more to share about forgiveness in future posts, but I’ve been meditating on a particular passage of scripture lately and I want to just share that today. As you read this, ask the Holy Spirit to work in your heart.
Do you really know (deep down in your soul) that you are forgiven if you are a child of God?
Is there anyone to whom you’re withholding forgiveness?
If we really get that we’re forgiven by our holy God, we have no other option but to respond with forgiveness to others.
But, the key is…do we understand how much we’ve been forgiven?
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down to eat.
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet; but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
Luke 7: 36-47
Am I reading this out of chance?! I think not. As God has a plan. I have to forgive … I need to act, blessed be the Name if The Lord! He forgave me!