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Our Forgiving Savior (Part 1)

Our Forgiving Savior

Being forgiven by Christ motivates us to love Him.

GOLDEN TEXT: Luke 7:47
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
…….Our actions of love show how much we appreciate the Forgiveness of Jesus. 
Forgiveness of what?…..Of our sinful nature.

? Question ? Why do you love Jesus?
As we keep our love for Him in focus, we will in turn keep a deeper sense of gratitude to Him for His blessings.

1. SELF-RIGHTEOUS PHARISEE; SINFUL WOMAN
Luke 7: 
36  And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
 37  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
…….This woman was so desperate for forgiveness and determined to repent that she barged into a Pharisee’s home uninvited to lay at the feet of the master. 
      In all circumstances, we must come to Christ unashamed with no regards of our sinful past,…….or our present company! (Some would think, “I’m not worthy to worship in their presence”)
 38  And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
…….This oil was said to be her life’s savings. When it was only common to anoint the “Head” with oil, she knew she was not worthy, so first, she went straight for the dirtiest part of the body. After washing his feet with her tears of remorse and grateful love, she gave him her most valued possession. 
*Note to self* She could have been saving this oil to anoint her own self when she felt the time was right. Truth is, we will never know when the time is right until “His” time is right. When Christ compels, we must put our all on the line, withholding nothing!
This was a display of the greatest acts of humility, and still is. 
I believe this washing impacted Christ in such a way that it caused him to show the same humility toward the disciples near the end of his ministry.
? Question ? How do you show humility toward Christ?

Check this out in Matthew 26:
 6  Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
…….Here’s the deep stuff! 
So this tells us that the same man who is the Pharisee is the same one Jesus had just recently healed of leprosy!  This man who lived his life as a condemnor, who had a sickness that caused him to be rejected, went right back to rejecting people after he got his healing. How different is the church world today than this man!……Not much.
 7  There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
 8  But when “his disciples” saw it, they had indignation, (so close to him but so far away) saying, To what purpose is this waste?
…….Apparently everyone in the house thought she was crazy.
 9  For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
…….When someone is giving their all, we must never let our thoughts out way another’s motives.
People have different expressions of worship, and let only God be the judge of that.

B. Arrogant Condemnation
*Luke 7:
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
…….You think about the strength of Jesus’ perceptions while he walked Earth in the flesh. He was not yet glorified and was able to read our thoughts. Now that he’s in heaven we should know that there is not one thought that comes through our minds that is hidden from Him!  
        (Mind over matter, but why?)  In Simon’s heart he reached three conclusions: (1) a true Prophet would have known the type of woman who was anointing his feet; (2) such a profit would hold the woman in great contempt because of her sin, and as a result he would not allow her to anoint his feet; (3) because Jesus allowed such a thing Simon concluded, he could not have been a true prophet. In short, Simon’s arrogance led him to reach three false conclusions about Jesus.
        The answer over the mind over matter Question: CulturePERIOD!!!
  ……..That was sarcasm to let us know there is no other reason!

Definition of Culture: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. It is a complete absence of a spiritual change.
Yes this man was a Pharisee but being around Christ should change his entire thinking. 
Thruth is, even those who have been around Christ couldn’t be changed until they were willing to lay everything down!

Simon, as many others in the church today, would have been content to see her rebuked and sent away. Because Jesus did not react in this way, Simon dismissed the notion that Jesus was who he claimed to be. 
Truth is, I see many people today apart of the church who have not seriously changed in the spirit, but that will never change my mind of who he is because of what he’s done for me!

2. LESSON IN LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
A. Great Indebtedness
Luke 7: 
40  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
…….Here comes a parable.
 41  There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
…….A pence was a word used for their exchange of money called a Denarii. The Denarii is equal to a days wage. With this said, Christ describes a man owing nearly 2 years worth of pay. The other man is owing only around 10 weeks worth of pay.
 42  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
……. Simon addressed Jesus as a teacher and this was a term of respect. Even though he did not hold Christ as a prophet he still held him as a teacher and his words to “some” esteem and was willing to listen. The same might be said of many unbelievers today.

The point Jesus made was this; though both men owed a great debt, it should be obvious to expect one of them to show much more appreciation.
When we see others in Repentance and dealing with Spiritual growth, we should always remember what Christ did for us at salvation. There is power in the memory.
      We should think about the struggles we had to overcome, all the battles we had to learn to give to the Lord, and how often we had to learn to trust Him. While remembering our fathers Forgiveness, this should grow a love for the lost and the new convert in such a way that causes us to disciple them. 

B. Great Forgiveness
43  Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
……. Even though it must have been hard for the Pharisee to admit that he was wrong, he did so and Christ simply replied, “you have correctly judged.”
       Can you remember the actions you took when you felt the forgiveness of sin being washed away? When someone is showing Grace, his or her response will naturally reflect the level of to which that Grace was shown. Jesus used the simple principle to show how far his forgiveness of sin reaches and how important it is that we respond with humility and gratitude.

3. SIMON REBUKED; THE WOMAN FORGIVEN
A. Love and Forgiveness
Luke 7:
 44  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?
(He’s asking Simon, do you really see this woman? Too many times we look at people for what they’ve done with no regards of what Christ’s purpose is for their life. Evaluate self; how do “I” look at people?)
Jesus then explains: I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
 45  Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
…….
 46  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
……. Jesus pointed out to Simon that he failed to perform the basic customs of hospitality, but this woman showed a deepness of love for a guest that wasn’t even in her house . 
?Question?  How do we greet the ones who come in who are seeking for a change? There are those of us that won’t even lift up our heads to our Christian Piers, none the less reach out to a sinner in need of forgiveness to shake a hand or hug a neck. Who is the Pharisee today might we ask?
 47  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
……. The truth is, we are all in need of deep forgiveness. The sins that are not on the surface are way more poisonous than the ones that are performed outwardly. While This Woman’s actions of sin simply needed to change, which should not be held lightly, the Pharisee needed a complete heart transplant and a culture shock.
……I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the most dangerous person is not a sinner who knows the need for salvation. The most dangerous person is the one who thinks they are saved but truly is not.

B. The Power to Forgive
48  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
 49  And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
 50  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
……. Simon regarded the woman with contempt, and he expected Jesus to do the same. But Jesus saw her “devotion, her gratitude, and her humility” before him. These are attributes that never leave the life of the saved. Rather than contempt, Jesus offered​ forgiveness, which she had received by faith and with joy.

       Think about the Joy (or the lack thereof) you feel as a result of your forgiveness. How do you express that joy? In what ways is your gratitude reflected in your devotion? Pray that God will fill you with renewed joy for his spiritual blessings, then Express that Joy through specific acts of Devotion to Him.
Psalms 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

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