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. Luke 7:47
Did you ever read the Apostles’ Creed? This creed is a statement that combines the things that early Christians believed about God. Although most denominations that use the Apostles’ Creed do so only as a matter of ritual, this great creed contains some powerful truths in its simple but straightforward assertions. What does the Apostles’ Creed have to say about ourselves? That part of the creed has only a few short phrases; here they are: ‘I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting’. The only expression there that relates directly to our salvation is the forgiveness of sins. Those who compiled the creed understood the all-important need for forgiveness of sins. Without that, nothing else matters.
As He refers to the repentant woman who met Him in the house of Simon the Pharisee, the Lord Jesus makes it plain that her forgiveness was not based on anything but her appreciation of Him. The number and nature of her sins did not matter. Her display of remorse for those sins, and her outpouring of affection and worship in the washing of His feet with her tears and the anointing of His feet with ointment, these showed the response of her heart toward Him. Jesus points this out to Simon, contrasting it with the Pharisee’s lack of appreciation. The Lord Jesus could look into her heart and know the level of her repentance and her trust. But He pointed out to Simon that others could behold by her actions the outward display of what was in her heart. Her forgiveness of sins was evident to all. You and I have received forgiveness of sins. Is our appreciation of what the Lord Jesus has done for us evident to those around us?
I have seen some Christians who do and say some things that are inappropriate for a Christian to do and say. They excuse themselves by saying ‘It’s just a weakness that I have, but the Lord knows what is in my heart.’ Yes, the Lord knows what is in our heart, and tells us that what we do and say reflects what is in our heart. The sinful woman’s unreserved response to her forgiveness of sins is a model for us, when we consider how great a gift we have been given. Our feet will go where He desires us to go; our hands will perform the work that He desires us to do; our heart will overflow in the praise and worship that our Lord deserves and desires. If we fail to do this, maybe we are more like Simon than the sinful woman; maybe we don’t appreciate how great is our forgiveness of sins.
Our sins, which are many, are forgiven. What difference does that make in how we live? -Jim MacIntosh