252 – Luke 7: How to Experience Real Forgiveness
One of the Pharisees
asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to
eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city
heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with
expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet,
weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then
she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited
him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know
what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the
Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two
people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he
kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him
more after that?”
Simon answered, “I suppose the
one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. Then
he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here.
When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my
feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the
time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to
anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven,
so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only
little love.” Then
Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The men at the table said among
themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go
in peace.” LUKE 7:36-50 NLT
Real forgiveness happens when:
I am ready to admit my sin
For
everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ROMANS 3:23 NLT
Finally,
I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to
myself, “I will confess my
rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. PSALM 32:5 NLT
I want to leave my life of sin
It was also written that this message would
be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in
Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ LUKE 24:47 NLT
I believe that only Jesus can take
away my sin
“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim
that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness
for your sins. ACTS 13:38 NLT
You
have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and
people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness. HEBREWS 12:24 NLT
For
there is only one God and one Mediator who
can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 1 TIMOTHY 2:5 NLT
If
you confess with your
mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. ROMANS 10:9 NLT
I am ready to follow the path of Jesus
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you
wants to be my follower, you
must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” LUKE 9:23 NLT
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