When someone writes, teaches, or preaches on forgiveness it usually has to do with you needing to forgive someone else. Someone has hurt you, lied to you, stole from you, etc and it is time to mortify your flesh and put on Christ to forgive them. Well not this post. I would like to come at forgiveness at a different angle that you probably haven’t heard emphasized.
The Setup
Jesus sits down in a Pharisees house to eat with him. As they eat a woman comes, who everyone knows is an outward sinner, and begins to wash and kiss Jesus’s feet while weeping. The Pharisee is baffled at the sight. Not that she was kissing his feet (that was a bit more expected back then) but that Jesus, a holy righteous teacher of the Bible, was allowing this sinner of a woman to even touch him.
Jesus, knowing the thoughts of the Pharisee, responded with a parable:
“A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he graciously forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
Luke 7:41-43(LSB)
The Principle
Jesus lays down a spiritual principle for us all to learn from. Simply put: the more sins you are forgiven of = the more you love the one who forgave you.
I can’t think of a greater example of this principle in action than the Apostle Paul. Once a murderer of Christians and then the most radically devoted disciple of Christ who, I would say, loved Jesus more than anyone else on the planet. And why do you think so? Let’s apply the principle to Paul’s statement: “It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost” (1 Tim 1:15) Paul saw himself as the “chief of sinners”. That is, he saw himself as the most abominable sinner compared to anyone else. Applying the principle we would say if Paul sinned the most and was forgiven then naturally he would have loved Jesus the most.
The Next Step
I would like to go on and encourage you to examine the sin in your life. Examine what Christ has forgiven you from. Sometimes we need to recognize who we were before Jesus in order to ignite our love for Him in the present. But I would like to take this principle and apply it, not only to our vertical relationship (with God) but with our horizontal relationships (with fellow humans).
The principle above works the same in our human relationships. The more you are genuinely forgiven by someone = the more you are compelled to love them. Before I got married I often got the joke: “The three most important words to memorize as a husband is: I am sorry.” Then they laugh and continue on with their business. But the fact of the matter is my wife IS the person I’ve said those three words to the most and as a result my love for her has only grown. I recently had to ask for her forgiveness for an important thing in my life and her response was love and forgiveness. In return I can’t help but have such a deeper love and devotion toward her.
The Power of Forgiveness
You see, we find ourselves complaining in relationships and/or maybe our love has dried up towards certain individuals in our life. I would encourage you to search your soul and see what sin, wrongdoing, back talking, whispering, coveting, etc you have done towards that person. Then go to them and ask for their forgiveness. Do not text, do not call (unless necessary), but go to them in person and look them in the eyes, admit your wrongdoing and ask them sincerely for forgiveness. As humans our pride instantly wants us to close this post and forget we ever read it but I pray God convicts your conscience so you can’t bear sleeping at night without doing so.
I promise. Something happens when that person looks back at you and says: “I forgive you.” A weight is lifted, a burden is gone, a new spirit is renewed. And all you can do in response is love.
*edit* Just after I wrote this post I discovered a YouTube video of a message by Tim Mackie (co-founder of BibleProject) where he touches on this exact truth which was such a blessing. Click on the link and the portion that he talks about this is from 17:24 to 25:55. *edit*
Action
- Praise God for His forgiveness of your sins
- Ask God to show you what He saved you from so you can love Him more
- Confess that you have lacked asking for forgiveness in your life
- Thank God for His everlasting mercy and love