Faithful To Forgive

I want to talk to you on the subject today about how faithful God is to forgive. We celebrated in song this morning. We’re celebrating in September. God’s faithfulness among other things. Faithful He’s been in the past, He’s faithful now, and He will be faithful into the future because that’s who He is. And but I want us focus today on His promise to forgive us when we fall and when we fail and when we miss the mark. And let’s just be honest, all of us do from time to time.

And I just have five questions about it. I’m going to go through them quickly. And then we will celebrate His forgiveness at the end. And we will pray, not here at the front, laying on of hands today, but we will just pray before we leave. We will help you, we’ll pray for you and help you if we can come to a place of being cleansed. Everybody say cleansed. That’s part of the promise. God just doesn’t forgive us, but He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

But I want to start here from 1 John in chapter 1, beginning with verse 8. The scripture says

if we boast that we have no sin, we’re only fooling ourselves and are strangers to the truth. But if we freely admit our sins, when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ. And he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we claim that we’re not guilty of sin when God uncovers it with his light, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Let’s pray. Father, thank you for the help of the Holy Spirit. Believe in this moment that He will He will bring special grace upon our minds to think with you, God. And also He will bring grace to our inward hearing, the hearing of the heart, so that we can not just hear these words as they’re amplified in this auditorium, but we will hear them in the inner man in our hearts. We thank you that revelation knowledge will come, as will wisdom and understanding. And we thank you for it all in Jesus’ name. Amen.

What is sin biblically?

So first question is what is sin biblically? You know, this is not a subject I hear an awful lot spoken about nowadays. And when I do it, I’m kind of saddened by the way it’s delivered. Because it’s delivered in a way it seems to me to beat people in such a way emotionally and mentally that they crawl to the cross to find forgiveness. You’re welcome at the throne of God. You don’t have to crawl and beg for anything because of the price that Jesus paid. You can come with sorrow in your heart. You should. If you’ve sinned, I’ve sinned. But that doesn’t mean it’s not the same as thinking you don’t belong here. Or there’s going to be an unsolvable issue here. Something that can’t just can’t be fixed.

And you’ve got to understand that as a pastor, we have heard throughout the years that we have ministered to people. Many come into our offices thinking that they sinned a sin for which there is no forgiveness, and therefore their life is ruined. Whatever God had planned for them is now off the table. And either God forgives them and comes up with a different plan, or they’re just ruined. And most of them believe they’re ruined. But we’re gonna we’re gonna speak to that today. And I believe God’s truth, just like Jesus said, He said, if if we continue in his word, we will know the truth, and that truth will set us free or liberate us. Amen.

And we don’t know everybody in the room today. We don’t know your circumstances, especially those who are guests today. But we’re glad you’re here to hear a message like this, because if you’re in trouble spiritually, if you’re at the wrong place spiritually, if you’re down in your life because of sin that you’ve committed, there’s an answer for you today. And you’ll leave the property. I’m not making an empty promise here, but you will leave the if you respond well to the message. You will leave this property different than what you came on at. You will leave this property transformed by the Spirit of God. I say that on the basis of His word and what we’re about to look at.

So let’s first of all just look at what sin means biblically, because we all can have our own idea of sin or what is right and what is wrong. But the word most often translated sin in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, means to miss the mark. The Greek word is hamartia, and it means to miss the mark. It’s used in Greek culture of an archer who takes his arrow back, points it at some place on a target, lets the arrow go, but it misses the target entirely. It’s a small word, but it’s a big subject, and it’s a really big deal.

You and I should never minimize, even in the view of our redemption, never minimize the horror that sin can bring into our life. If we play with it, if we entertain it, if we don’t again do what Scripture tells us to do with it, it can it can bring some pretty devastating effects to us. Even though we’re born of God, we’re in right standing with God, etc. And those of you who have been taught well know what I’m talking about. You know, we have a brand new life in Christ. But things can still hurt us, harm us, work against our soul, work against the things in our soul, our mind, our emotion, even our willingness to make the right choices if we allow it to hang out, hang around. So it’s a small word, but a big deal in the Bible.

Sin is any transgression that violates, listen to me, who God is by nature. Who he is. For example, the scripture says God is love, so that when we step out of loving the way God loves, then that’s sin. And it’s sinning against, first and foremost, who God actually is by nature. And secondly, it violates what he wills for all mankind. Sin is just not being true to who he is, and who, listen to me, who you are as a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ.

It is no longer, listen to me, if you’ve truly been born again in this room, it is no longer your nature, your your spirit nature to sin against God. You say, well, then why do I sin against God? Because your soul, even though it’s been purchased, has not yet been fully changed and transformed. So we’re still capable of thinking the wrong things and saying the wrong things and doing things again that violate who God is and what his will is for mankind. We’re capable of that even though we’re born again, but hear me, you’re not a spiritual schizophrenic. You’re born of God, your spirit has been changed. Your spirit, the condition of your spirit, will be the same now as when you get to heaven. There’s nothing that needs to be added to your spirit nature. There’s a lot going on in your soul that needs to be changed. And there’s a lot happening in the flesh that needs to be changed. And thank God we have God’s help doing that very thing as we walk this, as we take on this journey of faith and this walk of faith.

I don’t want you to think, you know, I was raised thinking that there’s a black dog and a white dog on the inside of me. Those were the exact words used. And the one you fed the most was the one that won the battle and determined how you lived your life. I was also taught growing up that even though I’m born again, if I feel like, if I feel, if I say feel, if I have these emotions, if I feel like my prayers don’t get above the ceiling, I’m probably not born again. Well, that’s just not true. And I wish someone had told me earlier in my Christian life what was true. You can be born of God, changed in nature, and still have issues that you need to grow out of going on in your soul. And your soul once again is made up of your mind, your emotions, which follow your thinking, and also your will. And of course, there are things, appetites in the body that we’ve just we’ve trained this body. We did as long as we were following heart after Satan and sin, we trained our bodies to live in sin and become good with it and become even comfortable with it.

Listen, church, it’s one thing to sin, it’s another to enjoy it. And to keep enjoying it. And that’s one of the deceptions of Satan when he’s tempting us into sin, is he makes it a feel-good situation. And if it feels good, how could it be bad? We sort of think that. Well, there’s a lot that feels good that truly is evil. In fact, it was prophesied by Old Testament prophets that there would a day would be coming, and I think we’re here, the day would come where we would call things that are evil good, and call things that are truly good evil. Again, we’re seeing that. It’s on Instagram, it’s on Facebook, it’s on social media, it’s on the news, it’s in our newspapers, and sadly it’s in some of our pulpits. Today, we preach what we call good and yet it’s evil. And we preach what is evil and it’s called good.

And thank God for the Holy Spirit. Can someone say amen? Because He has come to live on the inside of us and to be that voice of truth for us. He protects us, He helps us in every way that we need, every weakness that we experience. He is there to help us. There’s not a moment in your day you’re without the help of the Holy Spirit and without the promise of his help. Just always remember that. And again, if you’re down today, especially under the load of the filth, because sin has a tendency to leave some residue, otherwise we wouldn’t need cleansing. So there’s something that can weigh us down of sin that we’ve committed in our life that forgiving yourself won’t do. You have to have God’s forgiveness and the cleansing that He promised. Amen. And don’t make yourself the exception to that promise. We just read that if we are confess it, and we’ll look at that, then God is faithful. He deals with our unfaithfulness with his faithfulness. God is faithful and just to do what? Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to help us rid ourselves of the weight and the damage that it has brought to our souls. Not our spirit, but to our souls.

How do we commit sin?

Number two, the second question is how do we commit sin? Well, very elementary, but let’s mention it. You can enter into sin with your eyes wide open, or you can biblically slip into it. You can again enter into sin with your eyes wide open, knowing that what you do, you’re doing about to do is wrong, but you do it anyway, or you can slip into sin.

James 4 17 says this so any person, any person who knows what is right to do, but does it not to him, it is sin. But 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33 from the amplified Bible teaches this as well.

Do not be so deceived and misled. Evil companionships, communion associations, corrupt and depraved good manners and morals and character.

So we can fall into sin by making covenants with certain people, hanging out with certain people that hurt our faith walk, that hurt our love walk with God. Even the music that we listen to. You know, you should pay attention to what you’re listening to. And so, well, Pastor, there’s just no good, this or that out there. Oh, there’s good out there. There’s some good music out there that will really build you up on the inside instead of try to cry with you over your seventh divorce. There’s good music out there. But you’re going to have to work hard to find it. And then be disciplined, and the Holy Ghost will help you. Love God enough. That’s what drives us anyway. It’s the love of God. We’re not doing anything to get God to love us. We do what we do because God loves us. And we’re learning how to love Him deeper. Amen.

So there’s music that we just wouldn’t listen to. If we really practice the presence of God in our car or at our home or wherever we are, at our place of work or business. Thoughts that we entertain form values in our heart. And sin will affect your thinking in a negative way. And if you continue that, it will form values in your heart that are not okay.

Number three, question number three. You still with me? Sin can be committed inwardly and outwardly. Excuse me. Excuse me, that’s not the next question. It’s the next point. Sin can be committed inwardly and outwardly. It can be invisible to others but visible to God. It can also be seen by others in one’s actions and speech. But it can also be invisible to others, but visible to God.

Matthew 27, chapter 5, verses 27 and 28 says, Jesus speaking,

your ancestors have been taught never commit adultery. However, I say to you, if you look with lust in your eyes at the body of a woman who is not your wife, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart.

They thought they were thinking, like many of us think, even in again, the Christian community, that it’s when we do the act that sin actually occurs. Well, that’s true, but you can do the act inwardly. Invisible to everybody else, thinking you’re getting away with something. By the way, nobody is getting away with anything. Nobody. Thinking that if you don’t, they’ll get away with it. Why do we create hell for people? There’s enough to go around already. What in the world? Whose side are you on? Whose mouthpiece have you become? Oh, I don’t approve of sin. That’s fine, you shouldn’t. But how you handle it, especially in other people, is key to your Christian walk. Not that you maybe while you’re trying to fix someone else’s Christian walk, you’re breaking your own. So be careful how you handle that. Amen. Be careful. Again, Jesus said when it happens inwardly, that’s how God, that’s when God considers it sin.

What’s lost when we sin?

Now, the third question. What’s lost when we sin? Again, I’ll go through these quickly. But you can take, I would urge you to take the time and think about them. And perhaps you are a product of some of this is going on on the inside of you, the product of your own sin showing up in these areas that I’m about to mention to you. Are you ready? Question number one what is sin biblically? Number two, how do we commit sin? Number three, what’s lost when we sin?

Number one, fellowship, not relationship. Say it out loud with me. Fellowship, not relationship. Relationship is a legal part of our relationship we have with God, and it never changes. We don’t, you know. I think about my own children, my beautiful children, Hannah and Jordan, who both love God and serve God and are examples, godly examples to so many people. I love them so much. When they were growing up, when they would misbehave, we would correct them. But how many of you know that when they did something wrong, we didn’t disown them? Some of you are looking at me like, well, I did. I disowned mine. We didn’t disown our children. They didn’t stop being our children. They no longer carried our name. But something was affected. And it was how they felt toward us. And how they felt about our relationship. Something wasn’t right. They didn’t approach us so quickly to ask for help or whatever. They were slower to do that. Something clearly was weighing on them on the inside.

That’s what happens to us when we sin against God. We are still children of God. Again, thank God for his faithfulness. He still sees us as sons and daughters. You know why God hates sin? Because he loves you so much. There’s no sin in him at all, of course. He is holy. But the reason he hates sin, he doesn’t hate you when you sin. He hates sin is because he loves you so much. He doesn’t want anything messing with the relationship that he has with you. He didn’t want it.

And so, 1 John 1:6 says,

if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie. And we’re not practicing the truth.

Fellowship is the word koinonia in the Greek language, and it speaks of a special and unique experience that really should be considered divine. It’s only used to describe the experience we can have with God and with one another who know him. In fact, it’s the same thing that is experienced in the Godhead, Father to Son to Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit to Son to the Father. What they enjoy and their relationship, that fellowship is the very thing we share with God when we’re walking in the light. And the light still shines even when we walk out of it into the dark places. Alright. And when we’re in that dark place, relationship is not changed. But fellowship has changed. The way we approach God, what we think of our approach to God, etc.

Number two, our conscience is defiled. Our conscience is defiled. The conscience is a part of man’s soul. And it was designed to be a witness or an echo to all that is good and acceptable to God. But according to the scripture, it can be rewritten. It can be seared. The Bible uses these words. It can be seared, it can be defiled, cast off, and ignored. To do so is to remove an essential safeguard concerning the heart, and again, a witness to God’s Spirit in knowing and doing right. But we can, by again, our actions deliberately or otherwise, we can affect our conscience. And it can be rewritten. In other words, things we once thought were wrong, now we go ahead and accept. And I gotta tell you again, there are things that have been wrong in the beginning and will always be wrong from God’s perspective. And I just want to press you a little bit today to just know what God thinks about things. Alright? And so if he says it’s wrong, don’t question it. Accept it and aim your life that direction. Amen. Because to not do that is to over time is to lose the ability of the conscience to echo anything that God is might be speaking to you. It’s to again throw off the safeguards. So take your safety belt off. You follow? And so again, conscience can be defiled if we sin and over time continue in sin.

Number three, faith is biblically, it’s shipwrecked. Say shipwrecked with me. 1 Timothy 119 from the Amplified Bible says,

hold fast to faith, that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence and have a good, clear conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them their conscience, some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith.

It’s one of the questions I ask in counseling to Christians when they are struggling with their trust. I just have to ask that because of this verse. So are you living in sin? Have you not gone before God and gotten that off of you? Because if you try to trust God, believe God, receive the promise of God, while still entertaining sin. The Bible says your faith is shipwreck. You’re not how many of you know when you’re there’s a shipwreck, the ship is not going anywhere. And it can’t take you anywhere. The same is true of people whose conscience is defiled, they’ve not been cleansed. It shipwrecks faith’s ability to help them live this wonderful, beautiful life, and to receive the incredible promises and provision that God has made for us. All right.

Number four, sensitivity of heart. The heart can be hardened over time by entertaining and practicing sin. Jesus prophesied that. He talked about that again, a day would come where men’s hearts, who once hot for God would become cold and calloused for God. The same people who used to chase God and chase their relationship with God are now barely alive, it seems, spiritually speaking. They’re going nowhere. Their faith destroyed, shipwrecked because of decisions and actions that they took.

Says this

exhort one another daily while it’s called today, lest any of you be hardened,

say it, hardened through what? The deceitfulness of sin. Okay. The previous verse from the Passion Translation reads this way. So search your hearts every day. Proverbs 4 says, guard your hearts diligently. This verse says,

search your hearts every day, my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has an evil or unbelief hiding within you. For it will lead you astray and make you unresponsive to the living God.

Do you still love your wife or your husband? Well, that was pitiful. Woof. Wow. Let me give you another chance. You still love your husband or wife. Yeah! Okay. The things you uncover when you preach the word. Well, why? Why do you still love them? You’ve done something that some don’t do. You have checked your heart every day, somehow, in your feelings for them. You’ve looked at your commitment to them. Even when they’ve missed the mark, failed, disappointed you, put on 20 pounds. That you never thought they would. And so, whatever would have caused you to withdraw in your marriage life. Somehow, you’ve dealt with it. And if you’ve been a success, we need to hear from you. We need to know what you did to help other people. Because there are many marriages suffering. Day one was outstanding. They went through the honeymoon stage. And then the reality hit about their marriage and especially concerning their imperfections. What the woman looked like without her makeup. How big the man’s belly really was. How he loved watching football more than coming to the dinner table. Right? How she was okay with spending money shopping. But he couldn’t look at the new boat or the new car. You know, we start discovering these things, and sadly we focus on them. And so the heart becomes calloused. And so it’s just not what it could be, and not what you thought it might be.

Same is true in our relationship with God. God doesn’t change and he doesn’t disappoint. But we can lose, listen to me. He’s perfect. But we can actually start feeling bad about that. How are we going to ever live up to that standard? We think God’s not asking you to be perfect. But he’s asking for progress. And walking toward him, regardless of the many, many distractions that would take you off path. And love will keep us in place. Does that help you?

Almost done here. Confusion replaces clarity. Confusion replaces clarity. Sin yields an atmosphere of darkness, both within and without, confusing the believer as to what he sees, sees, and what he thinks and what he feels within himself. Confusion replaces clarity. 1 John 2 11, the Passion Translation.

But whoever hates a fellow believer lives in the darkness. Stumbling around in the dark with no clue where he’s going, for he is blinded by the darkness.

How many of you know that confusion in any form is not of God? And scripture says that confusion is not of God. There’s a spirit of confusion that works. If he can’t just get you to believe a lie, he just wants to create, you know, he wants you to create just crowded conditions on the inside of your mind. So you literally just don’t know what to do. You know. Sin can do that to us.

Number six, guilt and condemnation instead of confident, confidence and feeling qualified. Guilt and condemnation instead of being confident and qualified. The word, if you don’t know, the word condemnation means to declare unfit for use. I mentioned earlier people that have come into our office for pastoring or into these altars for prayer, who just feel like they’ve sinned the sin that can never be forgiven. And so they’re they just suffer with this guilt and with this condemnation every day of their life. They can’t even, even when something good happens, listen, this may apply to you. Even when you do good and you know good and you hear the applause of the Holy Ghost, so to speak, on the inside, you don’t can’t, you can’t enjoy it very long. Because that guilt and condemnation that came as a result of sin has not been washed off of you and has not been cleansed by God’s Spirit from you. I hope that’s not you. But if it’s you, we believe you’ll get help before you leave. Amen. Before you leave. I so I believe that, and I’ve come ready to pray that prayer of faith this morning for all of you who might be suffering any of this today.

So Romans 8, 5 and 6 again, and then we’ll we’ll finish. It says,

those who are motivated by the flesh only pursue what benefits them. But those who live by the impulses of the Holy Spirit are motivated to pursue spiritual realities. For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace.

What has God provided?

So the next question, number four, what has God provided? Well, Romans 8 1, 8, verse 8, verses 1 through 4, again from the Passion Translation. If you have the Passion Translation, oh, I just urge you, if you don’t like any of it or the way any of it reads, to get these four verses and make an exception. You can go online, you can find Bibles online, you can buy this copy in your bookstore. It’s called the Passion Translation. Here’s how it reads concerning what God has provided when we fall, when we sin, whether deliberately or just getting falling into a sin.

Verse 1 says,

So now the case is closed.

Say it out loud. Now the case is closed.

There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life union with Jesus, the anointed one. For the law of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the law of sin and death. For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature. Yet God sent His Son in human form to identify with human weakness, clothed with humanity. God’s Son gave His body to be the sin offering, so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin. So now,

everybody say, So now we’re living in now.

So now every righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled through the anointed one living his life in us. And we are free.

Say we’re free.

We are free to live not according to our flesh, but the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit.

Wow. In another place in the scripture says, Jesus who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. And so today we can declare the word of God is the only evidence we need. Amen. Our emotions can mislead us. Unrenewed mind, the thoughts produced by an unrenewed mind can mislead us. Right? Choices we’ve made in the past that we thought were right and we become established in can still mislead us. Thank God for the evidence of God’s word. And so if I wake up tomorrow and I don’t feel saved, and I don’t feel good about this, and I don’t feel good about that, even though those feelings are strong. You can boldly declare by faith. Wait a minute. There’s therefore now no condemnation. There’s no guilt. Because Jesus paid the once and for all price by his once and for all sacrifice and offering, giving himself. And now I am healed. Amen.

So the final question is this. We read that early, but listen, verse 9.

If we confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Listen, just like every provision that God has ever made for us, doesn’t matter what it what it might be, we receive it how? We receive it by faith. We accept it by faith. You can’t understand God’s goodness or his love. You have to learn how to accept it. And that’s faith at work. The only evidence we need again is Jesus hanging on the cross and hearing him say it’s finished. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, not a truth, the truth and the life. Yet, even though the victory has be won, listen to me, we must still receive it by faith. What is done provided by his sacrifice, our lives still have to experience it by faith. Amen.

So number one, not to say we have not sinned is the advice of Scripture or the command of the wisdom of Scripture. Any wise, honest person who has any integrity knows that they’ve sinned. Again, if not indeed in thought on the inside. Did you hear what I said to you? It’s all paid for. Jesus doesn’t have to come again and die on a cross for everybody who’s not received him yet. He came once, once or all, and that sin, that forgiveness covered, excuse me, removed. There’s a difference. In the old testament, sin was covered by the blood of bulls and goats. Under the New Testament, it has been eliminated by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Well, it’s good news. So even though it’s legally been paid for for the whole world, they still have to do what? They have to receive it by faith. Which is what we have to do too. Jesus is Lord, whether he’s your Lord or not, he’s still Lord. And what needs to be done for you to have relationship with Him has already been done. The only part missing is you receiving it as a free gift. We are saved by grace through faith.

Confession is our expression of faith

Number two, John wrote that we need to confess it. We need to understand what this word means. It means to say the same thing as or to agree with. Confess means to say the same thing as or to agree with. So first, I have to confess that I have sinned. Second, I have to confess that. Here’s what I need to confess. He says, confess this. Confessing sin is our expression of faith. Did you hear me? Confession in this sense is our expression of faith to receive what God has provided for us by way of forgiveness. In other words, if you needed healing today, we could pray the prayer of faith for you. Alright. And the expression of your faith would be to thank God that you’ve been healed. Because you’re agreeing with God concerning what he says in his word. Same is true about your sin. Confessing sin is an expression of faith to receive what God has provided for us by way of forgiveness.

Now listen to me. Confessing sin agrees with God, number one, that it was wrong. God, I was wrong. I’m sorry. I was wrong. You’ve shown me I was wrong. And I was wrong. And number two, it agrees. Confession is an agreement that God is both faithful and just. Watch this to forgive me. That confession that we make when we need cleansing from sin is again an expression of our faith, number one, that it was wrong, and number two, that if I confess my sin, God will be faithful and just to cleanse me from sin. Again, we’re taking God at His word. Right? But Marshall, my sin is so horrible. Well, God is just so great. And your sin is not the exception, trust me. I’ve just, it’s so bad. Well, God is so good. I mean, how can you say that? Because the Bible says it. Amen. My emotions or anybody else’s judgment on my life is not the final word in my life. And it shouldn’t be in yours. God’s word should be the final word.

So here’s what happens. The result of receiving forgiveness is cleansing. Again, say that word, cleansing. I’ve used it. Say it out loud, cleansing. It’s cleansing from its effects on the heart and life. In other words, fellowship is restored. It was broken by our sin, but now it’s restored. The conscience is purified and it’s strengthened. Faith, confidence toward God is rebuilt. My heart is made tender once again. Clarity replaces the confusion. And condemnation is lifted from me, as is any guilt that might work to torment me. Wow. I begin to, I can thank God by faith for washing me and cleansing me, which is something, again, just forgiving myself can’t do. I have to have God’s forgiveness. The sin I commit as a believer leaves us, I call it a shameful residue on me, and I can’t handle it on my own. I can’t. Even with your forgiveness, I need something deeper. If I’ve sinned against you and you forgive me, of course that helps me. But there’s something I need more. I need God’s forgiveness to actually cleanse me. Because my goal when it comes to sin is not to feel better, it is to be better. And God makes that happen. Only God can make that happen.

He who is forgiven much will love much

The third thing that John really does address here, and I’m done, is to love more. Would you say that out loud with me? To love love more. You can go read it. She was a woman of many sins, the Bible describes her as, and someone who was a known prostitute in that area. And Simon, a religious man, had invited Jesus over for dinner, and Jesus went. And he and he took his place at the table, and not long after that, this woman came herself into the presence of all who were there. And she positioned herself at the feet of Jesus, and she was already weeping and crying so hard that she could literally wash Jesus’, wash the filth from Jesus’ feet, and then dry his feet with her hair. And when she was done with that, that seems like quite a bit. That’s pretty extravagant. The foot washing should have been done by Simon when Jesus came into his house. He should have been kissed by his host, Jesus, should have been kissed by his host. He makes that point in this story. When he came into the house, even the most simplest, the simplest of expressions of, I appreciate you. I’m thankful you’re here. Simon withheld. But this woman just put herself out there. She didn’t care what anybody else thought. And she didn’t know what Jesus would think. She was so sin laden, she could not wake up in a morning without peace. And somewhere she believed that if she continued doing those feel-good things, that it would help her with regaining her peace and her wholeness in her life, only to go deeper and deeper into darkness. And the residue of sin weighing heavier and heavier on her shoulders and on her neck. And then she had brought with her this expensive perfume in an alabaster box or a flask. And she broke, she broke it. And she poured that over his head and over his anointed his head and his feet with that.

And those who who thought they loved God in the room were offended by what Jesus had let happen. Simon said something like this. Well, you know what, Simon? You know, if Jesus really knew, he was a prophet, he would know this woman and who he’s allowing to touch him. I got news for you. Jesus loves the touch of a sinner. He loves it. He loves the touch of those who’ve fallen and who need him. Loves it. Jesus is not this way. He is this way. He could have walked over to Peter when Peter was thinking and pushed him, gone ahead and pushed him under like this. That’s the way that some view that some Christians hold of God. But he didn’t do this. He didn’t scold people, Peter for a little faith. He lamented it. Because it was something he wanted with Peter. Jesus loves doing life with you. And when we sin, we’re walking away from that fellowship and all those other things. Jesus is like this.

So Jesus just told, he told, he went on and said, I got a teaching for you. And Simon said, Well, then teach. And he gave this quick teaching, and I’ll do it quick as well. He said, Two men owe great debts to the bank. One’s a hundred thousand dollar debt, one’s a ten thousand dollar debt. The banker feels sorry for them, has empathy for them, and forgives both of them and their debt. Who do you think? Who do you think is more thankful? And Simon said, I well, probably, I don’t know, I’m probably the one who had the biggest debt. And Jesus said, You’re right. You’ve answered right. She realized her debt. And she couldn’t stop thanking me for it or expressing her love to me for it. But you, you didn’t even take care of me when I came in the room. You treat me like a stranger. He who realizes he has been forgiven much will do what? Jesus said he will love much. And did you know when you’re walking in love, you’re walking in the light. And when you’re walking in the light, darkness can approach. But light always overcomes the darkness. Always. Light is always greater than the dark. Amen.

How many of you today can say, I am truly thankful, Jesus for forgiving me? I’m truly grateful. And I love you. And my plan is to love you more. Amen. Because that’s what John is after here. Let’s get this other stuff out of the way because it’s weighing you down. It’s breaking some things up. It’s keeping you from loving God and enjoying God and walking the things out with him.

And here’s what you do. Would you stand to your feet with me? I said, I want to pray with you, and I do before I dismiss you today. If you’re here today and you don’t know Jesus’ Lord and Savior, it is a simple but heartfelt prayer that you exercise. Again, don’t compare yourself to anybody else’s experience. It’s just you and God. And you ask Lord, the Lord to receive you as you receive him by faith. It says if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Prayed that prayer with a man over the phone just the other day. Because he was struggling so much with his relationship with God. So we prayed it together. So don’t leave today without praying that. In fact, right now, let’s just pray it with them, okay? Everybody pray this. If you’re here today and you don’t know Jesus, but you want to know him. You’ve been walking your life independent of him. Today’s a day where you turn from that and you begin a walk with him. Pray this out loud, everybody, God in heaven. I thank you for Jesus. I believe he is Lord. I believe he is alive. And today I make a no turning back decision. To let Jesus be Lord of my life. I receive forgiveness of sin. I receive forgiveness. And I receive eternal life. And I receive eternal life as a gift. I determine to live my life. What’s left of it here into eternity. Walking by faith after you. I thank you for eternal life. For your loving kindness in giving it. Thank you for receiving me. And making me a child of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Let’s thank God with them today. Amen.