"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." Luke 7:47
One of the reasons apologizing to others can seem scary and daunting is that we do not often know how that apology will be received. Will the person we have offended accept our apology or continue to hold our wrongdoing against us? This is not the case with God. When we repent of our sins and tell Him we are sorry, He forgives us. Our sins are no longer held against us. God readily offers forgiveness and freedom to anyone who comes to Him.
Throughout His time on earth, Jesus made it clear that forgiveness is readily available to those who come to Him. We read in Luke 7 the story of a sinful woman anointing Jesus' feet and washing His feet with her tears while He was at a dinner one night. Simon, a religious leader, condemned Jesus for allowing this woman with a sinful past to do the things she had been doing. Jesus rebuked Simon, telling him that yes, this woman had a sinful past, but she had been forgiven for all she had done because she had come to Him. Replying to Simon, He said, "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" (verse 47). This woman was no longer lived under condemnation. She was forgiven. After all, Romans 8 explains that there is no condemnation in Christ to anyone who has placed their faith in Him.
Christ's forgiveness is readily available to anyone who comes to Him, and this includes you. You may be carrying a lot of baggage. You may be carrying a lot of shame from your past. I assure you, your sins have been forgiven if you have sought forgiveness and placed your faith in Him. Nothing, not even your deepest sin and heaviest baggage, can keep you from Him.
Maybe today, you need the reminder that when you confess your sins to God and turn to Him, you are forgiven and restored. Take time starting today to commit Luke 7:47 to memory. As you memorize this verse, commit to walking in the freedom Jesus offers.
Read Romans 8:1-8(NLT)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
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