But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:47
I asked a Pastor once, "What place does sin have in your theology and preaching?" The answer was, "I think people know they are sinners. I want to speak positive words to people." (In other words, they were never going to talk about sin.) My response: "People may know they are sinners but will deny it for as long as possible."
We love hearing about God's grace and mercy, but to truly understand and appreciate God's grace, we must understand the depth of our need. We need to see how lost we really were.
Jesus points out that those who are forgiven little love little. I don't think this Pharisee had not sinned very much. He said the Pharisee did not think of Himself as a sinner and didn't need much forgiveness (in his own mind). As a result, he did not love others much because he believed he was superior to them.
It is a good thing to take an honest look at our hearts and lives. Our task is to measure ourselves by the Word of God rather than measuring ourselves by the people around us. If we do this, we will see the depth of our sin. This, in turn, will help us appreciate what a great grace we have been given. As a result, we will be less haughty and judgmental and will be much more likely to extend love and grace to others.
For more on this subject, check out Rick's sermon from Friday night.
Sin and Grace 4.5.21
But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:47
I asked a Pastor once, "What place does sin have in your theology and preaching?" The answer was, "I think people know they are sinners. I want to speak positive words to people." (In other words, they were never going to talk about sin.) My response: "People may know they are sinners but will deny it for as long as possible."
We love hearing about God's grace and mercy, but to truly understand and appreciate God's grace, we must understand the depth of our need. We need to see how lost we really were.
Jesus points out that those who are forgiven little love little. I don't think this Pharisee had not sinned very much. He said the Pharisee did not think of Himself as a sinner and didn't need much forgiveness (in his own mind). As a result, he did not love others much because he believed he was superior to them.
It is a good thing to take an honest look at our hearts and lives. Our task is to measure ourselves by the Word of God rather than measuring ourselves by the people around us. If we do this, we will see the depth of our sin. This, in turn, will help us appreciate what a great grace we have been given. As a result, we will be less haughty and judgmental and will be much more likely to extend love and grace to others.
For more on this subject, check out Rick's sermon from Friday night.