16 June 2013 - given for forgiveness

16 June 2013 - given for forgiveness

Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

We have all been forgiven a debt so large we could never pay it back.  It is good for us to realize just how great this debt is so that we can love more.

But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

It's true enough that people have sinned to different degrees.  Yet there is not one of us for whom Jesus did not die.  Ours individual sins are to great enough to require the cross.  In other words, we need to realize that the cross is given specifically for each one of us.  If we don't realize this we will only be able to love a little.

Paul knows this.  He considers himself chief among sinners (cf. 1 Tim 1:15).  The fact that his own individual sins persecute Jesus is something he knows by experience (cf. Acts 9:5).   And he knows what Jesus has done for him specifically in spite of this.

I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.

Like David, we all receive blessing upon blessing from the LORD.  Like David we still betray the LORD at times in spite of these blessings.  But David is quick to turn to the LORD and repent.  He doesn't spend time trying to cover up his sins.  He doesn't try and mitigate them or explain them away.

Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”

And the LORD is just as quick to forgive him.

“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”

Perhaps David is thinking of this incident as he writes the psalm we read this week.

I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.

If we turn to the LORD and trust in him for forgiveness we will find in him the shelter that will preserve us.  Only in this way can we know true freedom.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.