FULLY REALIZED FORGIVENESS...The TEST of LOVE-IV—Luke 7:36-50
Attention:
Thru testing, one's true identity becomes conclusive.
Jesus called Simon the Pharisee to task regarding two demonstrations of love.
A forgiveness that is fully Realized is reflected in a proportional appreciation.
?Is God’s forgiveness fully realized in your life?
&
?Where/How is that fully realized forgiveness tested?
9 tests of Realized Forgiveness.
Previously we found that Realized Forgiveness is tested in the crucible of...
1. RECOGNITION(:36-37a-b)
2. OPPORTUNITY(:36-37)
3. PERCEPTION(:38, 39)
4. DEBT RELEASE(:40-42)
5. APPRECIATION/Love(:42-43)
6. RECIPROCATION(:44-46)
7—Realized Forgiveness is tested in the crucible of...
Life-PRINCIPLE(:47)
Explanation:(:47)Key
:47—“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
With the illustration & application now unavoidable to Simon, Jesus pointedly told him that the “sinner” woman’s sins had been “forgiven” though they were “many.” Her sins had been forgiven because she “loved much”, i.e., that her “love” was the evidence of God’s grace received.
Likewise Jesus explains that the one who is “forgiven little” is the very one who “loves little” as well.
What one experiences, this is what one lives. This is not to say that being “forgiven little” is commendable as compared to being ‘forgiven much’ for both still are in need of forgiveness for neither can or will pay the debt. Yet an ownership of the forgiveness plays out in our actions.
Simon reasoned correctly that the one “loving” “more” would be the one who had been forgiven the greater debt for there had been more at stake.
‘The key’ is, for the one forgiven, to personally recognize the cost, degree, & depth of forgiveness needed & thus received thru Christ.
Such recognition will produce the “love” necessary for a proper response to the forgiveness received. “Love”/Appreciation will thus be directed toward the forgiver(action) by the one forgiven.
The depth of forgiveness is only felt/experienced by an individual, &/or corporately, thru acceptance & ownership of personal &/or corporate sin(See :43).’
You cannot be so ‘good’ that you are godly, But if you are indeed godly, then you will also be ‘good.’ Your life will reveal either.
“Sins”(See :48, 49; :37, 39—amartwlov)—amartia—1) equivalent to amartanw—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) collectively--The complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Amartia meant originally the missing of a mark. When applied to moral things the idea is similar, it is missing the true end of life, & so it is used as a general term for sin. It means both the act of sinning & the result, the sin itself. Strong—A sin(properly abstract).
“Many”—poluv—
“Forgiven”2X(See 42, 43, 48, 49)—afihmi—1) To send away; 2) To permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person; 3) To leave, go way from one. Strong—To send forth, in various applications.
“Loved”2X—agapaw—
“Much”(See :)—poluv—Adj.—1) Many, much, large. Strong—including the forms from the alternate pollov; singular--Much(in any respect) or plural--Many; neuter(singular) as adverbial--Largely; neuter(plural) as adverb or noun--Often, mostly, largely.
“Little”2X—oligov—Adj.—1) Little, small, few—1a) of number--Multitude, quantity, or size, 1b) of time--Short, 1c) of degree or intensity--Light, slight. Strong—of uncertain affinity; Puny(in extent, degree, number, duration or value); especially neuter(adverbial)--Somewhat.
Argumentation:
2Cor. 5:12-15—“For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance & not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; & He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them & rose again.”
Lk. 9:23-26—“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, & take up his cross daily, & follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, & is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me & My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, & in His Father’s, & of the holy angels.”
Php. 4:11-13—“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, & I know how to abound. Everywhere & in all things I have learned both to be full & to be hungry, both to abound & to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
1Tim. 1:12-15—“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, & an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith & love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying & worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
If you are convinced that you can never have a place in heaven, then think again! Looking back, you may have committed what you & others know are ‘horrible’ things. But know this: that Jesus came to save you & all such as you!
1Cor. 6:9-12—Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus & by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
Js. 1:2-8—“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally & without reproach, & it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven & tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Isa. 55:6, 7—“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
Jer. 29:13-14b—“And you will seek Me & find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, & I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations & from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, & I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”
1Jn. 3:14-18—“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, & you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, & sees his brother in need, & shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed & in truth.”
Col. 3:1-17—“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, & your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, & covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, & have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all & in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching & admonishing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Illustration:
The Church Covenant—“J. Newton Brown is said to have attached it[The Church Covenant] to his confessional statement which he submitted to the New Hampshire Baptist Convention. He reportedly published the confession & covenant in 1853 under the title "the New Hampshire Confession of Faith." That larger document served as the model for the first version of the Baptist Faith & Message in 1925.”—From SBC.net/Frequently Asked Questions
“Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour; &, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Ghost, we do now, in the presence of God, angels, & this assembly, most solemnly & joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, & comfort; to promote its prosperity & spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, & doctrines; to contribute cheerfully & regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, & the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family & secret devotion; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred & acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, & exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, & excessive anger; to abstain from the sale & use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, & to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness & distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling & courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, & mindful of the rules of our Saviour, to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage, that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant, & the principles of God's Word.”
Application:
?Your Forgiveness pass the Test of Life-PRINCIPLE?
?Your Life-PRINCIPLE reflect God’s Forgiveness?
?Do you Trust Jesus?
?God’s Forgiveness fully Realized in your life?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Realized Forgiveness is tested in the crucible of...
7. Life-PRINCIPLE(:47)
1. RECOGNITION(:36-37a-b)
2. OPPORTUNITY(:36-37)
3. PERCEPTION(:38, 39)
4. DEBT RELEASE(:40-42a)
5. APPRECIATION/Love(:42b-43)
6. RECIPROCATION(:44-46)
Pt. 7 only! Presented 04/26/2015am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE.(A Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
