FULLY REALIZED FORGIVENESS...The TEST of LOVE-V—Luke 7:36-50
Attention:
A kid who is unwittingly involved in bringing about a tragedy. The ones effected forgive her. She is Fully Forgiven, YET she is unable to function, her every thought being colored by the event. Her every decision is made in light of a personally perceived guilt.
She grows up enslaved to a set of values by which she, thru their accomplishment, reduces her guilt.
However, should she choose Jesus & thus true religion, she would know & experience God’s Forgiveness on a scale that would free her for life in Christ!
She needs to Fully Realize her Forgiveness!
Thru testing, one's reality 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. Life-PRINCIPLE(:47)
8—Realized Forgiveness is tested in the crucible of...
ACCEPTANCE(:48-49)
Explanation:(:48-49)Belief/Trust
:48—“Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Living in the realization of that forgiveness, prior to its pronouncement, had already driven her to the meal & to weep, & to anoint & kiss & to wipe Jesus’ feet. Her forgiveness & her example of love for Jesus had already been apparent.
Jesus’ parable to Simon was born of the comparison between the woman’s & Simon’s polar/contrasting responses to forgiveness.
Thus the woman’s forgiveness was in place before Jesus’ pronouncement!
Jesus merely stated words, but the woman had to accept His word as true/truth....by faith!
She walked away publicly & actually “forgiven” by God Himself thru Christ Jesus!
Such a realization of reality is empowering to any & all believers, & is a beckoning call to all who want to believe!
“Sins”(See :47, 49; :37, 39—amartwlov)—amartia—
“Forgiven”(See :42, 43, 47, 49)—afihmi—
:49—“And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Lk. 5:20-21(Mk. 2:1)—“When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes & the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
To the disdain/contempt of Simon’s other guests(:49), Jesus publicly & officially declares the woman “forgiven.”
Upon hearing Jesus’ statement, the others(Pharisees +) at the meal ‘reasoned’ in their own minds about the legitimacy of Jesus’ ministry, rightly thinking that no one could declare forgiveness except God(the Father) Himself. However they wrongly were unwilling to accept Jesus as the Son of God & thereby divine. Thus they & the Pharisees had no recourse but to despise Jesus practically.
Lest we ourselves become too hard-hearted...Concerning Simon & the others personally, we do not know whether they one day abandoned their hardness of heart for surrender to Jesus as Savior & Lord...Particularly with the evidence of the resurrection.
“Sat at the table with”(See :36—anaklinw)—sunanakeimai—1) To recline together, feast together—1a) Of guests. Strong—To recline in company with(at a meal). Used 9X.
“Began to”—arcomai—1) To be the first to do (anything), to begin; 2) To be chief, leader, ruler; 3) To begin, make a beginning. Strong—middle voice of arcw[ To be first(in political rank or power)](through the implication of precedence); To commence(in order of time).
“Who”—tiv—Interrogative Pronoun—1) Who, which, what.
“Forgives/Forgave”(See :42, 43, 47, 48)—afihmi—
“Sins”(See :47, 48; :37, 39—amartwlov)—amartia—
Argumentation:
Lk. 5:17-25—“Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees & teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, & Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in & lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop & let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes & the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered & said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up & walk’? “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”--He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, & go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, & departed to his own house, glorifying God.”
Mk. 10:46-52—“Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples & a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out & say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still & commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose & came to Jesus. So Jesus answered & said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight & followed Jesus on the road.”
Heb. 11:1, 6—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”.....“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, & that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Rom. 1:8-12—“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you & me.” Eph. 2:8-9—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Mk. 5:25-34—“Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, & had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had & was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd & touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, & she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd & said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, & You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing & trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came & fell down before Him & told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, & be healed of your affliction.”
1Cor. 15:1-8—“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received & in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, & that He was buried, & that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, & that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
2Pet. 1:1-4[NRSV]—“Simeon Peter, a servant & apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God & Savior Jesus Christ: May grace & peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything needed for life & godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory & goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious & very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, & may become participants of the divine nature.”
Heb. 2:1-4—“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, & every transgression & disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, & was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs & wonders, with various miracles, & gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
Jn. 14:5-7—“Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, & how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; & from now on you know Him & have seen Him.”
1Jn. 2:22-26—“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father & the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son & in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.”
2Jn. 1:5-11—“And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver & an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses & does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father & the Son. If anyone comes to you & does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”
Before your faith in Christ Jesus, you could only refer to ‘God’ in distant separational terms. In Christ, your relationship becomes intimate with God...with both the Father & the Son!
Heb. 10:32-39—“But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches & tribulations, & partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, & joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better & an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come & will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
Illustration:
You are to be confirmed & trained for a new position at your place of employment—A wonderful promotion!/You must travel out of state in order to confirm it through the powers that be/
At the Tallahassee Regional Airport/You approach the Delta ticket counter for a flight to Phoenix, AZ./You get tickets on flight DL-5243 to Atlanta & will connect with DL-1115 from Atlanta to Phoenix/You are scheduled to leave Tallahassee at 1:00pm & arrive in Phoenix at 5:10pm(after traveling 7 1/2 hrs.!)/
BUT...You do not believe that the plane will make it for whatever reason you do not trust the flight, the plane—the mechanics of the plane, etc., the pilots, the passengers, etc./Therefore you will not see Phoenix in time to be trained for your new position with the company/Thus you forfeit your future with that company!/ACCEPTANCE
Application:
?Your Forgiveness pass the Test of ACCEPTANCE?
?Your ACCEPTANCE reflect God’s Forgiveness?
?Do you Trust Jesus?
?God’s Forgiveness fully Realized in your life?
9—Realized Forgiveness is tested in the crucible of...
A NEW BEGINNING(:50)
Explanation:(:50)Blessing/Clean slate/Blank slate
:50—“Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Jesus then told the woman herself that her “faith” is what had “saved” her. By her abounding life-changing love for Jesus, she had exhibited “saving” “faith.”
Faith saves but it is a particular faith—Not ‘faith’ in anything & everything. but faith in Jesus being Christ(Messiah) of God.
Jn. 14:6—“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
As a result of her newfound(?) salvation, she was free to leave the gathering surrounded & comforted with the confident protection of “peace.” She had been lifted above the condemning eyes of the guests. She was now free as only one who has “peace” with God can be(Jn. 14:27).
Jn. 14:27—“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
*Such “peace” can only be had by those who by “faith,” love Jesus—the forgiver—much.
With Christ in charge of her life, her reputation as a ‘sinner’(one whose lifestyle honors & glorifies sin), will be quite different. She will be known as the one whom Jesus saved from a wanton, rebellious lifestyle. Her faith will still be discounted by unbelievers, but the reality of her life will be different. We cannot change others apart from leading them to Jesus, Who is the actual change Agent.
Argumentation:
Mat. 11:28-30—“Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy & My burden is light.”
2Cor. 5:17-6:1—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, & has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, & has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
Jn. 14:26, 27—“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Eph. 3:14-21—“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever & ever. Amen.”
2Jn. 1:5-11—“And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver & an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses & does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father & the Son. If anyone comes to you & does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”
Jn. 3:3-7—“Jesus answered & said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb & be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water & the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ”
1Jn. 3:1-3—“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; & it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Illustration:
Our society considers former prisoners to have a ‘new beginning’/But, for anyone who has ‘done time’ in prison & been released it is a different story/All legal records reveal your prison time!—that record may adversely effect your opportunities for employment, car loans, home loans, neighborhood, etc./What was meant as a new beginning is tarnished by its being limited to flesh-controlled behavior!/A NEW BEGINNING
With Christ however, our new beginning is an entirely new life!/You are no longer judged based on your past but upon your present/The past has no power & in fact your past can be used as a springboard for ministry!/Is this legally acceptable...No!...But it is an absolutely NEW BEGINNING!
Suppose you buy land which a house on it/The house has not been lived in for years & is in horrific disrepair/There is virtually nothing salvageable about it/The foundation is faulty & therefore the house itself is ever prone to failure/You could move your family into it but it would be unsafe & even if it were in perfect shape, it could not fulfill your family’s needs because of the foundation/You dismantle & bulldoze the house & foundation/You pour a new foundation & build anew/A NEW BEGINNING
Cooking/You go to great lengths & expense to cook a pot of shrimp creole—a delicious & noteworthy meal for your family!/BUT...You get side-tracked & leave the pot on the stove for too long, Burning the creole!/No matter what you put on or in it will remove the charred flavor!...The entire meal is ruined!/You need a ‘do over’/No recourse left but to dispose of the meal altogether & replace it with that which is fresh & can give life/A NEW BEGINNING
Application:
?Your Forgiveness pass the Test of A NEW BEGINNING?
?Your NEW BEGINNING reflect God’s Forgiveness?
?Do you Trust Jesus?
?God’s Forgiveness fully Realized in your life?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The fully forgiven girl, unable to function.
Action:
Realized Forgiveness is tested in the crucible of...
8. ACCEPTANCE(:48-49)
9. A NEW BEGINNING(:50)
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)
Pts. 8-9 Presented 05/03/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE.(A Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
