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“Therefore I [Jesus] say to you [Simon], her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’” (Luke 7.47-50).

Read the focus text again paying particular attention to who is speaking as well as the person(s) being addressed. At first, Jesus was…  ( Click for more )

Jesus asked Simon a question by means of a short parable or real life illustration. Here is the parable, His question, and then the much needed application:

“‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’ Then He turned to the woman and said…  ( Click for more )

The reading is long, but it has to be taken in at one time to gather its richness.

“Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’ ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which…  ( Click for more )

We continue our analysis of our focus text, and for that reason it is repeated today: “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee…  ( Click for more )

How does God treat sinners? The truth sometimes shocks our sensibilities! To our surprise, and sometimes chagrin, He doesn’t treat them the way we want Him to! Consider our primary question of how God treats sinners as we investigate our focus text.

“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping;…  ( Click for more )

In our study of how God treats sinners, we are considering the use of the word sinner as it is used in contrast to faithful believers. Contrary to what some religious creeds say, not every thing that sinners do is reprehensible; some things sinners do are actually worthy of imitation. However, in matters such as we consider today, they do not go far enough. Consider the words of Jesus which follow immediately.

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those…  ( Click for more )

Who or what groups of people are referred to in the scriptures as sinners other than believers in Christ who inadvertently stray or who temporarily leave the path of righteousness only to return after a short time? Actually, the answer to this question is probably my first response to the query, “Who is a sinner?” I prefer to think of those who have never named the name of Christ as sinners – and most certainly they are. For the next few days, we will examine some usages of the word sinner in the New Testament and how it was used when referring to unbelievers. …  ( Click for more )

Clarification is necessary when it comes to the use of the word sinner(s) in the New Testament. Sometimes the word is used to refer to a group/class of people who live in obvious rebellion to God’s word. At other times it is used to refer to those who live in subjection to God’s will, but who momentarily or inadvertently stray. And as if that were not enough, sometimes the word is used simply to refer to the fact that all of us sin from time to time, and hence, we are all sinners by that definition. As we proceed with this study, we will examine some usages of the word…  ( Click for more )

Someone has observed that one cannot even pronounce the word sin without hearing the heinous hiss of the serpent. Had the serpent not wielded his influence upon mankind, this discussion of how God treats sinners would not be taking place. The hiss of the serpent made the word sin necessary. One thing is certain: If all our information were limited to the first two chapters of Genesis, the time when man lived virtually in God’s presence, we would never know nor need to know how God treats sinners – there would be no such thing! Be that as it may, that condition did not…  ( Click for more )

In considering the question of how God treats sinners, it becomes of paramount importance to know just who is a sinner! If I don’t know anyone who is a sinner, and if I never meet anyone who is a sinner, the scale of importance of the issue drops to virtually zero. However, if I know a sinner or two, or if I am likely to come in contact with a sinner, the degree of importance rises somewhat. In fact, the more sinners I know or am likely to know, the more important the question becomes. I must confess that when I think of sinners, I prefer to think of them in the distance –…  ( Click for more )

“But Now You Say...”

I remember hearing as a kid, “The biggest word in the English language is but!” I may have gotten the gist of the little pun then, but it makes a lot more since now that I have the experienced life as an adult. One of the most significant buts in any conversation was contained in Jesus' closing statement in John while speaking to the self-willed. He said, “But now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.” (John 9.41). That is the opposite of justification; it is self-condemnation.

“But now you say...”…  ( Click for more )

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you." (1 Peter 1.22-25). In the text just quoted, Peter identifies…  ( Click for more )

“Your Sin Remains”

“But now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.” (John 9.41). These are the closing sad words in the case of Jesus and the blind man. It was not the blind man who couldn't see; it was privileged Pharisees whose sins could not be remedied. There was remedy, but they refused to admit their need!

Dialogue in the Dark is a world exhibit now in the Atlanta area that is designed to raise the awareness level regarding the site impaired. I went there recently with my wife and through that exhibit, I learned things that I could never…  ( Click for more )

For the better part of three years Paul and Barnabas labored in the spiritual fields of Cyprus and Asia Minor. They preached to, exhorted, strengthened, and equipped the new converts so they could stand fast in the faith once they were on their own. As one of the final acts before departing and returning to Antioch in Syria, Paul and Barnabas "…appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting." (Acts 14.23). Once they arrived back at their sending congregation, Paul and Barnabas "…reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened…  ( Click for more )

"If you were blind...”

I have heard it said that some things are worse than death. I think this saying is absolutely true. It is human nature to just wish for life without regards to the quality of life that we might be facing. However at some point in time, the dying realize that there is a fate worse than death and will themselves to cease this life and venture over to the other side.

I have also concluded that there is absolutely a fate worse than spiritual blindness. In fact, those who realize that they are spiritually blind have the hope of salvation; those…  ( Click for more )

“Are We Blind Also?”

In order to fully understand the focus text that will be used for today's devotional, one must read the entire story of Jesus' healing of the blind man in John 9. We have referred to this chapter time and again in this series, but with good reason. The figurative language in the last few verses of this chapter is interpreted by the literal events that precede it. In the closing verses of the chapter, “seeing” doesn't mean “seeing,” and “blind” doesn't mean “blind.”

The Pharisees understood…  ( Click for more )

“For Judgment I Have Come”

The blind man was no longer blind thanks to the miraculous intervention of Jesus Christ. But, there were plenty of other “blind men” in the area who also needed healing! They, however, were suffering from a significantly more dangerous kind of blindness, one which Jesus could also heal but only under certain conditions. One condition was that they admit their spiritual blindness and stop claiming otherwise. We will continue our thoughts along this line after dispensing with an alleged contradiction today.

The following is…  ( Click for more )

God speaks through James: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2.1-4).

Today's focus concerns…  ( Click for more )

The Galatian Christians were making some very bad choices. They were choosing bondage to the Law over servitude to Christ and in so doing were choosing fleshly appetites over spiritual matters. Hear another of Paul's indictments: "You observe days and months and seasons and years." (Galatians 4.10). The context makes plain the substance of Paul's indictment as we will note in continuing to examine this text.

The Law of Moses had many ordinances which had to be remembered. Many of these things were done with specific regularity either having a weekly, monthly, or yearly…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And…  ( Click for more )

“An epitaph,” according to Wikipedia,” is literally: 'on the gravestone' a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial.” The particular one I remember one specific day was short and simple; it just said, “She lived by the Golden Rule.” I don't think she (whoever she was) wrote this epitaph for herself; rather, it appears that someone who cared for her ascribed…  ( Click for more )

“Do You Believe in the Son of God?”

“Jesus heard that they [the Pharisees] had cast him [the blind man] out; and when He had found him, He said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of God?' He answered and said, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?' And Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.' Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.' Then some of the Pharisees who…  ( Click for more )

“When He had found him.” One man's trash is another man's treasure and Beauty is in the eye of the beholder are related sayings. The events in John 9 regarding the dealings which the Pharisees had with a man who had formerly been blind illustrate perfectly just how true these saying are.

“Jesus heard that they [the Pharisees] had cast him [the blind man] out; and when He had found him, He said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of God?' He answered and said, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?' And Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him and it is…  ( Click for more )

“I told you already, and you did not listen.” I don’t know about you, but a wall goes up when I hear these words, that is unless I actively prevent it. I hate to be told that I have chosen to ignore a bit of critical information, or that my lack of understanding is due to my own ineptness. Yet, we all do it. If anything, I told you so’s ought to be wakeup calls rather than go to sleep calls. Yet, that is how we that are self-deluded choose to treat them!

“So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, ‘Give God the glory! We know…  ( Click for more )