Luke 7

(May 21, 2015)

                The Lord’s discussion of whoever has been forgiven much loves much always took on a wrong meaning to me before my time of struggling and pain.  Before, I thought that it was an indication that a person who had sin and was forgiven was better off than a person who was righteous.  That always seemed quite odd to me.

                But, of course, that wasn’t the case.  I went through the process of coming face-to-face with my sinful nature and realizing just how very much I had to be forgiven of.  Then, after receiving forgiveness from the Lord, my heart overflowed with love for Him.  Now I am in the (continuing) process of bringing my life more and more in compliance with His will.  Much was forgiven me, and as such I cannot express the depth of my love for Him.

                But the key was my understanding of my sinful nature, not the quantity of sins that I had committed.  Had I recognized my sinful nature earlier – when habits weren’t as ingrained and mistakes hadn’t caused so much damage – I would have still loved much because I would have realized how utterly helpless I was without the Lord.  But, having been forgiven, I would be so much closer to having the capacity to give my will to the Lord completely and be sanctified of Him.

                Whosoever much is forgiven loves much, but each and every one of us must have much forgiven – we must have everything forgiven.  We do not need to sin to acquire a greater love through forgiveness, but we must become better aware of our sinful natures and realize just how very much the Lord stands ready to forgive of us as we currently are.