When you are forgiven much

We all like looking good. No one ever posts an ugly picture of themselves. We always dress pretty to look our best in the world. And I am guilty of all of these things. I have heard people say as long as you’re not harming someone or if you do good things you’re a good person.

But I believe that this is far from the truth. We are deeper than the things we see. Our motivations, intentions and thoughts are visible to a God who is Holy and Righteous. If I was to be extremely honest I am nowhere close to being good before a Holy God.

Being a Christian, makes me see the beauty of God in Christ who selflessly sacrificed His only Son as a payment for our sins. At the same time, there is a growing awareness of the selfishness of my heart, the constant need to control and have things my way.

And the depth of wretchedness and sin rooted in my heart and the facade placed to cover these things with seemingly good acts.

I am glad that God is a loving Father who loves us so deeply that He doesn’t want us to remain in the darkness. He shines His light through scriptures and the Holy Spirit in these dark and ugly places of our heart to save us. It’s like the moment we realise that we are sick we can go to the doctor for help.

The same way the moment we realise our hearts are sick we can run to God to redeem it. I have realised even in life a child looks up to his parent for help. I am glad I can look up to a Heavenly Father to rescue me when my heart is in a mess.

There’s a beautiful story from the Bible I want to share to paint a picture before you –

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.

Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said.

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.

You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only a little love.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

There was a time I didn’t know Christ and I was my own Savior until I hit rock bottom I didn’t realise I needed God to save me. The moment I realised God loves me and has paid the penalty for my sins through Christ. It was a life-changing experience for me.

I was lifted out of the darkness and brought into the light. I was dead inside and this good news brought life and hope in my soul. It’s the greatest news ever and one I need to remember every day cause I need a Savior to rescue me from sin every day.

Just like the woman above to understand that our sins which are many are forgiven much by a Holy God through Christ. This kind of unconditional love and acceptance of Christ alone can transform our sinful hearts to love and worship Him with undivided devotion and be like Him through His Holy Spirit.