Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Luke 7:39-42, 48-50 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 to repay, he freely forgave them both." 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."
SAVED BY FAITH!
Jesus tells the woman, "Your faith has saved you, go in peace." What did our Lord mean when He told her that her faith had saved her? Earlier we heard how the Pharisee, while observing this acknowledged sinner washing Jesus' feet, thought to himself, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
No doubt if you had asked this Pharisee about the final destination of this woman, whether she were going to heaven or hell, his answer probably would have been something like, "She's obviously a sinner, an adulteress, I'm sure she'll go to hell." When asked about his own condition, he would have probably pointed to his own pious life and told you that he was going to heaven.
But, as we know from the God's Word, we can do nothing to save ourselves. If salvation were by our works, in any part, we would all be doomed to hell. From the most wicked person you can think of all the way up to the most pious and upright person you know. All would be lost if we had to rely on works, for "The wages of sin is death ..." (Romans 6:23).
What can we do to save ourselves from this punishment of death? The answer is, "Nothing." In the illustration that Christ gave to the Pharisee, the two men who owed different amounts "had nothing with which to repay." We don't have anything to give to God as payment for our sins. Whether we think we owe God a little or a lot is beside the point because we all have nothing with which to pay for our sins.
But faith, on the other hand, is not something that we do. Faith is relying on what Jesus has done. Furthermore, we read in First Corinthians 12:3, "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." It is the Holy Spirit who brought this woman to trust in Jesus Christ as her Savior from sin. And so it is with us, as the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts, He brings with that faith the forgiveness of sins and peace with God.
