Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 13 April 2014
Luke 7 verses 36 – 50
In verse 37 we are given the
description of this woman – “which was a sinner”. In the world today there is a great desire,
billions of pounds are being spent in the search for something that would unite
all humanity, something that all people would have in common. In the word of God we are given a common
denominator – Romans 3 verse 23. “For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. “ “There is none righteous
no not one.” (verse 10) This is what
unites. If humanity would only recognise
this fact the world would be a better place to live in. When we are born we are born in sin, shapen
in iniquity, guilty before the eyes of God.
Ezekiel 18 verse 4 “the soul that sinneth it shall die.” We are all sinners. The first thing we are told of this woman was
she was a sinner. Without that
acknowledgement, acceptance there can be no salvation. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
(Isaiah 64 verse 6) If there is no acknowledgement
of sin and sinnership there can be no salvation. In the face of sins guilt we have a beautiful
fragrance of grace.
As she moved from that position
of guilt in to the position of grace notice the sin that enslaved her.
Verse 47 – “her sins which are many are forgiven.” If we had been there we would have said she
was a great sinner. Even the Lord said
she was such. She was a prostitute,
completely enslaved by sin, absolutely no escape. Maybe that is not your position. Maybe it is the sin of good living and self-righteousness
– your position, your career, greed, maybe alcoholism, gambling, morality. Maybe you are saying to yourself surely God
doesn’t see me the same as he saw this terrible woman. Who is perfect in any way? The Lord said in John 8 verse 34 “whosoever
committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Because we are sinners we are the slaves
to sin. Without the Lord you are the
servant of sin. Not a sin in this world
that you couldn’t add to, not one. We
are born in sin, shapen in iniquity and because of that there is no sin we
couldn’t commit. Do you think the drug
addict, the alcoholic ever started out to be what he became? It never was in their plan or thoughts but
sin enslaved them. Sin can enslave every
man, woman, boy and girl.
The faith that encouraged her – verses 37 and 38. Here is this woman of the night who sees in
the Lord the only man who would ever treat her right, never turn her away. Even in spite of who she was, all she had
done in her life she had faith enough to know Christ could change what she had
become to what she could never be. Maybe
you have tried everything the world has to offer. You are searching for a Saviour. The only one who can meet you at the point of
your need. It has found you in this
meeting tonight. It is the grace of God
that has brought you here. It was the
grace of God that led this woman to do 5 things she knew – verse 37 “when she
knew”. The Lord is near to you, fully
accessible to your soul, ready to meet you at your soul’s need. If you are ready to come tonight, to be born
again then my Saviour is here to do just that.
She secondly brought an alabaster box of ointment, a poignant thing to
do. Pouring out oil as a token of
confession of her sin. She had used that
ointment to lure men to her in the past, now she was pouring it out as a
confession of her faith. If you would be
saved, born again, know your sins cast away you need to confess your sin. You can hide nothing from the eyes of a holy
God. Thirdly she wept – this was no time
for laughter, it was no light thing she was doing. It was not some momentary feeling, not caught
up in any hype. She was coming with a
broken heart. She knew what she was
doing and it was life changing. She was
coming fully broken in her life, to know God.
She knew that if this man would turn her away there was no other to
save, to redeem, to love her and she would be for ever lost. You cannot come to God half-heartedly. Not saying I will try it, give it a go. That is not how it works. “All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I
freely give.” Here was a woman who came
fully broken in her heart, handing over every issue in her life, every sin,
every situation, everything that had messed up her life. She was laying it all before the Lord with
tears, putting all her heart and soul in coming to Jesus. Fourthly she kneeled. If she was kissing his feet she must have
been kneeling to do it. She wasn’t
worried about who would see her, those Pharisees, religious leaders, all their religiousness,
arrogance, whispering, not worried if they got the wrong idea, what society
would think of her. She had one aim – to
get to the Lord, get to the place where he would notice her, where his voice
would speak to her – that is the place she wanted to be. You cannot come to Christ and argue your
righteousness. If you want to be saved
must come with a humble and broken heart.
Scripture tells us there is a day coming when before the Lord every knee
shall bow and confess him as Lord. If
you do not want to kneel before him as your judge then kneel before him as your
redeemer. Verse 38 “she kissed.” She poured out all her love before him. No-one could ever have her again whatever
happened. Now she would never be the
same again, never going back. The Lord never
asked her to do any of those things, not one.
It was a true repentance led by the grace of God, granted by the Holy
Spirit. True repentance knows how to
approach the Saviour. The sin enslaved
her. The faith that encouraged her.
The love that encompassed her.
Verses 44 – 50. Verse 48 “Thy
sins are forgiven thee”. 4 essences make
up this grace. Firstly she received the
Lord’s approval. Verses 44 – 46 –
reminder of Psalm 23 “thou anointest my head with oil”. While all around her there were sneers and
sniggers Christ accepted her. You didn’t
deserve to be saved, none of us deserve to be saved. If God is speaking to you, convicting you of
your sin, when you trust Christ you don’t care about the world’s approval. There is only one thing that will matter –
his approval. Come as you are. He will meet you as you are. She met with the Lord’s forgiveness - verse
47. “Come now and let us reason
together, saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
a snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1 verse
18) We come n repentance to Christ. She found in the Saviour the sin bearer. Not only took her sin but made her as white
as snow. Imagine a woman like that being
white as snow. So disgraced by sin. “As far as the east is from the west so far
hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103 verse 12) He will make you as white as snow. Not only that – he will keep you as white as snow. The one who made you white keeps you white,
clothed with his righteousness, blessed with the Lord’s assurance. Verse 48 “thy sins are forgiven.” No pastor, preacher or priest could say
this. No religion can give this
assurance. It is only from the Lord that
you can have this blessed assurance.
Receive it from Christ himself.
You cannot be saved and not know it.
You cannot pass from death to life and not know it. The Holy Spirit will make his home in your
heart and you will know it. Assure you
on the authority of the word of God. He will
give you blessed assurance of sins forgiven.
Fourthly she was commissioned with the Lord’s power – verse 50. Saved, cleansed, redeemed, a new creature in
Christ. Now the Lord says “go in peace.” New life you have now received. The power compels you – tell everyone all I
have done for you. Romans 10 verse
9. There has to be a confession and a
going. The minute you go and tell there
is a double portion of that assurance comes into your heart. Now you are a new
creation, living in the peace of God that passeth all understanding
