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Forgiveness: Freed to Become Servants of God
How many times have we ever heard about or dealt with people in our society that "feel that the world owes them a living" or we see children that behave as if their parents owe them every latest toy or gadget? More and more in our modern day society, we see evidence all around us of those who do not feel that they are obliged to much of anything: to stay true to a mate, pay their bills, work responsibly at a job, show any kind of obligation to an aging parent who could use their help and assistance. It seems that many lack an awareness of a sense of obligation to any cause to any person.
To be a Christian, one must have this very important attribute in order to live zealously for Christ and our Heavenly Father and to become a willing participant in serving Him; by obeying His commandments and submitting to His work in us; and also in doing the work that He has given each one of us to do in our lives; while being here in the flesh, and then later as devoted children for all of eternity.
There is no Hebrew or Greek definition for the English word obligation, but the meaning is inferred in many places by using the words such as therefore, because, wherefore, thus; when these words precede an exhortation or admonition to do something, to live a certain way, they are, in essence, telling us we have an obligation, as Christians, to obey or follow through on the preceding instruction.
The definition from the Online Free Dictionary for obligation:
1. The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie.
2. a. A social, legal, or moral requirement, such as a duty, contract, or promise that compels one to follow or avoid a particular course of action. b. A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which one is bound or restricted.
3. The constraining power of a promise, contract, law, or sense of duty.
4. Law a. A legal agreement stipulating a specified payment or action, especially if the agreement also specifies a penalty for failure to comply. b. The document containing the terms of such an agreement.
5. a. Something owed as payment or in return for a special service or favor. b. The service or favor for which one is indebted to another.
6. The state, fact, or feeling of being indebted to another for a special service or favor received.
For today's topic of feeling a sense of indebtedness for being forgiven, I would like to zero in on number 5 and 6 for the meaning of obligation.
The term obligation is somewhat similar to the words accountability and responsibility, in the sense that we need to fulfill a commitment to repay for something that was done for us, for a special favor or kindness that we were the recipients of; we feel very grateful and have a deep conviction that we owe that person something.
This lesson is expounded in the Bible by the story of a woman who was a sinner, that came to Simon the Pharisee's house where Jesus was dining with him, and proceeded to wash Jesus feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair and anointing his feet with fragrant oil.
Luke 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
It is apparent from Jesus acceptance of this woman, that even though she had been living a life of sin, she had been forgiven; and by the recording of this incident in Scripture and by His defense of her, Jesus shows that He approved of her unique expression of her gratitude and love towards Him. She apparently had heard Jesus message to the crowds, or perhaps He had addressed her individually; to believe the Gospel, repent, and then to go and sin no more.
When she discovered that Jesus was at the home of the nearby religious leader, Simon the Pharisee, she hurried to his home, oblivious to any social restrictions that could have held her back, or any disparaging comments on the part of class conscience individuals including Simon himself. She simply did not care who she offended by her presence or by her act of gratitude to the One who had so freely forgiven her and saved her from her life of sin.
This woman appreciated the profound love and mercy that she had come to see in this Teacher and it moved her to humble herself to do what she could for Jesus in performing what would be considered the work of a house servant or slave by washing his feet; and going even beyond, by washing them with her tears and kissing and anointing them with oil.
This act of expressing her love and gratitude to Jesus was spurred by her acute awareness of His greatness as her Lord and Savior, compared to her own sense of unworthiness. She felt an obligation to show her gratitude in a way so exceptional, that Jesus had her example included to be part of the Scriptures for all to read and learn from.
In contrast, the prominent and wealthy Simon did not even provide Jesus the customary hospitality of offering to wash His feet as a visitor in his home. Simon saw himself as perhaps just a casual acquaintance, or possibly as a curious bystander of Jesus and His growing popularity, and he certainty felt he was above this "scandalous" woman who had intruded his home. His opinion of himself as being righteous and in no need of forgiveness, produced no awareness of obligation, no corresponding gratitude with no outward show of affection, not to mention the neglect of extending the customary courtesy of simple foot washing.
Jesus perceived what Simon was thinking in his heart and rebuked him with the parable of the two debtors who owed money to the same creditor. In Simon's mind, the woman was a sinner and would forever be considered a sinner.
Luke 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Jesus had to remind him that this was not so, she used to be a sinner. Jesus uses this illustration to teach the two different mindsets between a self-righteous Pharisee, and a woman who would forever feel beholden to Jesus for what He had done for her.
In the subsequent parable that Jesus told, He indicated that Simon and the woman represented the two who were both in debt to the same creditor and neither could repay or meet their obligation to pay back their debts.
The Creditor, symbolically referring to God, was owed because of their sins. We are told in Romans that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
We all fall under a type of indebtedness for which no man or woman can even hope to ever repay. But Christ gives us back our hope with His sacrifice that pays for our sins and gives us the gift of eternal life, if we go to Him, receive forgiveness for our sins, repent and commit to go and sin no more; just like this woman who had been a sinner apparently had done.
Simon and the woman represented two types of sinners. Though we are all sinners, some sins are more evident and seem more sinful than others. Simon felt he was a much better person than this woman that he looked down upon. He had not sinned as openly or in such a scandalous way as she, nevertheless, they both owed the Creditor regardless of the size or type of their sins and neither one of them could repay their debt.
We all are indebted by varying degrees or levels of sin and we must not be quick to think of others whose sins may not be as inconspicuous or hidden, greater sinners than ourselves, as perhaps this highly respectable Pharisee did. No one has the means to pay their debt, no matter how great or how small. The fact is, that it is only by God's forgiveness that we are released from that debt, by the blood of Jesus' sacrifice for us. He is the only one who can pay it for us.
Even if we go forward forsaking all of our sins, that does not rectify the past, nor will all the well doing in the world blot out our past sins. But once we have been forgiven and the sacrifice of Christ applied to us; We MUST repent of those sins and then go and sin no more, and we MUST turn from and hate the evil of sin so much that we despise even the thought of continuing in it.
We are forgiven by Christ's perfect sacrifice and by His own blood that forgives us of our past sins, if we confess and repent of them. And for that, we can feel a profound gratefulness, appreciation, and obligation that motivates us to do what we can to repay Him for what He did for us, and for the torturous death He had to go through in order to give us this gift. The fact is, we cannot pay and we have nothing to give, He forgave it all. No matter the size of the debt, it is our recognition of the enormity of the cost it took to free us from our debt that determines how much we will love Him.
Therefore, Jesus says to the Pharisee and in His Word: Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
The person who knows he has been given much forgiveness, tends to feel more obliged to the one who paid what he owed than the person who doesn't think he sins that much, so therefore thinks his indebtedness is not that great.
When we acknowledge how much we have been forgiven it compels us to feel obliged to live the way the One who paid the debt tells us to live. That is the key to having godly love as part of our character by the degree we are conscious of what it took for you and me to be freed from our debt!
Like the woman who was a sinner, Paul, too, realized that he had been a very sinful man before his conversion.
1st Timothy 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Not that he was shouldering a continuing quilt trip for what he had done in the past, for he writes in Philippians 3:
Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
He had a realistic and a profound consciousness of what his sins had cost Christ and recognized his indebtedness to Him. Paul felt an obligation to serve Him in whatever way Christ would require, and thus it fueled his intense desire to preach the Gospel message and to care for God's people in the way that he did. Paul responded with great zeal and enthusiasm for his calling because of his great love for Jesus and appreciation of what Jesus had done for him in spite of his wicked past.
1st Corinthians 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
Paul felt immense gratitude to Christ for rescuing him from his life of sin and for granting him forgiveness; for taking him out of the pit of sin's darkness and rendering to him the glorious hope of eternal life in the future kingdom of God. Paul zealously taught about having faith in God's grace and he, himself, responded as a recipient of that grace by fulfilling his calling with enormous energy in doing the work of God, regardless of whatever he had to suffer or sacrifice in carrying out the great commission as Jesus had instructed His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20.
Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Paul could then so passionately proclaim in his Romans' letter:
Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
And Peter, too, who had experienced so much forgiveness and lovingkindness from God for all his sins, and especially for his betrayal the night of Christ's arrest, had this to say about how we ought to respond to the marvelous and tremendous gift of God's forgiveness.
1st Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Both Peter and Paul became tremendous examples of devoting the rest of their lives in submission to Jesus, their Lord and Savior, who had freely forgiven them and had set them free.
As Jesus had said: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)
Constance
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