Love of the Forgiven

Luke 7:36-47; 2^nd Peter 1:3-11

What difference does the gospel make when we have grown up in the faith? When those on the outside look in on us, what do they see? It is easy to slip into a comfortable attitude towards faith. Growing up in church makes church life just seem normal, natural, and expected. If we are not careful, we forget that faith and good news is for everyone, especially those on the outside. Is it possible for us to step beyond our routines and schedules to share faith with strangers to the gospel?

Peter’s words call attention to our need to live godly lives. This is an important step in being a witness for Christ Jesus and the power of the gospel. More than being a witness, however, Peter seems concerned for the believers to live godly lives as fruit of their salvation. Personal transformation by the gospel is an essential purpose of salvation itself. The gospel demands expression in changed lives. We are called in Christ in order to escape the corrupting nature of fleshly desires. Salvation was offered to rescue us from the depravity of our animal nature in order that we might live according to the nature of Christ Jesus.

Peter’s words are a reminder that salvation is not about an escape from hell plan, but about being transformed from the inside out. We were called to be transformed according to the character of Christ Jesus. We are to add to our character those godly traits so exemplified in Christ Jesus. We are to increase in goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and love. Possessing these qualities transforms us into effective and productive as Christians. No, wait! That is not what Peter says. He says that constantly increasing in these qualities is what makes us effective and productive.

It is not enough to be good people in comparison with the world around us. It is not enough to be a knowing people. It is not enough to be self-controlled, perseverant, godly, and loving. The Christian walk is not so much a destination as it is a process or journey. As the objective is that our lives would be transformed into the character of Christ Jesus, the endpoint of the Christian walk is ever out of reach. We are called to continue on in pursuit of transforming our fleshly character into the character of Jesus Christ. This is an ongoing task, ever-increasing in its demands upon us.

It is too easy to just slip into that attitude of being a good, loving, Christian people. It is alluring to cast ourselves as the saved, blessed, and special people of God. Seeing ourselves as having arrived at the goal of salvation is seductive and partly true, but it is also dangerous and distracting.

It is true that those of us who have come to faith in Christ Jesus have been saved. We are rescued from our bondage to sin as we accept God’s forgiveness and give our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ in faith. Our future is secure in the faithfulness of Christ. Even so, we are still in the process of being saved. We are yet being fashioned into the purpose for which we were saved—to become like Christ Jesus. We have not yet arrived. We may be on the narrow road of salvation, but there are yet miles to go before we sleep.

I am reminded of being a young child preparing for a long road trip. While my parents packed the luggage and the car, I purchase bubble gum for the trip. I was anxious to get on the road so that we might leave the house. I knew it was a long trip, but I acted as though getting in the car was all that it took to get there. I was focused on the destination, but I could grasp the necessary process. I did not grasp that the distractions along the route kept us from reaching our destination.

The Pharisees did not have their eyes on the destination, nor how far removed they were from God’s will for their lives. They acted as though they had already arrived at righteousness. They looked at the woman busy cleansing and anointing Jesus feet and they looked down on her. They compared her history of behavior with their own, saying, “We have arrived at righteousness. She is a sinner under condemnation.”

Jesus looked upon the woman differently. He looked upon his hosts differently, as well. Jesus was not so concerned with the history and standing of either. He was more concerned with the direction their lives were heading. While the Pharisaic stance was to remain as upright, standards of righteous living and examples to all around, Jesus cast them as giving up on the journey to righteousness. The woman at his feet knew of her need and was struggling to adapt her character according to God’s will.

She was focused on the journey and her need for God’s intervention. She understood her need and focused her attention on the journey ahead, well aware of the sacrifice and effort that lay ahead. The Pharisee was making no progress whatsoever.

Jesus spoke of how we respond to faith and the demands of gospel differently, in part because of our backgrounds and traditions. When faith seems the easy and simple road to travel we are also more easily distracted from our destination. When we recognize the distance to cover, the focus of our energies on making progress is greater than the call of the distractions along the way.

My job as a young child on a long trip was to sit. I did not grip the steering wheel. I did not decide where and when to stop. I did not plan the route. I could do nothing to get us further down the road. I had no concept of how far we were traveling, nor what the answers to how long it would take meant. It was my job to sit and watch the world flash by.

As a parent, a long trip is very different. I understand the cost of distractions along the way, the time required to travel the distance, and what the remaining miles mean. While I can also choose between making progress down the road or delaying the journey, the main difference is comprehension of the progress to make. Parent and child have the same destination, but the parent better understands what is involved. The front seat seems to give a better perspective on the traveling process.

Jesus casts the church crowd as the child in the back seat. We act as though getting in the car is all that is needed. We sense no responsibility to arrive at our destination, nor what is required to reach our goal. Jesus wants us to become more aware of our need to make progress down the road of faith. Like Peter’s comments about ever increasing in godly character, Jesus reminds us that those who see their need for forgiveness are closer to the objective of transformation than those along for the ride.

Like the Pharissee, being around the outsiders may make us uncomfortable. It should also help us remember the direction we need to move. The church pew is not life’s direction. The goal is to become like Christ. Those on the outside often have a better concept of the destination than we have settled for. Will we reach out to them, allowing them to teach us the meaning and impact forgiveness should have on our own lives? We could learn from their perspective, if we are willing to take the risk.

—©Copyright 2006 Christopher B. Harbin

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