Magnifying His Grace

“…Her sins, which are many, are forgiven. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little!”

(Luke 7:47)

In a counseling session very early in my ministry, a man told me that he feared that his pride was too deep to be forgiven. To illustrate his sinfulness, he said that when driving to church in his new car, he secretly hoped that people would notice, admire and revere him. He knew the Bible well, so I tried to assure him that we all have problems with pride. I reminded him of his good qualities and prayed with him.

Not surprisingly, I didn’t help him very much. Looking back on that incident, I should have agreed that his pride was indeed a serious sin. Then I should have discussed the wonder of God’s forgiveness as revealed in the scripture – not minimizing his sin but magnifying God’s grace.

I came to see that that is what Jesus did after being anointed by a woman whose immoral lifestyle was well known. He did not excuse her sin – (i.e., oh, we all have a problem with it) – but He acknowledged them as ‘many.’ Her lavish gift showed gratitude for the magnitude of her forgiveness. Jesus noted, “To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little!” (Luke 7:47).

People often don’t recognize either the depths of their sinfulness or the awesomeness of God’s forgiveness. The next time the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, let’s not minimize its seriousness, but let’s acknowledge it and confess immediately. Then, begin praising God for the wonder of His forgiving grace and the scope of His embracing love.

The old songwriter, Julia H. Johnston (1849-1919), wrote,

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt

Chorus

Grace, grace, God’s grace

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace, grace, God’s grace

Grace that is greater than all my sin.

Remember what Paul said, “When sin abounds grace does much more abound.” (Romans 5:20). Hallelujah!! – PTL!! Let’s magnify His marvelous grace.

Mmmm…Think about it! PTL.