A Way Out of Debt

Luke 7:36-50 

Are you are in the habit of making a “New Year’s Resolution”?  If so, you might consider getting out of debt.  Many of you will be quick to agree that being debt free is a good idea, but wait.  I am not referring to financial debt but spiritual debt. I can think of nothing better to do in the New Year than getting out from under the debt of sin.  The Bible tells us how to do just that.

In the seventh chapter of Luke, Jesus relates a parable to a Pharisee named Simon.  While Jesus was dinning at Simon’s house a woman, known to be a sinner, washed and anointed Jesus’ feet.  The Pharisee could not understand how Jesus would allow a sinful person to touch him. 

Jesus then told of a moneylender who had two debtors who were both unable to repay what they had borrowed.  One owed ten times as much as the other but they were both forgiven of their debts.  Then Jesus asked Simon, “Which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered correctly saying, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”  We may wonder, as I am sure Simon did, “What does this have to do with me?”  The answer is simple when we make a spiritual application.

We must understand that we are all guilty of sin (Rom. 3:23) and as such we owe a great debt to God, far more than we can ever repay.  We are blessed because, though we owe this great debt, God loves us and is willing to forgive our transgressions (2 Peter 3:9).  The debt we owe has been paid by Jesus Christ who gave his live for us (2 Cor. 8:9).

How is does one receive forgiveness of his sin debt?  Let us look to the Bible for an example.  In the second chapter of the book of Acts some three thousand men had their debts forgiven.  They heard Peter and the apostles preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and realized they owed a great debt.  When they asked, “What shall we do?” Peter told them to, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38).  We must do the same.

Going back to Jesus’ parable, the point Jesus was making was that since God has forgiven our debt of sin, we ought to show our love for Him.  Simon, you see, did not want to admit that he was a sinner and so he was unwilling to show even the simplest of courtesies to the Son God when He came to dine with him.  It should be easy for us to love God, knowing what He has done for us.  If we love God we will obey him (John 14:15).  If we love God we will be willing to sacrifice for His cause (Rom. 12:1-2).  It was the gratitude of the sinful woman in Luke seven that brought about her actions, and it is our gratitude that will lead us to do much for the church (Luke 7:47).

In love,

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ