FREELY GIVEN

FREELY GIVEN I think Sometimes we forget That we cannot EARN God's FORGIVENESS It is FREELY GIVEN “If you Oh Lord Kept a record of sins Oh Lord Who could stand But with you There is forgiveness Therefore you are feared” Psalm 130:3-4 We still Get it wrong At times Don't we friends We think We must somehow EARN GOD'S FORGIVENESS WE think We must earn God's LOVE too BUT his forgiveness And his love ARE FREELY GIVEN “But now That you have been Set free of sin You have become Slaves of RIGHTEOUSNESS” Romans 6:18 God's forgiveness IS FREELY GIVEN There is a great story In Luke chapter 7 That illustrates this ONE of the Pharisees Has invited Jesus To have dinner with him In his home A “sinful” woman From the town Learns of this And shows up at the dinner “She stood behind him At his feet weeping And she began to wet His feet With her tears Then she wiped them With her hair Kissed them And poured perfume on them” Luke 7:38 The pharisee said to himself: “IF this man Were a prophet He would know Who is touching him And that the woman Was a sinner” Luke 7:39 And Jesus- As if reading the pharisees' mind Tells a parable about DEBT To Simon And asks Simon Which one of them Will LOVE their master more Simon says: “I suppose The one Who had the bigger debt canceled” Luke 7:43 Then Jesus Turned to the woman And said, “DO you see This woman I came Into your home You did not GIVE me any water For my feet But she wet My feet With her tears And wiped them With her hair You did not Give me a kiss But this woman From the time I entered Has not stopped Kissing my feet You did not put oil On my head But she has Poured perfume on my feet Therefore I tell you HER many sins Have been forgiven- For she has LOVED MUCH But he who has been Forgiven little LOVES LITTLE” Luke 7:44-47 THE POINT IS: ALL of our sins Are FORGIVEN FREELY By God We are to do likewise To our brothers and sisters LOVE AND FORGIVENESS Are the ESSENCE of Jesus' teachings and his actions WE are to do the SAME For one another Because LOVE AND FORGIVENESS are to be FREELY GIVEN Robert P. Wallman 9-30-14 6-5-15 & 6-2-16