Woke up this morning with the old song, “Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus because He first loved me” running through my mind.
I accepted Christ as my Saviour when I was very young. I remember realizing my need for forgiveness, walking the aisle Sunday night at church and the sweet Christian lady who talked with me to make sure I understood salvation and then prayed with me. At that tender young age, I really didn’t have much sin to be forgiven but I did know that Christ had died for me and had forgiven me.
Now that I’m older, I’m amazed by God’s goodness, mercy and grace. His unconditional love paid the price of sin for everyone through Jesus’ sacrifice. Every sin ever committed from the beginning of time until this earth passes away were forgiven in that one act of sacrifice! God had not only forgiven the sins I had committed up to the day I asked Jesus to be my Saviour but He has forgiven every one of them since. Even if I had become some horrible, terrible sinner His forgiveness would have still been there for me.
“My children, I am writing this so that you won’t sin. But if you do sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. 2 Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” I John 2:1-2
And whether my sins were great or small, it doesn’t matter – I still needed a Saviour. The Apostle James writes that “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10
It’s a like a picture window; if you throw a rock through it, it’s broken; if you put a bee bee through it, it’s still broken. The size of the hole doesn’t matter, the glass is broken. So whether you’re Hitler or a small girl in Yuma, Az, sin is sin and it requires a Saviour. The same sacrifice was necessary for both of us.
God’s love is unconditional. It doesn’t matter if we are the most base sinner who ever lived or the most self-righteous. His love is the same. Each day I realize where I could have been without Jesus and I am so grateful and thankful that I am not without Him and that He chose me, He adopted me and made me a new creation.
I will close this glorious Sunday morning with an example from Jesus himself.
“A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and got ready to eat. 37 When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. 38 Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.
41 Jesus told him, “Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. 42 Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn’t have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn’t have to pay it back.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
44 He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn’t give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You didn’t even pour olive oil on my head, but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. 47 So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”
48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 Some other guests started saying to one another, “Who is this who dares to forgive sins?”
50 But Jesus told the woman, “Because of your faith, you are now saved.May God give you peace!” Luke 7:36-50
Oh how I love Jesus!