Forgiven Much = Love Much

Luke 7:47, “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

I think this is a pretty simple truth, and paradoxically the reason God is not completely repulsed by mankind. He knows that the more of His forgiveness we taste, the more we love Him.

Take this same thought another direction and those who realize and understand just how much of their past, present, and ongoing sin has, is, and will be forgiven… those folks love God much. Perhaps this is why Paul set the world on fire, while enduring fire for Christ. Perhaps Paul’s love for Jesus was fueled in this understanding of forgiveness, and that is why he wrote to Timothy, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

Paul, the founder of the church for gentiles, beaten, shipwrecked, snake bit for Jesus is the foremost of sinners? It is his recognition that he is a sinner, it is his honesty with himself, it is his acceptance of God’s love and forgiveness in spite of it all that allowed him to love so much that he laid down his life for Christ. Not the opposite.

Christ did not say those who have overcome the most love the most. He did not say those that can keep the law the best love the most. He did not say that those who can be the holiest on their own love the most. Those that have been forgiven much love much.

I dare say that if you do not love God much, then you are unaware of how much you have been forgiven and how sinful you really are. 

I am adding this after publishing the original, but we love as a result of being forgiven and we also show mercy where we have been shown mercy. In what you condemn, you admit there is no mercy for in your life. In what you judge you say that you are willing to be judged for it as well. How often is the loudest critic just as guilty of the sin. "You who is without sin cast the first stone." Christ said. For the rest of us He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Jim Spivey's Love Machine

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

Same passage from The Message. "Since God has so generously let us in on what He is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into the occasional hard times. (Or uncomfortable situations) We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves the presence of God."

I hope that everyone who reads this blog and participates in any of the thirteen Love Machines sees the implication of this scripture, and it applicability to our groups. Because in love there is nothing hidden, there are no crafty games of one up men ship. But there is a commitment to the truth and allowing that truth to be exposed to every member's conscience in the sight of God. This to me is what Jim Spivey's Love Machines are. But if that doesn't explain the experience enough then how about this.

Have you ever been to the zoo or an amusement park where you can insert two quarters and a penny into a machine; turn the handle, and smash the penny into a "souvenir" collector's piece? That's the kind of machine love machine is. Imagine God turning the handle. On some visits you are part of the machine's inner workings like the gears and dies. Most of the time, visiting Love Machine means being the penny dropped in for it's customary reshaping and commemoration.  And that is just what happened to me on my most recent visit.

Here cog met cog, one persons exhaustion triggers someone else s fear, which triggers a joke, which triggered a rebuke, which triggers an opening in relationship, You see, I made the joke, and was the recipient of the rebuke, and a part of the opening of relationship. It turns out the rebuke was not about the joke at all, but about an offense I caused weeks before. But talking about it allowed the animosity to subside, for forgiveness to enter and love to rule. But in it all it triggered in me something I have not been conscious of for some time.

To be personal about it, because that is what I do... that is shameless surrender to me... I have an issue with women in authority. (except for my beautiful wife and soul-mate) And for that matter, I have an issue with women taking offense at me. I have never set out to offend anyone, and it is so often that I say the wrong thing that gets me into trouble. Some would say between my brain and my mouth there is no pause button. But in the past those offenses have cost me ministries I love, a job I needed. Offending females costs me a marriage or two, and so much more.

So here I was a happy cog, spinning away watching others be flattened by the Holy Spirit into something unique and beautiful, when suddenly I found myself the penny. Crushed by the realization of so many people I had not forgiven. Un-forgiveness that unconsciously manifest in so many defensive and judgmental ways. And so, as this transformed penny comes out of the crushing cogs of love, I find myself forgiving anew many of the opposite gender that have offended me with their offense. I find myself forgiving some for the first time, even though I know I said I never would.

That said, I have no intention of worrying about not offending anyone. I will continue to love, and if someone takes offense to it, then what I promise is to not get offended at their offense, and to not harbor un-forgiveness for anyone.

This is not what I intended to write in today's post. But this is what has come out as I sit at the keyboard. So I will trust the Holy Spirit, His anointing, and His judgment and obediently post this with the eternal hope that it will influence someone to experience Christ on a deeper level today.

The Blood of Christ

Matthew 26:28, "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins."

Watchman Nee in his book The Normal Christian life begins with a chapter entitled "The Blood of Christ." It is foundational in the Christian life-cycle and therefore discussed. Equally important as to the effectiveness of the blood is what it does not do.

"The apostle Paul... Galatians 2:20; 'It is no longer I, but Christ.' Here he is not stating something special or peculiar - a high level of Christianity. He is we believe, presenting God's normal for a Christian, which can be summarized in these words; I live no longer, but Christ lives His life in Me...

Jesus Christ... in all His dealings with us, He works by taking us our of the way and substituting Christ in our place... The Son of God died instead of us for our forgiveness; He lives instead of us for our deliverance... I need forgiveness of my sins, but I also need deliverance from the power of sin...

I discover that I have the nature of a sinner... So life goes on in a viscous circle of sinning and being forgiven, and then sinning again..."

And so Nee begins with the obvious. That we all sin, and that we will all sin again because of our nature. He articulates the problem, and is about to discuss God's solution.

Nee gives us a prelude with this, "We shall see that the blood deals with what we have done, whereas the cross deals with what we are. The blood disposes of sins, while the cross strikes at the root of our capacity to sin."

So the blood of Christ deals with the sin itself. It is not there dealing with the nature of sin, but covering, atoning for the act of sin. Nee describes the blood of Christ has having a 3 fold purpose. He says, "In the scriptures the blood of Christ is shown to operate effectually in these three ways; Godward, manward, and Satanward."

The blood operates Godward, because it cleanses us so that we can have relationship with God. To God, post salvation He is unable to see our sin, only that we are covered in the blood.

In a manward sense the blood is there to not only wash away our sins, but to remove the guilt from us. True understanding of the power of the blood of Christ allows us to approach Him, trusting there is nothing in us that is worthy, but that we are cloaked, covered, washed clean in that blood.

Satanward the blood "does so by putting God on the side of man against him (Satan)... If God is for us, who is against us? (Rom. 8:31). God points him to the blood of His dear Son. It is sufficient answer against which Satan has no appeal."

So the blood is there allow us to be in relationship with God, free of guilt, and immune from Satan's accusations if we will allow. What is is not doing is the transformation of our soul. It is not removing the nature of sin. That is the job of the cross.