I want to preach to you, God
enabling me, and pray that he will, on this subject, grace
experienced. Grace experienced. God's Word
tells us, one of the hymns, or hymn in the bulletin we just
sang about this subject, about God's grace in election. There was grace there. That's
the foundation of it. Listen as I read here from Romans
chapter 11 verse 5. It speaks of this. Even so then,
at this present time, I often go to this verse, what's taught
here, when I grow discouraged. Even at this present time, even
in our dark day, even the day when it seems like the whole
world has just embraced the idol of man's will, and has made salvation
to mean no more than a decision, even at this present time. Also,
there is a remnant. Nothing can change that. There's
a remnant according to the election of grace. And those God has purposed
to save, he will save. He will save. In Ephesians 1,
It speaks of grace in redemption, in whom we have redemption through
His blood, Ephesians 1 and 7, even the forgiveness of sins,
like this woman had experienced here in Luke 7. The forgiveness
of sins according to what? That we deserved it, that we
earned it, Oh, no. No, no, no. That's not grace.
That's not mercy. No, it's according to the riches. The riches of God's grace. Those things. God's purpose to
save in election. Christ's redemption of those
God purposed to save. Those were things done for God's
people. Done for them. The experience
of grace is something God does in them. As Joe read a moment
ago, who were born, born again, from above, not by the will of
the flesh, nor the will of man, but by the will of God. It is by this work of grace in
us that we have the assurance of God's works of grace for us. We can't know otherwise until
this. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
chapter 1. We'll read a few verses there
just to illustrate this point. In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul
speaks of the work of God done for us. And then in chapter 2,
he speaks of the work of God, the grace of God in us. At verse 3 of Ephesians 1. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him, in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption, that
is, in the Beloved, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins
according to the riches of His grace." How can any sinner know
How can any sinner have assurance that those God chose to save,
purposed to save, ordained to save in Christ Jesus before the
world ever began? How can they know that they were
one of the chosen? How can they know that they were
one for whom Christ shed His blood for? He told his disciples
when he instituted the Lord's Supper, take this, drink from
it, all of you. This is my blood which is shed
for many for the remission of sins. The Son of Man has come
not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life
a ransom for many. The prophet said, my righteous
servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities.
How can I know I'm one of those many? How is it possible to know? The only way one can know of
these works of God's grace for them is by the work of God's
grace in them. This is what Paul speaks of in
chapter 2 of Ephesians. Look there with me at verse 1.
And you had He quickened. He quickened you. That is, He gave you life. He quickened you. He gave you spiritual life. This
is what our Lord spoke to Nicodemus about. He said, you must be born
again. But He didn't say, Nicodemus,
this is something you can do for yourself. This is something
you must do. No, He said, this is something
that must be done. But it's the Spirit that quickeneth,
gives life, the flesh profits nothing. This is exactly what
Paul is speaking of. You had He quickened who were
dead. Now, you don't get too much more
helpless than that, do you? Dead? What can a dead man do? This is why you must be born
again. You don't believe and then become
born again. You're born again, you're quickened,
given life, thereby you believe, as a result of being born again. You have the quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times past ye walked, According
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that thou workest in the children
of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in
times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as others. No different, no better, but
God. Oh, here's what makes us to differ.
This is why we no longer walk the course of this world. This
is why we're no longer in darkness. This is why we now have light.
This is the reason why we now embrace Christ. This is what
enabled us to believe on Him. But God, but God, to God be the
glory. Great things He hath done. But
God who is rich in mercy, for His great love with He loved
us even when we were dead. Not when we took the first step.
Not when, like a game of checkers, I made my move and then God made
His move. No, no, no. No, God did it all. Even when we were dead in sins,
then He quickened us. "...Hath quickened us together
with Christ by grace, ye are saved, and hath raised us up
together, and made us set together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus." Grace experienced. Not grace debated, not grace
discussed, but grace experienced. That's what brings salvation.
Grace experienced in the heart. It is, as Paul said, Christ in
you. Christ in you that gives the
hope of glory. Not you in the church or not
you in the water, but Christ in you, the hope of glory. Notice here back in Luke chapter
7 verse 34. Our Lord says, there's no pleasing
you folks, He's telling him, the scribes, the Pharisees. John
came preaching to you and you said, He neither drinking wine,
and you said he had a devil. The Son of Man came eating and
drinking, and you say, Behold, behold, verse 34, concerning
the Son of Man, you say, He's a glutton, He's a gluttonous
man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. And what follows? What follows
from verse 36 to the end of the chapter is an example of that
very thing. Christ, as it were, pleads guilty. What you say is true. I'm a friend
of publicans and sinners. Doesn't this sound familiar?
Turn, if you will, and then we'll come back to Luke 7, to chapter
15. That's not the first time they
accused him of this, and it wasn't the first time. that our Lord,
or rather the last time that they would accuse him and our
Lord would plead guilty. In Luke chapter 15, I love this
picture, don't you? Verse 1, Dan drew near unto him
all the publicans and sinners, the publicans, the tax collectors. They were despised, and sinners
to hear Him, that is the Lord Jesus Christ. There our Lord
is, encircled, just surrounded by the ripped wrath, the scum. The publicans, the sinners, drew
near to hear him. But look outside the circle of
sinners and publicans, and there's another. There's another. There's
the Pharisees and the scribes. They stand back. They stand aloof. They stand away from these sinners,
these publicans. They wouldn't even allow themselves
to be touched by them. If they had have been, they would
have considered themselves to have been defiled. And they stand
back just observing the scene. Scribes and Pharisees murmured,
verse 2, saying, this man, this man, oh, even at the moment,
even while I read this, Joe, I'm thanking God that it's true. That this man receiveth sinners. Thank God that's so. This man,
the God-man, receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And our Lord again, in Luke 15,
says, yes, what you accuse me of is so, I'm guilty. And he
gives the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the
prodigal son, not to deny their charge, but to enforce it. There he taught this truth, that this man receiveth sinners
by his parable, his spoken lesson. And here in Luke 7, he does so,
he enforces it by his acted lesson as well as spoken, his miracle
of mercy. Yes, he is the friend of sinners,
real sinners, real sinners, having real need, real beggars. that have, as he taught, as we
read earlier, those who have nothing to pay. I wonder is there
one present this morning that has nothing to pay, that owes
a debt to God's justice, but he has nothing to pay and he
knows it. Like this woman had been. Not
like Simon. No, not like him. He didn't think
that of himself at all. Yes, that one, the only one that
could do for this woman, that which she most needed, is the
sinner's friend. What a friend! Brother Lowell,
what a friend we have in Jesus! What a friend! that sticketh
closer than a brother. There are three persons in this
passage I want us to look at. First, there's Simon the Pharisee.
This took place in his house. And then there's this woman spoken
of in verse 37. And then there's that one whom
we'll speak of the most. Don't have much to say about
Simon. Oh, but Christ, Christ, May we
be enabled to speak and exalt him, speak of him. Look though
first at Simon, a Pharisee, a Pharisee, a separated one. In that day,
the Pharisees were held in such esteem by the people, they would
say, if only two people go to heaven, a Pharisee will be one
of them. That's how they were looked at.
Simon, the Pharisee, represents the religious folk, the majority,
the majority. Most people we know are religious.
Most everybody is religious. Everybody by the time they're
12 years old or so has a spasm of religion. Something happens
and scares them and they have a religious spasm. It doesn't
last very long. When the sickness is gone or
the doctor says you're cured, then the religion goes as well.
But they have a religious spasm, just about everybody does. Now
this Pharisee, Simon, he could talk for hours. He could sit
and talk for hours. I mean, he could bend your ear.
He would buttonhole you and talk about God for hours. Talk about the law of God. He
knew them all. He would talk about the traditions
of the elders. You could spot him if you were
walking down the street. Simon would be that one on the
street corner praying. in a very conspicuous place and
you would hear him before you even saw him because he would
be praying loud so everybody would hear him and everyone would
look and be impressed and say, oh, isn't he religious? Isn't
he something? Our Lord said they have their
reward. You could, you would know when
he's fasting. Because he wouldn't do it in
secret, just between himself and God. But he would let folks
know, he would appear to be fasting. He had his reward. Our Lord said,
you Pharisees may clean the outside. You may clean the outside. You're
like a grave. A grave's a monument. It's whitewashed. But inside, inside, it's dead
men's bones. He said, this is how you are.
Your religion is that way. It's all outward. It's all outward. It's all for show. I declare,
they're still around, aren't they? The problem's not here. The problem's not what I touch,
or what I taste, or what I wear. The problem is what I am inside. That's the problem. The religion
of this world is just fig leaves. Oh, but true grace, it goes to
the very root of the problem. It goes deeper than the stain
has gone, and anything less than that's not going to help this
sinner. It just won't do it. I need that sort of grace. Yes,
Simon was religious, there's no question about that, but he
was lost. Religious, but lost. And he didn't even know it. He
didn't even know it. He was in such darkness, but
he didn't even know it. He says, I see. Christ said,
you're blind leaders of the blind. They said, oh no, we see. We
have God as our Father. He was sure that all was well
with his soul. He had no need of grace. Imagine
that. Imagine that. A sinner. A sinner before the Lord God.
A debtor to justice. with no way to pay the debt,
and yet feels like he has no need of mercy. He doesn't need
grace at all. He's like that one our Lord spoke
of in Luke 18. You're so familiar with that.
Look at it. Here in Luke 18, verse 9. Look what we read here
in verse 9 of Luke 18. And He spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves. trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, self-righteousness, a man-made righteousness, trusted
in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. The way Simon despised this woman,
he was repulsed by her. But look what this Pharisee prayed
in Luke 18 that our Lord spoke of in verse 10. Two men went
up to the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee, a separated
one, a religious one. And the other one, a despised,
hated publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God I thank you. I thank you. I'm not like
other people. I'm not like other men. I'm different.
I've made myself to differ. I'm not an extortioner. I'm not
unjust, an adulterer, or even as this publican. I fast twice
in the week and tithe of all that I possess." Simon didn't
ask for anything. This Pharisee didn't and neither
did Simon. Didn't ask for a thing. Imagine that. Paul in Romans
10 said, I bear them witness. They have a zeal for God but
not according to knowledge. They're going about to establish
their own righteousness. And in doing so, they've missed,
they've completely missed the righteousness of God in Christ. Turn back, if you will, to Matthew
chapter 9. Simon was one of those our Lord
spoke of here in Matthew chapter 9 verse 10. Matthew 9 and 10. But it came to pass, as Jesus
said at meeting the house, Behold, many publicans and sinners came
and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said to his disciples, Why eateth your master with publicans
and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he
said unto them, They that behold need not a physician, but they
that are sick. But go ye and learn what that
meaneth." Learn what this means. And he quotes from Hosea chapter
6. I will have mercy. He says, go
and learn what this means. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the
righteous, the whole, but the sick. I've come not to call the
righteous but sinners to repentant." Simon had never learned that.
He'd never learned that. He had never learned that it
wasn't the labors of his hands that could fulfill the law's
demands. He had never learned that. Now
let's look at this woman here in Luke 7. She had learned that. She had learned that, that it
wasn't her sacrifice but God's mercy. Here's one who had learned
what that meant, had learned her need of mercy. Oh, thank
God. Our Lord said in John 6, all
that have learned of the Father, all that have truly been taught
of God, what do they do? They stand up and say, man, I'm
something. They, as Brother Henry used to
say, would pop their suspenders. They would strut up and down
like a peacock and say, look at me. Of course not. No, no,
no, no. That's not the result of learning
from God. No, our Lord said, all that have
learned of the Father do what? They come to me. They come to
me. Everyone that learns of the Father
comes to me. This is what the woman did. She had already, before she came
to Simon's house, she had already experienced God's grace. That's
why she came. She came to honor that one who
had shown her mercy. She came with a thankful heart.
Look again at verse 47. Our Lord says, wherefore I say
unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. Therefore,
it should be rendered. A much better rendering, and
it would read more literally like this, not for or because,
but therefore she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven,
the same loveth little. Her love is not the cause or
condition of her forgiveness, but the reverse. The reverse. She loved not in order to be
forgiven. She loved because she was forgiven. God's free grace. Christ's free
forgiveness was the cause of her love. I don't know. I must
have looked at 8 or 10 commentaries on this passage in Luke 7 as
I prepared this message. And some of them said this woman
was Mary Magdalene. I see no proof of that. Others
said she was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. But in verse 37, it doesn't tell
us who she was except this. Behold a woman in the city who
was a sinner. Behold a woman in the city who
was a sinner. Behold. Behold. This is an unusual sight. Why? What's so unique about this?
Why is it introduced to us with that word, behold? Stop. Pause. Slow down. Look at this. Here's something worth beholding.
Here's a wonder. Look, look, look. What's the
wonder? What's so unique about this? Because the Scriptures teach
us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There's
none righteous, that includes you and me. There's none that
seeketh after God. There's none that doeth good. Simon knew she was a sinner.
Simon's friends who apparently were present there, they also
knew she was a sinner. There was only one in that house
that day who wasn't a sinner, who did no sin, who knew no sin. In him, There was no sin. Everyone else there was a sinner. Everyone here this morning, from
the youngest to the oldest, is a sinner. Mr. Newton, in our bulletin, I printed
a quote of his. My memory's not what it used
to be, he wrote, but two things I remember, don't you, Lord?
I'm a great sinner. Don't deny that. Don't deny that. Be a liar. Be a liar if I deny
that. But thank God, I don't stop there. Yes, I'm a great sinner. But
He's a great Savior. He's a great Savior. The Holy Spirit directs our attention
to this woman and says, A woman in the city who was a sinner.
Why? Why? Because unlike Simon, unlike
Simon's friends there, this woman knew she was a sinner. You say
that's special? That's unique. That merits a
behold. You better believe it does. You
better believe it does. You meet any child of Adam, any
son or daughter of Adam that knows they're a sinner and God
Almighty's taught them that. They didn't learn it on their
own. I don't mean that or admit they told a lie. or did something,
oh no, but cries out like the publican in Luke 18, God have
mercy on me, as he smoked again and again upon his wrath, the
root of the problem. Someone that knows that's been
taught of God. She knew she was a sinner. Now, last of all, let's look
at the third person present here. After all, he's the central figure.
It's not Simon. It's not the woman. But it's
the Savior. He's the center of attention.
Take him out. Take him out here. And what do
you have left? Take him out. Take him away. And all you have are people without
hope. without God going out to hell
eternally. Oh, let's look at him. Who is
this, they asked, that forgiveth sins also? When our Lord said,
this woman, her sins, there are many, they're all forgiven. They're
all forgiven. I forgive them all. They said,
who does he think he is? Who is this that forgiveth sins
also? Well, I'll tell you this, Joe,
it wasn't the priest. It wasn't the priest. A priest
told you that, didn't he? Probably more than once. You
go down, make your confession, and he'd say, give me six push-ups
and get on out of here. It'll be all right. You're absolved.
You're absolved. Give me some Hail Marys. Count
the beads. This and that. No, it wasn't
the priest that pronounced this woman's sins forgiven. And it
wasn't a preacher. Preacher can't do that. Everywhere
around us this morning, At the conclusion of services, they
will give what is called an altar call. And men and women will
trot up there for various reasons. And a preacher will tell them,
you're safe. Repeat after me. You're safe. Your sins are forgiven. My soul, I cannot. God, don't
allow me to take a word of a mere man for such an important issue
as my sins being forgiven or not. Louie, I can't do it. Can't
do it, better not do it. I'm a fool if I do. Because the
only mediator between God and man is the man Christ Jesus. The only name, Mike, under heaven
by which we must be saved is not Pope, is not preacher, it's
Jesus Christ, the God-man, the only Savior for sinners. When
He speaks, oh when He speaks, it's done. If the Son of God,
in His marvelous grace, brings a sinner to bow before Him, seeking
mercy, I guarantee you, preacher, that's pretty strong, I guarantee
you, I said it on purpose. Wasn't a mistake. I guarantee
you, according to His own Word, according to His own promise,
that sinner's sins will all be forgiven. They'll hear the sweet
words spoken to their heart. To the heart. Preacher can't
do that. Oh, but the Son of God can. He
speaks to the heart. and says as only He can. He speaks as never a man spake
and says, Thy sins are forgiven forever. Forever. All of them. The blood of God's
Son cleanseth us from all sin. Thy faith hath saved thee, He
said to this woman. Go in peace. Go in peace. You see that in verse 50. Go
in peace, He says. What he told her was, enter into
peace. Enter into peace. Don't you mind,
Simon. Don't you mind these others,
what they say or what they think. Don't pay no attention to them.
Don't you be disturbed, Bob. You just go your way. Just go
your way, enjoying the peace of sins forgiven. Peace with
God. Being justified by faith, we
now have peace with God. The peace of conscience. My soul,
knowing I am His and He is mine. Oh, what sweet peace that brings.
There's no peace, there's no rest to the lost. But when the
Son of God comes to a troubled soul, a soul that His grace has
taught to fear, The reason he does that, he's going to relieve
that fear. If he strips you, it's in order
to clothe you. He gets you lost, it's because
you're going to be found. And all the peace when he comes,
walking, walking as he did on that stormy sea, and says, peace,
be still. And we read, there was a great
calm. Remember that? You remember what
a great calm it was. Oh, what a relief it was when
His grace my fears relieved. What a calm! What a joy! What a peace flooded my soul
when the Son of God said, Thy sins are all forgiven thee. What
quietness of mind! Go in peace, He says. Ignore
them. Oh, I can almost see her as she
looks over at Simon who said, she's a sinner. And she said,
you got that right. And she goes out the door saying,
only a sinner saved by grace. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. You're right, Simon. You're right.
To God be the glory. This is my story. I'm only a
sinner saved by grace. Let's wrap this up. Peace. while we live in this world,
and peace when it comes our time to depart out of this world.
Your sins are all forgiven. Oh, hear the voice of Jesus.
Go on thy way in peace to heaven, and wear a crown with Jesus."
This is just another example of the truth of what our Master
said. Him that cometh unto me, I will
in no wise cast out. Come unto me, the emphasis is
me, Christ. Nowhere else, no one else. Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I, I will
give you rest. No peace without him. But with
him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins according to the riches of his grace. I read a story
yesterday that illustrates this so very well. Sam Houston led
the battle that brought defeat to Santa Ana and his Mexican
army at the Battle of San Jacinto. After Texas became a republic,
Sam Houston was its president. And the law provided free land
to every man who fought with him in that battle. On one occasion,
a man named Nobby Horsham was accused of defrauding another
farmer of his land. And when the farmer who had accused
him of fraud appeared in court, he was surprised to find none
other representing this man than President Sam Houston himself. Most of the jurors were farmers
who had been defrauded by scandals like Nobby Horsham. Nevertheless,
when the trial began, The judge asked Sam Houston, do you have
any witnesses? Only one. Only one, your honor. And he called Nobby Horsham to
the stand. The man limping to the witness
box, his right leg dragging from a serious wound sustained in
the battle. Houston walked over to the defendant and looked down
on him as a loving father might to a wayward son, despite the
fact that Nobby Horsham was a known rogue who had wasted his life.
As the courtroom sat in silent expectation, Houston uttered
only two sentences. Navi, you've heard the serious
charges made against you. Where were you on the afternoon
of April 21st, 1836? Horsham looked up like a little
child and whispered, I was with you in the front line at the
Battle of San Jacinto. The defense rest, Houston said,
and took his seat. And the judge cried out, case
dismissed. Brothers and sisters in Christ,
we were with him. We were with him. When Christ
was made sin for me, I was made the righteousness of
God in Him. We were there at Calvary with
Christ when the horrible wrath of God fell on him. Therefore,
there is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. A complete atonement Christ had
made and to the utmost farthing paid whatever his people owed. Since he has my discharge procured
and freely in my room endured the whole of wrath divine, Payment
God cannot twice demand first at my bleeding surety's hand
and then again at mine It will never happen. It will never happen. Bless his name