Friday, June 3, 2016

Luke 15: 3-7

Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."

King David was a man after God’s own heart. He was favored by God. Why is this? When we read about the life of David we do not see a good man. We see a man who coveted and murdered. We see a man who had a woman’s husband killed so he could have her. We see a man who does some very ungodly things. We see a sinner. So why was King David so favored?

King David was one of the lost sheep. Each time he went astray the Lord went after him. Realizing he was lost and then found by the Lord David did exactly what God desires from all of us. He repented of his sin and turned back towards the Lord.

Sin separates us from God. We become the lost sheep when we sin. The “once saved, always saved” theology believes that all sin is automatically forgiven, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb shed for us on the cross. All one has to do is accept the Lord as their savior. If this were just a onetime act you would become one of the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

In Greek the word used in this passage for repentance is metanoia. It means to change one’s mind to that of God. In Greek there are two forms of a verb. One represents a onetime action where the other represents a continued action. Metanoia is in the later form. We are to repent, change our minds to that of God’s, unceasingly. Repentance is not a onetime action.

If Christ’s sacrifice satisfied the price of sin for all ages why is it still necessary for us to repent unceasingly? Shouldn’t that one sacrifice cover all the sins I commit in my life? We can understand this better if we look at forgiveness more as an undeserved gift. God is willing, longing even, to give us forgiveness but two conditions have to be met. The first is that we have to ask for it. The one thing God respects more than anything is the free will he gave his children. He will not do anything against that free will, even give us forgiveness for our sins. He will allow us to keep our sins and the punishment that comes with them if we so desire. God sends no person to Hell. We choose to go there when we do not accept the gift of forgiveness.

The second condition that must be met is that we have to accept the gift of forgiveness. When we repent and God forgives us we have to let the sin go. Praying, “Lord, please forgive me for smoking,” as I light up another cigarette does nothing for me. Remember, repentance is a continuing action. We ask forgiveness for our sins while doing everything we can to let them go and not to do them again.

The Lord rejoices when a lost sheep is found and returns to the flock. He rejoices more when a new sheep is added. The devil goes about like a roaring lion and does his best to scatter the flock. How it must grieve the Lord when his sheep decide that they no longer need the flock and wander off on their own. Jesus knows each of his sheep by name. He is willing and has given up his life for each of them. Jesus came to form a flock, not walk with individual sheep. It is in this flock that we have protection. It is in this flock that we give the greatest glory to God. Individual sheep are food for the roaming lion.

Get with the flock. Repent unceasingly. This gives great joy to God.