In this enlightening episode of International Gospel Hour, we delve into the concept of faithful love as depicted in the Gospel of Luke. We explore the powerful story of a woman who demonstrated profound faith and the ensuing forgiveness she received from Jesus. Through a detailed examination of this encounter, we unravel the layers of divine compassion and the principles of repentance and forgiveness that the story embodies.
The hymn words it beautifully. Faithful love from above came to earth to show the Father’s love. Let’s look at faithful love today from the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, greetings everyone. Thank you for joining us today for our studies here at International Gospel Hour. We also appreciate the kind words from our Jay Webb, and you will hear from Jay throughout our broadcast. He shares with you a number of materials and study guides that can be of help, and we do appreciate Jay’s kind words as he opens and closes our broadcast. Friends, we are grateful for each and every listener. And if you are a newer listener to the International Gospel Hour, allow me to share a little bit about our work. You are listening to our daily 15-minute broadcast, available five days a week. Thank you for tuning in to this station or online platform of your choice where you listen to International Gospel Hour broadcast. We also have available a weekly 30-minute program, and from time to time you may hear or see our shorter segments, 60 Seconds for the Savior and A Couple of Minutes for Christ. Please check out our weekly TV broadcast via our YouTube channel, which is International Gospel Hour. Also, we are on a number of over-the-air television markets and nationwide in the United States on the Charge Network. You can find our programming options at our website, internationalgospelhour.com. Scroll down just a bit and you will see all our programs, even our Hispanic podcast, Cristianos de Elis, with our friend and brother Marlon Ratana of SpanishBibleSchool.org. So thank you again for joining us and stay right here where you listen to International Gospel Hour, where we strive to speak the oracles of God as commanded in 1 Peter 4.11 and to declare the whole counsel of God, Acts 20 and verse 27. And now, friends, let us spend our period of study from Luke, the seventh chapter. Stated by many, the theme of the book of Luke is in Luke 19, verse 10. For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost. The divine came to humanity. In being divine, the American Heritage Dictionary defines it as having the nature of or being a deity. Well, that would be consistent with the biblical meaning of 2 Peter 1, 3-4. that says, As his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. as coming in the form of humanity, we are reminded of Philippians 2, 5-8, to let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man.” He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Christ came as God in the flesh, as affirmed in Matthew 1.21, Immanuel meaning God with us, as well as the Gospel of John 1.1-2.14. So through Christ, we are blessed with faithful love from above. And in a moment, we’re going to look at Luke, the seventh chapter, verses 36 through 50. But first, friends, it’s time for our free magazine offer today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Our free publication today is Valor and Virtue, a Christian apologetics magazine for teens. It is a great resource, especially for the challenging teen years. Get your free copy today by calling toll free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say Valor. And you can also request it through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contacts tab and leave us your name and address and put Valor in the message box. Our friends at apologeticspress.org have made this possible for you, our listeners. Get your copy of Valor and Virtue today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our reading of Luke 7 verses 36 through 50 Then one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flax of fragrant oil, and stood at his feet behind him weeping. And she began to wash his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and she kissed his feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. And Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. So he said, Teacher, say it. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors, one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. and when they had nothing which which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more? Simon answered and said, I suppose the one whom he forgave more, and he said to him, You have rightly judged. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Then he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. And those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? Then he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. Faithful love from above. Let’s notice. Revealed as Jesus Christ. I mean, clearly the scripture tells us from 1 Timothy 3.16 how God was manifest in the flesh. meaning that God showed and made known His Son. And the divine love of God is shown and made known through the price paid in giving Jesus, John 3.16. Through repentance in Matthew 9.13 and Luke 13.3 and 5, Jesus said more about repentance than any other person in the Scriptures. And through His beloved grace we see the Christ revealed, such faithful love, 2 Corinthians 8, 9 says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. Faithful love from above. And in Christ God’s love was manifested. And then we see faithful love from above received by the woman. Yes, he was revealed as the Christ Christ. But received by the woman, O this woman in our text, although looked upon with disdain, if we were to look at her contribution to the Christ, this was a sweet-smelling ointment type of cosmetic used by the wealthy ladies of Rome. Indeed, this lady gave a great gift with a great tender heart of faith. And Jesus saw her faith, as we noted in Luke 7 and verse 50. a faith that was worked by love, Galatians 5 and verse 6. And with her tears and compassion, one must wonder if she was moved with that godly sorrow unto repentance, 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 10. And Jesus forgave that woman in Luke 7 and verse 48. What great compassion! What faithful love from above! She recognized who he was, responded unto him, and the mercy of Christ made a difference in her life. And again, thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace. When one recognizes Christ and believes in him, to where one’s faith moves one to obedience, just as it moved this woman to do what she did, then and only then can one go in peace. Friends, let’s stop right here. We have a very special Bible study today. I know that we can look upon and see the love of Christ, but maybe we need to be like this woman, to make some decisions, to respond to Him, and to serve Him. And we can do so when we are obedient to His will. Her faith brought her to do what she did. Allow our faith to bring us to do what we need to do. the beauty of repentance and confession and baptism, and it all begins with faith. It begins with the study of the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Romans 10, 17. Here’s a very special study, and here is our J-Web with the details.
SPEAKER 01 :
An additional Bible study by mail is now available from International Gospel Hour. It’s titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man. And friends, like all materials, it’s free. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type God and man in the message box. Another Bible study that is free from IGH. And our friends at godandman.com. That’s god-and-man.com. And, you know, since you can’t see it, let me just spell that out for you. God-And-Man.com We’d love to hear from you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, indeed, friends, faithful love from above. As Christ was revealed to this earth and walked among men, and here is this sweet woman, this woman called a sinner, and yet how the faithful love from above was received by the woman. But you know, this account does not stop. Time will not permit us to look a little bit closer at Simon the Pharisee. So what we’re going to do on our next broadcast, we’re going to spend time looking at Faithful Love from Above, Part 2. And we’ll spend time with a brief review and then looking at the life of Simon. Don’t forget to reach out to us for our free publication of Valor and Virtue and to receive your free Bible study, God and Man, How to Be Saved from Sin, 855-444-6988. We’ll continue these studies together at another time. And thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening today. To God be the glory. And we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com And join us next time.
