This week, we took a closer look at a remarkable story in Luke’s gospel which explains why some were drawn to Jesus while others rejected Him.
- Read Luke 7:36-50
- Which part of this story most intrigues you? Why?
- Pastor Josh explained how the sinful woman and the Pharisee both picture different ways of avoiding God as Savior. Those who go the way of irreligion, represented by the sinful woman prior to her initial encounter with Jesus, reject God by rejecting his law and living any way they see fit. On the other hand, those who go the way of the religion also reject God but do so by embracing and obeying God’s law so as to earn their salvation. What further insights can we gain about these two ways by examining the details of this story more closely?
- How does the Gospel constitute a “third way”? Where do we see the Gospel at work in this story?
- Pastor Josh shared a quote regarding the tendency of Christians to revert to the way of religion – or moralism – as a way of relating to God. Listen to part of this quote again and share your responses to it: “Only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives. Many… have a theoretical commitment to this doctrine, but in their day-to-day existence they rely on their sanctification for justification… drawing their assurance of acceptance with God from their sincerity, their past experience of conversion, their recent religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious, willful disobedience. Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Luther’s platform: you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in that quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude…” Can you identify with this? How should Christians seek to overcome this tendency?
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