Simon the Leper
"While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper." (NIV).
Jesus dined at Simon the leper, evidently, he was a healed leper. I'd like to think a leper healed by Jesus. But he had to have been healed of his leprosy or he could not have been hosting a "party." Yet he was still known as "Simon the leper."
He was healed but once a leper always a leper
A leper's life was difficult not just because of the leprosy but maybe more so because leprosy was believed to be a curse from God. It was believed that a leper was a leper because of some heinous sin in their lives and they were under God’s judgment. But when Jesus heals He heals completely
Are we guilty of the same thing?
Once a drug addict, once an alcoholic, once an unwed mother, once an illegitimate child, once a divorcee…
He’s Simon the leper.
Once a liar, once a thief, once an adulterer… God forgives but we never forget.
We must receive all those who Jesus receives.
With the exception of…, if you can answer that go back to God and ask Him which of your sins he is still holding against you.
Debt Canceled
Back in August of 2019, Chase Bank did something for its Canadian credit cardholders that is unprecedented; it completely and utterly wiped their debt away! Isn’t that amazing?! Especially when you consider the fact that there had to be some customers that had maxed out their card.
Can you imagine what some felt like when they got the letter from the Chase Bank? Some may have thought it was the bank coming down hard on them, only to find out that their record had been cleared!
What would that feel like? Can you imagine it? It shouldn’t be hard for us to imagine, right? For we have, by faith, received the grace of God extended to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. By His sacrifice, we are completely and utterly forgiven. Our debt to a holy God has been completely wiped clean!
If You Pay For Anything, You Pay for Everything
I have a pastor friend who received a very generous offer from a family in their church. This family was going to Disney World and they wanted to take my pastor friend and his family with them. In fact, they wanted to treat them to everything: hotel rooms, meals, tickets into the park, everything they could possibly need to enjoy this trip as much as the host family did.
The guy offering this trip told my friend that he had one condition and one condition only: If you pay for anything, you pay for everything. In other words, try to pull out your wallet to pay for anything, and you are going to owe for everything. He insisted it was to be entirely his treat or none of it would be his treat.
That had the effect of keeping my friend's wallet in his pocket! He never tried to pay for a thing!
Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins; to pay the debt we could never pay; to earn for us what we could never earn for ourselves. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ declares that Jesus’ payment was accepted by God the Father. As a result, everyone who places their complete trust in Jesus receives eternal life – and a place in heaven with God – as a gift.
So when it comes to your salvation, it is important that we all keep our wallets in our pocket; that we place our complete confidence in Jesus' finished work on the cross. We must not attempt to add anything to the finished work of Christ, lest we empty the cross of its power. If we attempt to earn your salvation to any degree, we are obligated to earn the rest. As the Apostle Paul explained, "If by grace, then it (salvation) cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Romans 11:6).
In other words, if you pay for anything, you pay for everything.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).