The Woman Who Lived A Sinful Life - Her Promise

The Woman Who Lived a Sinful Life - Her Promise

Let’s be honest. Many of us would respond to this sinful woman just as the Pharisee did. It’s so easy to look more with judgment than love at people whose lives have been devastated by sin. But Jesus looked at her and at Simon and saw the same thing: their need for forgiveness. And he gave it freely. We don’t know what Simon’s response to Jesus was, but the woman’s response is evident in her tears and kisses.

This story isn’t included in Scripture just so we can see the forgiveness given to one sinful woman; it’s included so we can know that no matter how sinful, how broken, how entrenched in error we might be, forgiveness is available if only we seek it in faith — he’s promised.

Promises in Scripture

For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

— Psalm 25:11

When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.

— Psalm 65:3

Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

—Acts 10:43

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

— Ephesians 1:7 – 8

He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

— Colossians 1:13 – 14