Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:1-10

1. We should observe the striking testimony which was borne to our Lord by His enemies.
2. We should observe the remarkable figures under which our Lord describes His own love towards sinners.
3. We should observe the wide encouragement which our Lord holds out to repentance.

"The Lord Jesus is indeed one that "receives sinners." He receives them to pardon them, to sanctify them, and to make them fit for heaven. It is His special office to do so."

"Christ's love is an active, working love. Just as the shepherd did not sit still bewailing his lost sheep, and the woman did not sit still bewailing her lost money, so our blessed Lord did not sit still in heaven pitying sinners. He left the glory which He had with the Father, and humbled Himself to be made in the likeness of man. He came down into the world to seek and save that which was lost."

"He is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved."

"The thing is doubled, to make doubt impossible. The idea is repeated, in order to meet man's unbelief."

Questions:

1. Ryle’s questions are worth repeating: Have we any sense of sin? Do we feel bad, and wicked, and guilty, and deserving of God's anger? Is the remembrance of our past lives bitter to us? Does the recollection of our past conduct make us ashamed? Then we are the very people who ought to apply to Christ, just as we are, pleading nothing of our own, making no useless delay.

2. Ryle draws out three characteristics of Christ’s love: that it is an active and working love, that it is self-denying, and deep and mighty. He says that if we take comfort in our love, that we are building on sand, but if we are looking to His love, we stand on a rock. Are we caught up looking to our own love or His love for us?

3. Friends, do we believe that Christ receives all who repent? Have we repented, and are we repenting, of our sin and bringing joy to the angels in heaven?