I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7 (NKJV)
Our God is a “heart” God. Despite what legalistic Christianity teaches, God isn’t primarily concerned with our outward behaviour. He wants us to make good decisions, of course, but He’s most concerned with our hearts, and He also wants us to know His heart.
There’s a parable that Jesus taught in Luke 15 that has a lot to say about the heart of God. As Jesus was teaching, all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to listen, which got the religious people whispering. They criticized Him, saying “This Man receives sinners and eats with them” (v. 2), but Jesus wanted them to see that He was demonstrating the heart of God.
Drawing a parallel between a shepherd who loses a sheep and rejoices when he finds it, Jesus taught that God pursues the lost until they are found. This flies in the face of much of the religious teaching out there.
Many would have us think that God is angry and unforgiving, but that’s not the picture that Jesus is painting here.
If you're a believer and you’ve stopped pursuing a relationship with God or you’ve done something you feel guilty about, God wants to rescue you. He isn’t rejecting you. Jesus is showing us here that He’s the good shepherd who looks after His sheep. When one is lost, He pursues it and doesn’t stop until it’s found!
Take a step closer to God today. Ask for forgiveness if you’ve done something wrong, knowing that He always forgives, and realize that your step in His direction is causing all of Heaven to celebrate!
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