Heaven Rejoices Over One Sinner Who Repents

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

September 15, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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September 14, 2025

Readings:
Exodus 32:1, 7-14
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-16

14th Sunday of Ordinary Tine 2025 -Abp. Hines

The readings today reveal God’s love for the sinner. Even when man has rebelled, fallen, He still reaches out to restore him. Psalm 51:1-19 “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” We think that when we’ve sinned against a person, we have offended against that person. While that may be correct, we are actually offending God. We have not sought to be who we are in Christ, thinking that we can do whatever we want to do.

In the Old Testament, we see Moses leading the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt with all its wealth. After some time when they had settled in Mount Sinai after crossing the Red Sea, Moses went up the mountain to receive instructions from God and left the people for forty days and forty nights. The people, fearing that Moses would not return became impatient and decided to make a golden calf to worship. When the Lord found out what the people had done, He told Moses to go down because what they did had angered Him and He threatened to have them destroyed. But Moses stood in the gap and pleaded on behalf of the people. So, the Lord did not push through with the plan.

We have been blessed with so much from God, and therefore we should be thankful to Him. God is showing us that even in the midst of rebellion, He forgives. Just look at the life of Paul, formerly Saul, who was the no. 1 persecutor of Christians. But God chose him, forgave him, and gave him a new life.

In today’s Gospel, we see the compassion of God. He can forgive even the most hardened sinner. Here were tax gatherers and publicans, or Jews who worked for Rome, coming to hear Jesus. The Pharisees and the scribes were quick to point out that Jesus eats with sinners. Jesus then tells them the parable of the shepherd who had 100 sheep. How he would leave his 99 sheep behind just to look for that one which was lost or has gone astray. And that he would not give up until he finds the one lost sheep. And when he finally finds him, he would carry the sheep on his shoulders to bring him home. Then Jesus tells another parable of a woman with 10 silver coins. How that if she loses one, she will sweep the floor and search the whole house with a lamp to find it, no matter how difficult it was to search for that one lost coin. Jesus was wanting us to know that heaven rejoices over even just one sinner who repents and is restored to God.

We are that valuable to God. We should look beyond and see the love He has for us. He would rejoice over one sinner reconciled to Him. He is always willing to forgive. He forgave the children of Israel who rebelled against Him. Can we begin to see His unconditional love for us? Christ came to the world for one purpose- to redeem the sinner. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. God wipes away the history of our sins. He is looking for souls to redeem. 1 Timothy 1:16 “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” God takes our old character, cleanses it, and makes use of the changed character for His honor and glory. God loves us, and is willing to restore us when we fail.