We can be labeled many things by others; “nice”, “mean”, “attractive”, “talented”, “clumsy”, etc. Some are welcome-some aren’t. In the Bible, there’s a lot of people who knew about labels. One of them encountered Jesus while in a lifestyle so colorful the entire town knew of it. But when Luke introduces her to us, she had recently received a new label. In Luke chapter 7, it’s recorded that she went into a dinner gathering at Simon’s house to express her love and gratitude to the Lord. After washing His feet with her tears, she opened an alabaster flask and anointed Him with an expensive, fragrant oil (which of course, produced some discussion). After making a point through an illustration of creditor and debtor, Jesus turned to the woman and spoke the most important words any of us could ever hope to hear:

“Your sins are forgiven…your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” – Luke 7:48-50 NKJV

“Forgiven.” As broken, self-centered people, what could possible compare to that status as we stand before Holy God? Through gracious love, He’s given us something we couldn’t earn in a thousand lifetimes. Certainly, there are many wonderful things to talk about regarding the Christian life, but nothing more central to who we are than the invaluable label of “Forgiven”. How will you wear it today?