Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee

OVBC - Wednesday PM 11/11/20

Faith is an essential element of the Christian life. We have seen how Jesus commended it when He saw it demonstrated, and chided His disciples when they were in doubt, had little of it or none at all. We have learned that just a little of it, properly applied can move mountains and dry up fruitless fig trees. We have watched how it brought healing to a woman who was sick for 38 years, how instrumental it was in dealing paralysis, and even with demon possession. We have seen the fact that Jesus sees our faith and that our faith is a weighty matter in the His sight. We have also established the fact that God must be the object of our faith. 

Tonight, we are going to see how genuine faith saves us and it can be recognized by a spirit of love and humility. 

First, we want to distinguish this dear lady from others in the Bible with whom she is often mistaken. 

1.     This was not Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ sister.

·        John 12:1-8

·        She poured the ointment on Jesus head as he sat at meat (Matt 26:7)

·        She did it for his burial.

·        That took place in Bethany.

·        That anointing was at Simon the leper’s house.

·        This was after Lazarus was raised from the dead, he was there at the supper.

·        This happened the week before Christ was crucified. 

·        Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard and anointed Jesus feet and wiped his feet with her hair.

·        Judas was there and complained about the waste.

2.    This woman is not to be confused with Mary Magdalene.

·                Jesus delivered her out of demon possession. 

·        There is no record of Mary Magdalene anointing Christ prior to His crucifixion.

·        She went to anoint Christ after He was crucified and found the tomb empty. 

3.    This woman is unnamed.

·        She was a sinner.

·        She came to Jesus at Simon the Pharisee’s house.

·                She brought an alabaster box of ointment.

·        She stood at Jesus feet, behind Him, weeping.

·                She began to wash his feet with tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head.

·        She kissed his feet and anointed His feet with ointment. 

This dear lady demonstrated saving faith!

·        Don’t misunderstand – she was not saved by anointing Him with costly ointment.

·        She was not saved because she wept as she did so.

·        She was not saved because she wiped His feet with her hair.

·        She was not saved because she kissed His feet.

·        Jesus mentioned that her love was more than Simon the Pharisee offered, but she was not saved because of her love. 

·        Jesus plainly tells us why she was saved – “Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee”

·        And Jesus was plainly talking about the salvation of her soul because He said in verse 48 “Thy sins are forgiven”

Matthew Henry commented on this verse:  “This would confirm and double her comfort in the forgiveness of her sin, that she was justified by her faith. All these expressions of sorrow for sin, and love to Christ, were the effects and products of faith; and therefore, as faith of all graces doth most honour God, so Christ doth of all graces put most honour upon faith.”

How did she know she was truly forgiven?

·        She had the assurance of His Word. 

·        Then Jesus sent her away in peace! 

·        For the first time in her life she had peace with God!

Henry went on to say: Note, They who know that their faith hath saved them may go in peace, may go on their way rejoicing.[1]

[1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1848). Peabody: Hendrickson.