I had heard it so much all my life, really—or at least as long as I can remember—that Jesus loves me and that he forgives my sins. All of them. That he has saved me. It’s been spoken on the tongues of preachers, sung in anthems, said in prayers, written on signs. I’ve even read it in God’s Word, but I realized today a great truth: I had missed the greatest miracle recorded in Scripture.

In Luke chapter 7, when the sinful woman came to Christ and washed his feet with her tears and hair, then anointed him with perfume, Christ said to her in response, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then he proceeded to tell her that her faith had saved her, that she was to go in peace. The thought ran through my mind: her faith had saved her from what?  What miracle had she received?

We’ve heard it said in other parts of Scripture that when Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well,” it involved restoration of life, physical manifestations of healing in the body. But here, very plainly, it’s not just that your faith has saved you from a temporary ailment or problem. It occurred to me that the woman was saved and freed from the penalty of the sins that had been held against her. She was released from the guilt, shame, burden, and penalty of her sins because she was forgiven by Christ. The greatest miracle is the one we overlook, or don’t even really think of as a miracle: the miracle of salvation through forgiveness by faith.

Maybe, like me, you’ve just heard it so much that you have forgotten what a miracle salvation is. Let me explain what is so amazing about the salvation provided by our Savior. You were stained with sin so completely that you could not wash it off through any effort of your own. You could not deny your guilt, although perhaps you ignored it. Literally, your sins had poisoned your soul to the point that you were completely separated from God and dead—a lost cause. Through the miracle of faith in Christ, your black soul was washed white through the red blood Christ shed for you. He honors our faith and trust in who Christ is and what he can do. He is the one who can forgive our sins. He is the only one who has made a way where there is no way. He took the penalty for our sins on himself so we would not have to bear it. He ransomed our life and defeated death so that it no longer has a hold on us. Without him, we would have been lost, condemned, and without hope. His forgiveness and salvation is everything.

Just sit with that thought for a minute and think about the wonder of the miracle of salvation. This is something we take for granted and so flippantly say, “Just come to the Lord and say a prayer, and your sins are forgiven and you’re saved.” It’s almost as if we minimize what’s happening in that moment. Complete healing, which you were incapable of bringing about yourself. Your stained soul made white. While your righteousness is like a filthy rag to be thrown away, he covers you with his own righteousness. Your debt completely paid, which was too great for you to ever pay.

The penalty for the condition of your soul and your sin was death, and you had no way to save yourself. Praise the Lord, through the grace of God and with the faith he gives you to believe, you believed in his authority and power to completely heal, restore, and redeem your life from the pit. This is not just one of the things God does, and then he heals and provides also. The salvation he gives us is everything. It is our greatest need: forgiveness and redemption. It’s the greatest miracle!

Whether you’ve heard it a million times, or it’s your first time hearing it, I want you to understand today that when Christ says, “Your sins are forgiven,” it is the most awesome miracle that could ever be done. Even more amazing is the fact that he’s saying that to you and to me. When we come in faith and believe in his power to save us, he saves and forgives.

You do need salvation. He’s the Savior for you, the only one who could save. What an awesome God we serve! He sees our greatest need and he meets it. And still he goes one step further and not only forgives us and saves us, but grants us peace, grace, and love.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see what Jesus really did for me—what he wants to do for us all, if only we will come in faith. Don’t miss the greatest miracle and Don’t miss out on the greatest miracle! It is available to us all today.