Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

The word love here is agapao, not agape. While looking at the definition of agapao I found this descriptor. I thought it was more complete than many of the other definitions.

“In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant “love” and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential “love” in them towards the Giver, and a practical “love” towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver.” Source: Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Terms – Strong’s Number G25

That “perfect Being” is Jesus Christ, agape is a noun, agapao is the verb. What I find interesting in Luke 7:47 is that our ability to express love is tied directly to forgiveness. I find it difficult if not impossible to love someone whom I have not forgiven. I find it even more difficult to forgive someone who is guilty of the sins which I have committed and failed to forgive myself first.

Many focus on the issue of being unworthy objects and never get over that fact. We have to trust God and His Word.

Romans 3:24-26 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Our justification is a declared state, it is because God has judged our quality through the blood of His Son’s sacrifice and not by anything we have done.