A Story of Grace (Luke 15:11-32)
Perhaps no parable of Jesus Christ in the gospels better illustrate the grace and love of our Father than the parable of the lost son.
Luke 15:11-32
[11]And he said, A certain man had two sons:
[12]And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
[13]And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
[14]And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
[15]And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
[16]And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
[17]And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
[18]I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
[19]And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
[20]And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
[21]And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
[22]But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
[23]And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
[24]For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
[25]Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
[26]And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
[27]And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
[28]And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
[29]And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
[30]But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
[31]And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
[32]It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
The story is also a good response to the religious and legalistic position that a believer can lose his/her salvation or that salvation is temporal and not eternal.
The elder brother in that story symbolises the religious people and ministers of today who believe that the lost son (seemingly unrighteous people by their own self-righteous standard) can enjoy the good things and riches of the earth but will never have access into the Father's house (in this case heaven). These self-righteous ones are fond of saying many will end up in hell for embracing the Grace of God. They are utterly deluded. Just the same way the elder brother felt there was no way back home for his lost younger brother. As far as he was concerned, the Father's house belonged to him alone.
Contrary to the religious gibberish that salvation can be lost, there was no way the returning lost son could have missed the Father's house (heaven) while in the Father's embrace (a symbol of being in Christ Jesus). He could not have changed his mind to even go back because the Father ran all the way to him when he was yet a great way off from the Father's house. That is a picture of Jesus Christ coming for us right here on earth. We are accepted and loved while we are here on earth and there will be much more even in heaven. Just as the Father did not wait for the son to get into the house before showing him love. The Father's house in the story is a symbol of heaven. The party took place in the house. Jesus spoke of the joy in heaven over every repentant sinner. The Father's embrace and kisses happened on the way, a picture of every believer in Christ the beloved even though we are still on earth.
Beloved, beware of those who do not embrace the Grace of God. They do not just reject Him, they are also working so hard to make sure that others do not embrace Grace. They are peddlers of the ministry of death and condemnation behind so many pulpits. They are just like the elder brother of the lost son. Notice that the elder brother of the lost son refused to enter the house and he also did not want the Father to welcome the lost son into the house. Jesus already spoke of them in the scriptures.
Matthew 23:13
[13]But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
The scribes and Pharisees are renowned for propagating the law and rejecting Christ who is Grace. Notice that these folks did not just stay outside the kingdom of God, they were also preventing others from entering into that kingdom. Today we have their likes in many places amidst us in the church. They will not embrace the Grace of our God and they are also fighting tooth and nail to make sure that the flocks do not embrace Grace. They go to great length to discredit the Grace of God accusing Grace of promoting licentiousness (saying Grace is not a licence to sin) and saying many will end up in hell due to Grace. Beloved, beware of anyone (minister or believer) around you who do not embrace the Grace of God, he/she will also never want you to get Grace. Grace and the liberty thereof annoys them so much and they are always spying on those who stand in Grace in order to accuse, malign and condemn them. The same thing was done to Paul and companions. Galatians 2:4-5
[4]And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
[5]To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
Just as Paul and co, let us give no room for these religious spies in any way by subjecting ourselves to them. Beloved, let us stand fast in the liberty where Christ has made us free and let us not commit adultery by cheating on Jesus depending on our own self-efforts.
Galatians 5:1
[1]Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Right believing causes right living.