Key Points
- God's Opinion of Us Matters: How we perceive God's view of us profoundly impacts how we see and approach Him. If we see Him as a harsh judge, we approach with fear; if as a loving Father, we can approach with openness and love.
- God Thinks About Us Constantly: We are always on His mind, and He dreams about our future, not just dwelling on our past mistakes.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Revisited)
The "Prodigal" is the Father:
The common understanding of "prodigal" is "lost" or "rebellious," but its true meaning is "exceedingly generous" and "lavishly wasteful."
* The father in the parable is the one who is truly prodigal, demonstrating reckless generosity by dividing his estate when the younger son wished him dead, and lavishing undeserved love upon the son's return.
The Father's Lavish Love:
Upon the son's return, the father immediately restores his identity, dignity, and authority:
- Best robe: Represents his identity as a favored son.
- Sandals: Represents his dignity (slaves went barefoot).
- Ring: Represents his authority (a signet for family business).
- This reflects our Heavenly Father's love, who gives us His best robe of salvation, restores our dignity, and grants us authority as His children (e.g., "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven," Matthew 18:18).
The Kiss Before Confession:
- The father saw the son "while he was still a long way off," ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him before the son confessed his sin.
- This sequence is crucial: acceptance precedes confession. God's love and grace are not earned through our efforts or repentance; they are freely given.
- Romans 5:8 reiterates this: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Two Types of "Lost" Sons
- The Younger Son (the Rebel): He wandered away physically and spiritually, wasting his inheritance. He eventually came to his senses and desired to return as a servant, but was immediately restored as a son.
- The Older Son (the Self-Righteous): He stayed at home but was "lost" in his heart, seeing himself as a slave and being filled with anger, resentment, and judgment towards his brother. He never truly experienced the joy of being a son.
- Both needed the Father: The father went out to both sons, showing his desire for both to be fully "home" in relationship with him.
Implications for Believers
- Holiness is for Us, Not From Us: We don't clean up our act to come to God; God makes us holy through His grace in Jesus Christ. We come as we are, and then, through the Holy Spirit and community, we cooperate with God in the process of sanctification and character change, driven by gratitude, not fear.
Our Response to the "Lost":
- We should not withhold love and forgiveness until we see how "sinners" will behave.
- Many do not come to God due to fear of His judgment, but even more are afraid of our judgment (the "older brothers" in the church).
- Being "mean-spirited, judgmental, harsh, and demanding" will not attract people to Jesus.
- We attract people to Jesus by reflecting His prodigal love: a love that is patient, kind, humble, gentle, generous, keeps no record of wrongs, and pursues others.
- Choosing Our Response: We can choose to ignore God's lavish love, or we can surrender to it, allow ourselves to be loved, and let Him sing over us. It's a call to come home to His love, not His anger.
Concluding Thoughts
- The Kiss of Acceptance: Unlike the betraying kisses of Brutus or Judas, the Father's kiss was a genuine act of acceptance, showing unconditional love.
- Imitate Christ: Our greatest goal is not earthly achievement but to become more like Jesus, reflecting His image of generosity, forgiveness, love, and mercy.
- God's Joy in Our Image: God rejoices when we behave like Him, reflecting His image, far more than in our short-lived achievements.
- Don't Idolize People: Do not put individuals on a pedestal, as their mistakes can cause disillusionment with Christ. Our only role model is Jesus.
- Taking a Step Towards God: If we take one step towards God, He will take ten towards us.
