Was reading this story about prodigal son and many of you must have heard it before so many times.. this is the illustration and really would like to type the whole story out. it has certainly blessed me when i read it! :)
The story goes like this...........
The prodigal son trudges up the path. His pig stink makes passersby walk wide circles around him, but he doesn't notice. With eyes on the ground, he rehearses his speech: "Father"-his voice barely audible- "I have sinned against heaven and against you. I'm not worthy to be called your son." He rehashes the phrases, wondering if he should say more, less, or make a U-turn to the barnyard. After all, he cashed in the trust fund and trashed the family name. Over the last year, he'd awakened with more parched throats, headaches, women, and tattoos than a rock star. How could his father forgive him. May I could offer to pay off the credit cards. He's so focused on penance planning that he fails to hear the sound of his father... runiing!
The dad embraces the mud-layered boy as if he were a returning war hero. He commands the servants to bring a robe, ring, and sandals, as if to say, "No boy of mine is going to look like a pigpen peasant. Fire up the grill. Bring on the drinks. It's time for a party!"
Big brother meanwhile stands on the porch and sulks. "No one ever gave me a party," he mumbles, arms crossed.
The father tries to explain, but the jealous son won't listen. He huffs and shrugs and grumbles something about cheap grace, saddles his high horse, and rides off. But you knew that. You've read the parable of the gracious father and the hostile brother (See Luke 15:11-32)
But have you heard what happened next? Have you read the second chapter? It's a page-turner. The older brother resolves to rain on the forgiveness parade. If Dad won't exact justice on the boy, I will.
"Nice robe there, little brother," he tells him one day. "Bette keep it clean. One spot and Dad will send you to the cleaners with it."
The younger waves him away, but the next time he sees his father, he quickly checks his robe for stains.
A few days later big brother warns about the ring. "Quite a piece of jewelry Dad gave you. He prefers that you wear it on the thumb."
"The thumb? He didn't tell me that,"
"Some things we're just supposed to know."
"But it wou't fit my thumb."
"What's your goal-plesaing our father or your own personal comfort?" the spirituality monitor gibes, walking away.
Big brother isn't finished. With the pleasantness of a dyspeptic IRS auditor, he taunts, "If Dad sees you with loose laces, he'll take the sandals back."
"He will not. They were a gift. He wouldn't... would he?" The ex-prodigal then leans over to snug the strings. As he does, he spots a smudge on his robe. Trying to rub it off, he realizes the ring is on a finger, not his thumb. That's when he hears his father's voice. "Hello, Son."
There the boy sits, wearing a spotted robe, loose laces, and a misplaced ring. Overcome with fear, he reacts with a "Sorry, Dad" and turns and runs.
Too many task. Keeping the robe spotless, the ring positioned, the sandals snug-who could meet such standards? Gift perservation begins to wear on the young man. He avoids the father he feels he can't please. He quits wearing the gifts he can't maintain. And he even begins longing for the simpler days of the pigpen. "No one hounded me there."
*Sometimes, thanks for to some legalistic big brothers that the grace of God is replaced by law keeping.
But the bible in Galatians 2:16 says:
And yet we Jewish Christians know that we become right with God, not by doing what the lay commands, but BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God because of our faith in Christ- and not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be saved by obeying the law.
Romans 4:5 (But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work)
*It is only by God's special favor that we can be saved!
Grace defines us in 5 ways:
1) Spiritually alive (Ephesians 2:5- He gave us life)
2) Heavenly positioned (Ephesians 2:6- Seated with him in the heavenly realms)
3) Connected to God (Ephesians 2:6- One with Christ Jesus)
4) Billboards of mercy (Ephesians 2:7- Examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us)
5) Honored children (Ephesians 2:8- God saved you by his special favor)
*You are who God says you are by the grace of God! Not what others say!
*As unworthy or underserving as we may be in the past or even now, God loves us too much that's why He receives us to eat at the same table with Him! Don't condemn yourself because God is not in the business of doing that! We are all so precious to Him that He is willingly to send Jesus, His only beloved son to die on the cross for us that all our sins might be forgiven! :)
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