A Tale of Two Sons Part 2

Last week, we looked at the prodigal son  and how his Father gladly extended grace and celebrated his return home.

But, there was a family member who wasn’t so thrilled with the party.

Remember that both brothers were given their inheritance at the same time.

One spent it all on lose living, and one hadn’t learned to live in the abundance of his inheritance.

He was livid that a party featuring the fattened calf was thrown for his brother who had indulged in sin with prostitutes.

He had always done what he was told, but did he get so much as a goat kid to party with his friends? NO!

He had a serious knot in his knickers and did not want to celebrate with them.

His father implored him to come in to the party, and pointed out that all that was His had always been available to him.

What was the older son’s error?

He never appropriated what was already his.

He lived in the trap of performance based acceptance instead of grace.

He lived under the Law instead of grace.

There is no celebration in the Law. No, there is only fear and insecurity.

The Law does not empower us to walk in righteousness.

Grace alone teaches us to say no to unrighteousness.

The Law is good, righteous  and holy,  but it is cold and seemingly harsh.

Grace is filled with love and forgiveness.

It is not license, rather it teaches us to live in God’s love which leads us to obedience.

John tells us that love and obedience are linked together.

If we live in God’s love, we know that obedience is the absolute best for us, and we want to obey.

Grace is the power source for obedience, as we are filled with the Spirit of God.

The same Spirit that empowered Jesus, empowers us for obedience.

We are free from the Law and free to celebrate with fellow believers in all that is ours already in Christ Jesus.

Nothing the world offers us can compare with that!

Beloved, are you enjoying your inheritance, or are you trying to earn what you already have?

That can only lead to legalism and a judgmental and critical spirit.

Enter into the joy of His rest, and celebrate with each child that comes home.

All of us need His grace.  Let’s rejoice with each one’s return!

Blessings!

Robyn Henning

A Tale of Two Sons Part 1

Most of us are familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Which one of the brothers do you relate to the most?

Perhaps, you relate more to the Father because you have a prodigal child.

Over the next two weeks, I want to look at these two very different sons and their unique struggles.

The younger son comes to his Dad and says, “Give me my inheritance.”

So, the Father divides his possessions between them.

Note that they both get their inheritance.

The younger one travels to a distant land and spends it all on wine and women.

When his resources are gone, he hires himself to a man who has him feed his pigs.

He looks at the pigs’ food and longs to eat it because his boss isn’t even offering to feed him.

He comes to his senses and remembers how his father at least feeds his servants decent food.

So, he decides to return home to ask to be his father’s servant.

While he is far off, his father sees him, feels compassion and runs to embrace and kiss him.

The son humbly apologizes and asks to be his servant, but his father ignores him and orders a change of clothes that symbolize sonship and calls for the fattened calf to be killed and a party held.

The Father rejoices in his son’s return and wants nothing more than to celebrate his son’s rebirth.

This is indeed a beautiful depiction of God’s love and grace toward all of us.

But, how many prodigals believe that they’ve messed up so bad that they cannot come home because of their sins?

Beloved, there is nothing that will make Father God run from you.

He longs to run toward you.

But, you must first turn around and start heading toward Him.

Coming home for the prodigal meant first turning away from sin and heading back to his Father.

He didn’t expect a party; he felt so unworthy; he didn’t understand grace.

Grace frees us from the trap of performance based acceptance.

Beloved, if we are in Christ, we are always accepted by the Father by His grace.

He is always looking to extend His grace to anyone willing to turn from sin and come home to Him no matter what they have done.

He doesn’t make any of us second class Christians either.

He makes us all full fledged sons and daughters and celebrates our return to Him.

Never stop praying for your prodigals.  Be ready to celebrate their return!

Blessings!

Robyn Henning