Following is a step by step overview of the downward process the prodigal took.

       Self-will,

              selfishness,

                     separation,

                            sensuality,

                                    spiritual destitution,

                                           self-abasement,

                                                  then starvation.

Once he reached the starvation level, the prodigal allowed a change of mind to take place. This caused his heart and then even his will to change.

       Starvation lead to:

              Realization,

                     Resolution,

                            Repentance,

                                    Return,

                                           Reconciliation,

                                                  Re-clothing

and finally, Rejoicing!

 

As we see the truth, we too must repent, then turn and go home to the Father.

The Father’s Perspective

I pray that, as the Prodigal did, so many reading this message will respond and return to the outstretched arms of Jesus. Don’t allow foolish pride or anything else to stand in the way of returning to the heavenly Father.

Here in verses 17 and 18, we get the first written glimpse of the character of the father. I am sure he did not want the son to leave in the first place. Can you imagine the pain the father felt knowing his son wanted to go and do his own thing?

The father knew full well the folly of leaving. He knew all too well where it might end. At the same time he knew his son had to come to the place of seeing for himself that the grass was not greener on the other side. Was it easy for the father? Did it cause the father pain? I believe it was very tough on the father to let his son go down a road that could lead to destruction. But I believe he knew that he had to trust in the ways of truth to bring his son through.

How many of you have gone through the same heartache? But, even in this, as in every other case, we see the importance of each person’s free will. There is no difference with God our heavenly Father. He desires so deeply that we walk with Him — yet waits so patiently, longing for us to return to Him. God will give us the opportunity to come back to Him but He, in no way, will force us.

As with the father in this story, God stands with arms stretched wide open waiting for our return. 17And 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!

18I 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.

Let’s go through verse 20 very carefully and as we do we will learn some extremely valuable lessens that reveal the heart of the Father in ways that are often over looked.

First we read that “he arose and came.”

We see here that the son arose and was on his way to see His Father. There is no indication he was going very fast. We can assume the weight of what he had done was resting very heavily on his shoulders. He was probably thinking of all that he had done wrong and probably filled with many doubts that his father would accept him. As well, is it safe to assume that he knew he would be facing the opposition from his older brother? But regardless of all that was going on in his heart, he kept coming.

“A great way off”

I can imagine the Father was always looking into the distance hoping and longing for the day when his son would return. When that day came and he saw his son from a distance, many emotions would have flooded His being. From the glad realization that the boy was coming home, to sorrow over the obvious state the son was in, to all the love for the son that was bursting within his chest, he too experienced many varied responses.

What a stark difference this is today from how many believers react towards the prodigals of our day.

Rather than adopting a judgmental attitude or one of “I better make sure he has repented properly” to “I better wait and make sure that the fruit of his life from here on is better”, we see the Father was prompted by His feelings and love to go and embrace his returning son.

“Had compassion”

The Father was moved by what He saw and He was moved by love into action. So many today say they love but never are moved by it. Love without action is not love at all. Words of love with no action to accompany them, is of no value. If we cannot follow through when we use the word love, maybe we better quit using it until we can.

“And ran”

This was much different that the son. The son came but the Father ran. Again we see love is far more than talk. True love propels us to action. Can you grasp the impact we would have on people if we became active in our love towards them?

“Fell on his neck”

The Father threw his arms around his son’s neck and embraced him. It was a sign that everything would be okay, regardless of where the son had been. The Father not only loved him but he also accepted him and was not holding his sins against him.

Church, we need to realize the Father accepted the son before repentance was made to him. Love opened the way for the son to follow through on what he had planned to do.

This is no different than salvation. God first loved us. This enabled us to respond to Him. The same holds true for those that have wondered away. As we love them, it enables them to start the process of embracing the fullness of the Father. Let’s be vessels of the Fathers love.

21And 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.

22But 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:

Church, the Father not only identified with one that said he was sorry but immediately reinstated him into the family by placing the ring on His finger. Church, back then a ring was sign of honor and dignity. We need to see people put back in a place of dignity not keep them bound by the sins of yesterday.

Many believers today have no idea the difference between a judgmental spirt and the Spirit of Jesus our Redeemer. Let me try and put it this way. When from the cross Jesus looked upon the world full of its sin and the depravity of mankind, what did He do? He said Father forgive them they don’t know what they are doing. Think about it, the wonder of the gospel. We are called to exhibit and walk in that same mercy. As we walk in mercy we are an extension of God’s heart. If we run around condemning and slicing and discing each other, we are an extension of something that is not Godly.

23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

I believe this parable is far more that a story of a wayward son. It could just as easily be the story of any Christian who has gone astray, who has chosen to do his own thing. It could easily even be the story of someone who has not yet totally come home to the father.

I see a very important example that we must follow. The father reinstated the son after the prodigal acknowledged his sin. There could have been a danger of a repeat occurrence if the father had cut him off before the boy had repented.

In the church today, we can be real quick to say we forgive, sometimes even before the person repents. I believe this son had already come to grips with how bad he had blown it. He knew he had sinned against his father and against heaven.

Let us not short cut the process in those who have not come to grips with true repentance. Nowhere in this story do we see the father run after his young son to bring him home before he learned his lessons. Rather, the father allowed the processes to happen. Finally, after the process of repentance was complete, the father expressed his love.

It is amazing how mixed up we get things. Far too often we cut short the important process of realizing and expressing a person’s repentance, then we encourage them to spend years telling and retelling all the sordid details of the time in the far country. How much better it would be to let repentance complete its work, and cut off the repeating the story of the years spent in sin.

Can you see how things work when we allow God to take charge? What a picture of God’s love!

Many people who call themselves Christians have foolishly wandered away from God by doing their own thing. The son left because of selfishness.

How many people today are not walking with the family of God just because they disagreed with someone or something and that started them down the road of separation, never to be reconciled?

How many believers, because of their own pride and rebellion, stay away from the fellowship of the church? How many others use drugs, jobs, even anger or bitterness as reasons to stay away?

One reason many prodigal sons don’t come home to the Father (and this may actually be part of the problem that caused them to leave in the first place) is the older brother.

Here is a thought that is very important for us to remember.

Life away from God is not LIFE — it is only existence!

Positive Repentance

How did the prodigal really respond? In this story, the Prodigal son shows us a clear cut example of how someone should respond even today.

First, acknowledge your sin; make a clean break and return to the ways of God. Don’t fall for the big trap the enemy so often lays. It says we need to be punished or we must continue to pay the rest of our lives for the mistakes we have made. Let’s be real clear about this. There are consequences to our actions. Repenting does not mean we have a fire escape from the consequences of sin. On the other hand, what the result will be is entirely up to God. The enemy will often try to tell us that to be forgiven we must continually bear the cost of our wrong actions or we are not forgiven. Satan will then proceed to set things up so we wear the badge of constantly doing penance as a symbol to others and to ourselves that we have been forgiven. Over the years I have seen many people who continue to pay a price for something they had done without really understanding that Jesus has already paid the price for the sin.

There is no other price that needs to be paid. Jesus paid it all! He paid the full price so that we may be fully forgiven! We can never by our works earn enough to pay the price Jesus paid — nor does God expect us to. We receive forgiveness freely. It is His gift to us. To continually keep trying to pay the price for our sins is an insult to God. Beating ourselves up, looking for every negative thing in life to even the score, is offensive to Him. The only things we can really do is say thank you and follow Jesus’ example by freely forgiving those who hurt us. We need to walk away from our sins, make a clean break with them and live in the victory Jesus bought for us with His life.

Let me share a little story to help you grasp what I mean.

Mr X led a wild life. He did everything from drugs to living a totally immoral lifestyle complete with many partners. Somewhere, through the drugs or his sexual escapades, he contracted aids.

Mr X came to God, asked for forgiveness of his sin and repented of his former ways. Was Mr X forgiven? Of course he was! Did he have to do penance for the rest of his life to pay for his sinful ways? No! Jesus paid the price for his sinning ways, but there was a consequence for his actions — he still had aids. I have personally heard of some people who have been healed of aids when they came to Christ. Others have not been healed but either way, they do not have to keep paying a price for their actions. Jesus is the only one that can pay the price for our sin, but there are times when, although we are forgiven, we must walk through the consequences of our actions.

We must allow this next statement to sink deep within our souls. It must be allowed to permeate everything we are. When we have come to Jesus and truly repented of our sinful ways, although there may be consequences, there is something that is often over looked. When we take the step toward Jesus, He instantaneously take the step toward us. Even more important, he chooses to stand beside us, to identify with us. So my friend, be careful for the enemy and those with a legalistic bent will try to bring you under bondage to themselves by trying to impose all sorts of rules. They will see it as their duty to enforce their rules. The sole purpose of the root of these actions and the spirit behind them is to keep you a second class citizen. It’s desire is to keep you from walking in the freedom and identity of your Heavenly Father.

So for all the prodigals who are reading this — let today be the day you come home to your Heavenly Father. Return to Him while you have the opportunity. Do not stay away thinking, “I will do it tomorrow” for we do not know when we will no longer have the opportunity to respond and come home.

When you have come back to the Father, do not let anyone lay heavies on you saying that you must pay penance for your actions or do your repentance to them so they know you are sincere. You may have to suffer the consequences of your actions, but remember, you cannot earn your forgiveness — it’s a free gift from God for you. Accept His gift of forgiveness while He is calling out to you. Then forgive yourself and live in the forgiveness He made possible.

So, in the name of Jesus — respond today! I beg you, do not put it off.

Just pray what is in your heart. Below is my prayer for us all.

         Father, I ask that You would do what ever it takes to bring us to that place of peace and purpose You have for each of our lives. I pray that the prodigals can find that place in the body that You have reserved for them. I pray that they will feel You embrace them and as they do that they will let go of everything that would keep them away from Your presence.

      I ask that those that have become judgmental and those who have been under the influence of the spirit of the older brother will make the choice to become ambassadors of love and mercy.

      Holy Spirit reveal the heart of the Father to each one and help us be like Him.

      In The Name Of Jesus, I pray.

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