Unfathomable Grace

My friends, what are we thinking? The sandals, robe, ring, and feast await. Let us come back to our home. Let us come back to our family. Let us come back to our position as sons. Let us come back to our Father. How much longer will we wander away from Dad and wallow in the mud with the swine? It is time for us to come back to our senses.

Luke 15:11–24     And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

We are children of the Father. He has chosen, purchased, and adopted us. This is our eternal position, and there is nothing anyone can do about this relationship. We are his people. We are his family. We are his sons and daughters. No one can pluck us from his hand. Forever we are his; this is who we are.

We are rich children of the Father. With the relationship comes an irrevocable trust or inheritance. Along with his spiritual and relational blessings, many temporal and secular blessings come as well. He loves to shower gifts upon his sons and daughters.

We are rich, spoiled, children of the Father. Most often, we prove to cherish our Father’s temporal blessings more than our Father. Instead of seeking fulfillment from our intimate relationship with him, we strive to find fulfillment from his riches. We reject God while enjoying his gifts. We walk away from our Savior while holding his stuff in our hands.

We are rich, spoiled, miserable children mired in muck. We have rejected satisfaction from our Father and have sought to find it from other people, other possessions, and other pleasures. We had some short-term gains, but now we are severely pained. Look where we are. We, the sons of God, are depressed, forlorn, and found fellowshiping with the pigs.

What ought we to do? We must come to our senses.

We must have a proper view of our sin nature and sins. We must humbly notice our transgression and its consequences.

We must have the proper view of our Father. He has already allowed us to suffer the consequences of our rebellion. Now, he stands not with rod and staff ready to strike us when we return. Our Dad, he stands with open eyes looking down the road, an open heart ready to reconcile, open arms ready to embrace, and an open bank account ready to fully restore us to “favored son” status. He will not turn us away. He will not keep us at a distance. Even though we have been faithless, he is always the faithful Father. (2 Tim. 2:13)

We must not fear what judgmental men or the accusing devil may say. All that matters is the declaration of dad.

We must not seek to clean ourselves up before heading home. Though we smell bad, Dad will not care.

We must not allow our guilt and shame to paralyze us. Yes, I know we have been here before, but our Father longs for us to come home … again.

We must not assign ourselves to spending more “purgatorial time” in the pig pen.

No, right now, let us get up, walk down the road, humble ourselves, prepare to confess ours sins, and receive the hearty embrace and lavish blessings of our Father. Oh friends, we are sons and daughters of the Patriarch sitting with the pigs. What are we doing? How much longer will we sit here? Must we keep him waiting any longer? He is already working in our hearts. He is calling us home. He is looking down the road. He is girding up his robe and preparing to run. He is eager to bestow upon us the “royal treatment” of sons. It is homecoming day. What are we thinking? What are we doing? What lies about our Father are we believing? Prodigal brothers and sisters, it is time for us to come to our senses. It is time to repent, confess our sins, and be reconciled to Dad … again.