Jesus told the series of ‘lost’ parables to confront the attitude of the Pharisees and Scribes who could not stand the fact that Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son to a Jewish audience. The Jews enjoyed a covenant relationship with God, they were God’s people. And the prodigal son in the parable was after all a son to his father, albeit a wayward son. This parable teaches us so much. The father does not force his younger son to stay at home. He lets him go. But he is still waiting eagerly for his son who indulged in all manner of sins, to repent and come back! All that counts at the end is that he is alive again!
God is pleased when one of His children repents and comes back
The older son’s mindset is likewise depicted in the parable. the one who finds his father’s attitude of forgiveness so offensive. The one with a great deal of rage within of him yet who has never strayed from the path. He too receives generosity from his father. Luke 15:31 states, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” God is ecstatic when one of His misbehaving children turns around and returns, just as the parent in the parable was ecstatic to see his son returning.
Similar in nature is the story of the sheep (Luke 15:3–7), however in this instance, the Shepherd takes the lead. He sets out to locate the sheep that strayed from his flock and formerly belonged to it. The sheep finds itself and is gladly welcomed back into the herd despite making no attempt to return. Jesus mentioned those who were already a part of the Kingdom once again!
Covenant relationship with God
By the blood of Christ, believers have made a covenantal relationship with God. God’s eternal plan serves as the foundation for a solid connection.”… just as He predetermined our place in Him before the world was created, so that we would be pure and blameless in His eyes. Through Jesus Christ, He predestined us for adoption as sons out of love and in accordance with His will (Ephesians 1:4-5). Jesus mentions this similar idea of security when He declares, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” And nobody will be able to take them from Me (John 10:28).
The Holy Spirit is given to each and every believer in their heart. In order to attest to and seal the person’s membership in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). All of this is true, but Christians can still stray and end up in difficulties. Glory to God, Jesus demonstrates that God is ready and prepared to receive them when they return!
Tasting the truth and rejecting it
The Bible contains a few lines concerning people who have come dangerously close to knowing God yet have chosen to reject Him. Regarding those people, Hebrews 6:4-6 states that it is not possible to bring them back to repentance. Hebrews 10:26, 27, and 29 bemoans the demise of those who, despite knowing of Jesus’ blood, disregarded it. They have no choice but to wait for God to punish them. There is no more sacrifice to atone for their transgressions. Due to their deliberate rejection of the one and only sacrifice available!
These individuals have tasted the truth and rejected it, but they have never genuinely known Jesus. Those who are genuinely God’s children but have momentarily strayed from the fold are not like this. Restorative action is feasible for the latter. For the former, however, it is not because God has compelled them to embrace the holy sacrifice of the Son of God; rather, they have decided to reject it.
