30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 15 11-32 To seek and the save the lost - The prodigal son 14 Broken and contrite before God
📖 Luke 15:11-32
25Feb2020 - *Broken and contrite before God* - _Luke 15:11-32_ - Bible reading: _Luke 18:13-14_
_Luke 15:18-19 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, (19) and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."_
Praise God that the process of repentance was beginning for the younger son. The first step was the dethroning of the self. He had earlier made his decision to leave his father but now the self was being denied and he said, “I will arise and go…”. The next beautiful step in the turnaround process was that he said, “…my father…’”. He was acknowledging and coming back to a relationship of a son, which he had cast aside. The third step in the turnaround was that within the relationship with his father, he confessed that he had caused pain to his father. In causing pain to his father, he also acknowledged that it was sin against God.
_Psalm 51:3-4 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. (4) Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge._ David was casting himself on God, based out of a relationship. When we repent, we are still God’s child but we realise that within that relationship, we have caused Him pain.
_Luke 18:13-14 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."_ The tax collector could cast Himself on to God but for the Pharisee, he felt no need to be cast upon God. He saw himself good enough to come to God in his own terms and also looked down on others. It was the tax collector, who was justified before God. The Pharisee remained unforgiven and also remained rejecting to be brought back to an intimate relationship with the Father.
The Lord was addressing these parables to the Pharisees as they needed to know that all have sinned before God, as their Father, and that He longed for them to come into His embrace. This was too demeaning for the Pharisees to do. Repenting and seeking to come back to the Father’s embrace was only for the sinners to do, not for them.
Everyone must repent, knowing that our sin has caused pain to the heart of our heavenly Father. _I John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us._
*Thought to ponder*
```With whom would you, more closely, identify yourself, the tax collector or the Pharisee?```