There are so many people in this world who believe the falsity that they are beyond God’s forgiveness. They don’t see their life as worthy to call upon the Lord. They think they must clean up their life first and then come to God asking for a new beginning, but that is the opposite of how we come to the Lord. We are not able to clean our life according to God’s standards, but when we ask for His help with a humble heart seeking forgiveness for our many shortfalls, God will move heaven and earth on our behalf. We are precious to the Lord no matter how flawed we may be. That was proven when the Lord Jesus came to this earth to redeem mankind from their sins and become our blameless sacrifice so that we may become the righteousness of God through Him. We read this in Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God saw our need for salvation and made a way when there seemed to be no way. (2 Peter 3:9) (Isaiah 64:6-9) (Acts 8:32)
God’s love for mankind is unknowable in our own minds because we as humans are quick to hold grudges, not forgive an offense and even look down upon another whom we judge as “unworthy”. In our judgments we fail to realize that we ourselves are unworthy to receive God’s forgiveness for our great and many shortfalls. We could never meet God’s standards of righteousness because He is perfect and we can never be. Our whole fleshly nature goes against God’s Holy standards. Our self-righteous sins, our fleshly sins, even the sins we commit in our hearts. No man can say I have not sinned because it is in our nature to go against the Spirit of righteousness. That is why with humility we call upon the Lord asking for forgiveness for our many sins. And because God is merciful and gracious, He extends to us eternal salvation that can never be earned. This gift is available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. (Matthew 5:27-28) (Ephesians 2:4-0) (Romans 3:19-31)
I hope this message on the prodigal son both amuses and challenges your heart to see that God's great forgiveness extends to us without our deserving of it, but still exists to all those who recognize their sins and come humbly to the Father in repentance.
FABLE OF THE FORGIVING FATHER
Feeling footloose and frisky, a feather-brained fellow forced his fond father to fork over the farthings. He flew far to foreign fields and frittered his fortune, feasting fabulously with faithless friends.
Finally facing famine and fleeced by his fellows-in-folly, he found himself a feed flinger in a filthy farmyard. Fairly famishing, he fain would have filled his frame with foraged food from the fodder fragments. “Fooey, my father's flunky’s fare far fancier,” the frazzled fugitive fumed feverishly, frankly facing facts.
Frustrated by failure and filled with foreboding, he fled forthwith to his family. Falling at his father's feet, he floundered forlornly, “Father, I have flunked and fruitlessly forfeited family favor of...”
But the faithful father, forestalling further flinching, frantically flagged the flunkies to fetch forth the finest fatling and fix a feast.
The fugitive's faultfinding frater frowned on the fickle forgiveness of former folderol. His fury flashed - but fussing was futile.
The far-sighted father figured, “Such filial fidelity is fine, but what forbids fervent festivity - for the fugitive is found! Unfurl the flags! With fanfares flaring, let fun and frolic freely flow. Former failure is forgotten, folly forsaken,. Forgiveness forms the foundation for future fortitude.”
Luke 15:11-32
Author unknown
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
Micah 7:18-19 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Psalm 91:14-16 “Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.”
Psalm 34:8-10 “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”
Psalm 107:6-9 “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today’s Selected Poem: HE TOOK MY PLACE
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem170.htm
Today’s Selected Testimony: THE LORD WILL HELP YOU THROUGH
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony129.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |