Turning – Sin and Repentance A Prodigal’s Response

 

Turning – Sin and Repentance

A Prodigal’s Response

Introduction

The purpose of this study is not to identify individual sins, as described and labelled in scripture, but rather understand the underlying attitude and ideology that lies behind sin.

 

Reflections of Luke 15:11-32

The story of the prodigal is one in the same of the parables of Luke 15 of the Lost coin and lost sheep, they all reflect the heart of the Father towards his beloved children.

Points to reflect in the Parable of the Prodigal:

To ask the Father for his inheritance was to wish the father dead, a great offence and insult.

The Father gives “both” his sons their inheritance and the older son, according to tradition, would have received twice the inheritance as the younger son.

The younger son takes his inheritance and travels to a “foreign” land, symbolic of a heathen or unbelieving people which is confirmed in their relationship to swine and eating of “unclean” foods.

After “extravagantly wasting” his inheritance, the younger son’s experiences difficult times and becomes “subject” to the foreigners and their famine. Effectively becoming a “slave” to sin as indicative in scripture.

After coming to his “senses”, which would indicate a level of reflection and revelation about his poor decisions, he concludes he is better off as a “servant” in his Father house than his current predicament and “turns” back to the place of his belonging.

Upon his return to the ‘Father’s House’, the prodigal is greeted by his ever watching and waiting father, who treats him not as the servant, that he believes he deserves, but as a Son of righteousness, symbolic of the regalia of his rob, sandals and signet ring. But he does not stop there, at the very place of their reunion, the Father kills the fattened calm and confirms his blood covenant with his son, fully and completely reinstating him as “Son”.

To complete the scene of the sons home coming and subsequent “rebirth”, the Father throws a great celebration which is rejected by the religious bitter older son.

 

Sin – A Definition

The Hebrew word for "sin" is חטאה (hhatah, Strong's #2403) and literally means "miss the mark.”

Reference is made to the archer who does not hit his mark or target.

Sin therefore, is not so much about a list of do’s or don’t but rather about the position, role or purpose for which you were made in God’s image

 

Jesus has dealt with our sin on the cross, both past, present and future sins. Hebrews 9:12, 13:8 says Jesus, as the High Priest for all mankind, entered the Holy of Holies by His blood, not by the blood of sacrificed animals but by laying down his own life for us.

There is a response to what Jesus has done for us…

Imagine your son comes to me and says, “dad, I am just going out to play” and I say in return “son, be careful not to play near the rock shelf, if you fall from it you could die”.  My son gives me his reassurance that he won’t and a few minutes later I hear “help, help…” I run to the rock shelf to find my son laying at the bottom in the gully. My son calls out, “forgive me dad, I disobeyed you and now I have fallen from the rock shelf”. If at this point I reply to my son, “that’s OK my son, I forgive you” and then I walk away. Have I saved my son? No, I have not, not only do I need to rescue him, but he also needs to change his behaviour and cease playing where it is dangerous.

Grace is not a card we play when we want to get out of trouble. Nor is forgiveness just words we say when we have been caught in sin. Grace enables sinners the opportunity to change and behave like sons and forgiveness is requires action by those asking for forgiveness.

 

Types of Sin

Society grades sin, into acceptable and unacceptable sins but Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

From my understanding of the Bible, there are two types of sin, ignorant and intentional

Paul writing to the church in Ephesus 4:18 & Peter in his first book, chapter 1:14 refer to ignorant sin.

However, Hebrews 9:26 says that Jesus dealt with all our sins.

My catholic colleague at work explained that according to their traditions, there are two kinds of sins, venial sins, which don’t lead to sin and mortal sins, which lead to death and which require pardoning by a priest.

In scripture we see sin described as vain talk, contempt for others, foolish thoughts, unbelief, neglect of opportunity, transgression of the law and all unrighteousness.

Jesus told the “experts in law”, the Pharisees, the two greatest commands are “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments”.

The Ten Commandments are divided into two groups, sins committed towards God and those committed towards other people.

 

Original Sin

Gen 2:16-17And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

Ezekiel 18:4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Adam and Eve’s eyes were open to good and evil when they rebelled against God

Gen 3:6 outlines how Eve, then Adam were deceived by the serpent. The serpent questioned God’s commands and also creates a sense of loss within Eve that by obeying God she would miss out on something.

When sharing the gospel with people, what I am often asked “what must I give up”. This sense that we lose something when we choose Christ still exists today. Yet when we look at the garden of Eden, we find that there was no lack within the garden.

Eden is a ‘type’ or picture of heaven and when we read Revelation 21 we get a sense that Eden is being restored as the New Heaven.

In Eden, Adam and Eve had every seed bearing fruit and tree at their disposal. They walked with God in the cool of the day. His presence and provision surrounded them but they were deceived into believing they had ‘missed out’ on something.

The first verse of the Satan bible is “do as thou wilt”. When we think of rebellion it is often defined as ‘standing against authority’ but at its simplest form, it is choosing your own path over the path created for you.

Jesus again and again throughout scripture sort to know and do the father’s will. Jesus himself said ‘you will know them by their fruits’ and commands each of us to obey His commands.

Adam and Eve did not immediately die when they sinned, but they did allow death to enter their hearts as they walked away from God’s presence. The word Eden also means place of God’s presence.

Also, as they wandered, the land of Nod, they left behind the provision of God in the garden, the fruit of the trees.

Jesus rebutted the devil’s temptation with God’s words, as a result, he went our from the place of temptation in the ‘power of the Spirit’.

The results of their sin was the curse: Genesis 3:18-21

“increased labor in childbirth…your husband will rule over you”.

“by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…for dust you are and dust you will return”

When I walk each morning, a common theme I hear discussed by woman is their children and family, by men it is their work. This demonstrates how the curse continues to be seen in our society today.

Wandering is a common theme throughout scripture.

Cain was sent wandering the land of Nod just as his parents Adam and Eve.

Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years and only two of the original Israelites actually entered the promised land. Not even Moses entered, nor Abraham to whom God had given the vision.

 

The Prodigal’s Sin

Home is not just ‘where the heart is’, it is the very place of our belonging and place our Father has created for us and for which we have been created.

Belonging has little to do with the physical environment but everything to do with our emotional and unconditional acceptance as “belonging” to that place.

Belonging is represented by the mother who spends her days in the kitchen preparing loving meals for her children, the father who proudly shows his son how to change the wheel on his car and takes him for his first driving lesson despite being “scared as hell”. Or the father who spends hours in the garage building bikes, go karts or playhouses for the children he loves.

Whilst we can be physically present for others we love, we might also be emotionally distant. Being present in the moment gives others a sense of belonging, knowing that you care enough to focus on them.

 

A Definition of Repentance

-          In the Hebrew - Teshubah.  In Biblical Hebrew the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs—"shub" (to return) and "niḥam" (to feel sorrow; comp. Job 42:6, "I . . . repent in dust and ashes," and Joel 2: 14, "he will return and repent"). The underlying idea has been adequately expressed in Greek by μετάνοια, a word which denotes "change of mind and heart."

The symbolism in scripture shows a man who has turned his back to his sin and the path of sin he was on and who now resolutely looks to the Father. Isa says Jesus set his face like flint after the cross.

Repentance is a ‘doing’ verb, an action in response to our heart’ state. Repentance is more than “I am sorry”, it is action to change behaviour based on a remorseful heart.

Whilst forgiveness is a given, salvation is a process and action which continually seeks to please Father God and choose the path he has chosen for us.

The prodigal’s response is reflected in the Greek understanding of this scripture where it says he “came to his senses”. The senses refers to the nerves which evaluate our environment and send signals to the brain that something is wrong.

We could also speak about the conscience of man which speaks of the ‘God breathed’ part of our being which is sensitive to the Spirit’s sweet still voice.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.  (11) For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, w h a t i n d i g n a t i o n , w h a t f e a r , w h a t l o n g i n g , w h a t z e a l, w h a t a v e n g i n g o f w r o n g ! I n e v e r y t h i n g y o u demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

What repentance looks like:

Isa 22:12 “On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.”

Joel 2:12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, ... with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”

 

The Prodigal comes to His Senses

Repentance is an action, it requires a response from the repentant believer which is not just a statement of sorrow.

Whilst it is easy to think there is no action required by the believer, and we must always remember that God’s grace is sufficient and mercy is new each morning, but we are required to walk out in our own lives that which has been given to us.

Grace is not a get out of jail card, but rather an opportunity to live as we were originally created, as sons of the most high God. Just as Christ came and sought the will of his Father, we too are called to seek the will of our Father as Jesus indicated in Matthew 6 and the Lords prayer. Just as Christ commanded also for us to forgive those that sin against us.

James says “Faith without works is dead”. This does not mean our works result in our salvation, but our works are a result of the saving Grace of our Lord.

Revelation also shows that every believer must “wash their robes”, indicating the participatory works of every believer.

 

Three Keys Found in the Father Response to the Older Son- For Righteous Living - Esther

-          After grumbling about his younger sibling’s poor behaviour and his father’s lack of insight by restoring him, the father reminds him…

-          You have always been with me and everything I have is yours

 

1.       Go after God and His Presence

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness

Colossians 3:10 Set your mind on things above and not on things below

See heaven as your ultimate destination

 

Turn your back on the things which cause you to sin, leave the people and places which trigger sin and go after God’s presence.

Establish godly patterns and practice for your life, such as prioritising prayer and reading of God’s word and promises. Make time in your day to practice the presence of God and be intentional about it.

Establish godly boundaries for life, if you end up drunk each time you go to the pub then don’t go to the pub or make an agreement with your friends not to drink in excess. If they are true friends, they will honour and respect your choose.

Grace is a gift that should not be wasted.

Each person has 24 hours in the day, what you get from it, depends on how you spend it or waste it.

 

2.       Go after the Provision of God

Know what you have at hand…

What you bind on earth…

The kingdom is within you…

Know your state and your standing

 

2 Peter 1:3 “God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own ...”

Ephesians 1:3 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with ...”

Ephesians 2:6 “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ... God raised us from ...”

 

3.       Go after the Identity of sons and daughters of God

You are created in His Image for dominion and authority

Jesus is the first born of many brothers

Know where you are seated, with Christ

Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by ...”

1 Cor 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is the temple of The Spirit of Holiness who dwells within you, whom you have received from God, and you are not your own?”

As God’s creation, you are called to rule and reign with him in Righteousness. God gave Adam and Eve dominion over every living thing.