Sunday Service July 24, 2022: “How Far Will Love Go?”

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  

Romans 8 (The Whole Chapter) KJV

The Prodigal Son’s Story (Luke 15:11-32) is so frequently told from the perspective of the son with the intent of concentrating on the sin of the son and his journey to repentance. But there is more to this tale than has previously been discussed.

I would like to expose a couple of points that have either been ignored, or not previously considered. By concentrating on the mind and actions of the Son we have another example of the importance of understanding context. This more common telling of this tale determines where the consciousness is located. Instead of having a Righteousness Consciousness, the Sinner Complex is still dominant.

However, by considering the different perspectives of the characters in this tale gives far more depth than has previously been considered.

The Young Son we are familiar with, but what about his older Brother?

The Actions of the Father speaks volumes. Yet, the depth that the back story reveals enough information about the nature of Grace and of Agapé to feast upon for many years and never run out of new and refreshing revelation.

What about the relationship between the Father and the Older Brother, what can we glean from their interaction?

I can truly state that by giving further attention to this tale shared by Jesus there is an opportunity to enhance and deepen the relationship that we have with God, The Father. The illumination of just how dear Our Father holds our relationship with him will intensify and grow that relationship and the level of communication with him that is Life Changing.

Look to:

I Corinthians 15:34

Romans 6:11 (and the whole chapter)

II Corinthians 5:17-21
Proverbs 22:6

I remember hearing a statement that revolutionised the way I considered my Journey with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I’d like to share it with you here:

“God is happy to allow you to make all the mistakes that you do, being confident that as you learn from each one you grow closer and closer to the image of you that he holds in his mind and heart.

The Father sees us as Perfect, on the road to Perfection!”

Before you go racing off to say that I’m providing you with a licence to sin and think that I’m downgrading Holiness; I can safely say that I would deny such an untruth, with confidence.

Rather, it is far more dangerous to demand and try to walk in Perfectionism, which is impossible for any human being to do without the work of Parakletos (Holy Spirit himself) in our lives.

But it has been this striving for, not perfection, but the driven nature of ‘perfectionism’ that has fuelled the sense of defeat and the bondage to fear of failing God and thereby losing our Salvation that has quite literally held the body of Christ to ransom for centuries.

That, as well as the growth of a false humility and constantly growing Pride that has us lying to ourselves and trying to Con God at the same time; that fake piety that then gives us the idea that we have the right to judge those who don’t meet Our standard and excluding them from full fellowship because we don’t want our ‘holiness’ to be tainted and contaminated by their presence.

That kind of Religiosity is the same as Jesus’ own critics used to condemn him for hanging around the Taverns, the Tax Collectors and all of those who the Religious of the day condemned as ‘Sinners’.  “Those who are well have no need of a physician.”

Just how Far will the Love of God go?