WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE!

The parable of the Prodigal son is so touching! The Father's heart towards the long, lost, wayward son is so forgiving and tender! If you haven’t read it recently, here is a synopsis of it. After taking the inheritance given to him by his father, the younger son went to a distant country and squandered all he had on partying and prostitution. After a severe famine in that land, things became so bad that he didn't even have money to eat. This dire situation caused the son to come to his senses and realize his sin. With a repentant heart, he decided to go back to his father who was waiting for him and saw him a long way off. The father ran to meet him, threw his arms around him and kissed him. After restoring all the dignity and rights of a perfect son he proceeded to throw an extravagant party for him? This made the older brother very angry and jealous. He was raised under the law of Moses and had a very condemning heart towards his brother who had squandered his father’s wealth on partying and prostitutes. The father in this story represents God the Father and he came to plead with the older brother. Look at the Fathers response to the older, self-righteous son.

Luke 15:32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. ’”

God, our Father is so loving towards us that even when we have lived in vile sin and miserable failure, the forgiveness that has already been granted by the blood of Jesus and the cross is freely applied to as! Look at what Jesus says here in Luke15.

Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety- nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

God wants us to treat each other with the same forgiveness, mercy and grace that he has given to us. Because of our understanding of how much we have been forgiven, when anyone we know truly repents and turns to Christ, let us forgive wholeheartedly and throw a party for this precious one for whom Christ died! Let's rejoice and believe God for the best in their life and be a part of God's solution for them! If someone isn't wanting to be apart of the festivities, just do what the Father did… Tell them…

WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE!