THE K I N O ’ * B U S I N E S S
October, 1941
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restoration of a child of God back to his Father’s fellowship. In favor of the latter view, we have the fact that the Prodigal was a son of his father. God is not the Father of unsaved sinners. But on the other side, there is the de scription of the boy as having been “dead” and “lost” (Lk. 15:24, 32). Per sonally, I favor the second view. But we should be cautious about pressing every detail in our application of the story. Certainly, regardless of which view we take, we have no right to use the story as a basis for the error of the universal Fatherhood of God or jto deny the security of the child of God. It is a beautiful picture of the restoration of a wandering child. Note the seven steps: 1. Humiliation. If this were a pic ture of an unsaved man, he might have prospered and waxed rich in the far country. But no child of-God can wan der away and prosper. Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son (Heb. 12:6). 2. Recollection. He remembered the Father’s house, where he had once lived with no need unsupplied. Only one who had once enjoyed the fellowship of a son could be brought to himself by such memories. For the unsaved, such memories would be impossible. 3. Decision. It is not enough, when we wander away- from our heavenly Father and His blessed household, to recall’ the former times and to indulge in self-commiseration over things that are past. There must be decision. We must say with the Prodigal, “ I will arise and go to ipy Father” (v. 18). There are some things that can be done for us. But no one can ever say, "I will” for us. That belongs to the individual human soul, and to him alone. 4. Action. Thd Prodigal did not say, “ I will arise,” and then go on feeding his swine. “He arose.” The only proof that we can have of any decision of the human will is how the person acts thereafter. 5. Reconciliation. Our Lord piles up the verbs to describe how the Father meets a returning son: The father saw him a great way off, had compas sion, ran, fell on his neck, kissed him. Maybe the son ran, too, but the record says nothing about it. The Father is always more anxious to have *us back than we are to get back. 6. Confession. No matter how gen uine our decision has been, nor how strenuous our action in getting back to the Father, we shall-never feel right, until we unburden Our Souls in sincere confession to Him. But notice that it is the confession o f'a son. He does not say, “I have sinned and therefore I have ceased to be thy son,” but he says, “Father, I . . . am no more worthy to be called thy son” (v. 21). , 7. Restoration. To the wandering son’s confession of sin and unworthi ness, the Father replies with “the best
15 A nd lie w e n t an d jo in e d h im se lf to a citizen o f th a t co u n try ; and he sen t h im in to h is fie ld s t o fe e d sw in e. 16 A nd he w o u ld fa in ha ve fille d his b e lly 'w it h th e h u sk s th a t th e sw in e did eats an d n o m an g a v e u n to him . 17 - A nd w h en he eam e to h im self, he said» H o w m an y h ired serva n ts o f m y fa th e r’s have' b rea d e n ou gh and to spare, an d I p erish w ith h u n g e r. 18 I w ill a rise and g o to m y fa th er, an d w ill sa y u n to him , F a th er, I have sin ned a g a in st hea ven , and b e fo re thee, 19 A nd am n o m o re w o rth y to be called th y s o n ; m ak e m e as o n e o f th y hired serva n ts. 20 A nd he arose, and cam e to his fa th e r. B u t w h en he w a s y e t a g re a t w ay o ff, h is fa th e r sa w him , and had com p a s sion , and ra n , and fe ll o n his n eck , and k issed him . 21 A nd th e son said u n to h im , F ath er, I h a ve sin ned a ga in st heaven , and in th y s ig h t, and am n o m ore w o rth y to be ca lled th y son. 22 B ut th e fa th e r said to his servan ts, B rin g fo rth th e b est rob e, and put it on h im ; and p u t a rin g on h is hand, and sh oes on h is fe e t: 23 A nd b rin g h ith e r the, fa tte d calf,- and k ill it; and let u s ea t, and be m erry : 24 F o r th is m y son w a s dead, and is a liv e a g a in ; he w a s lo st, and Is fou n d. A nd th e y b e ga n to b e m erry . LESSON T E X T : L k . 15tll-2 4 . GOLDEN T E X T : “ R ep en t ye, and b e lie v e the g o s p e l” (M k. 1:15). D E VO TION A L R E A D IN G : P sa. 32:1-5. Outline and Exposition I. R ejection of the F ather (11-16) B HINKING there-would be more departed. But he soon found that the far country had nothing to offer one when his material resources were gone. Shortly this son was reduced to want and was obliged to engage in an oc cupation which was humiliating to one of his race. At last, however, he de termined to return to his father’s house. n. R eception b y the F ather (17-22) th e r e Were three steps»in the return of the prodigal. First, he 'remembered what he had left in his father’s house; he remembered the home which' he had despised because of fancied restraint. The restraint must have been without harshness, or the father would not have divided the goods. Second, he remem bered his sin in leaving the father’s house and spending his substance in riotous living; he would confess his sin against heaven and against his father, and declare he was not worthy to be called a son, and he would be willing to take a hired servant’s place. In this last attitude he made a mistake: He had no rightful claim upon even that place. He would have to take what the father was willing to give. Third, he made good the remembrance and con fession by acting on his decision: "He arose, and came' to his father.” There were likewise three steps in the father’s reeeptjon of the prodigal. First, there was the end of constant watching for - the son’s return. The father must have been Intently looking for him, because "when . . % a great way off, his father saw him,” and hur-
BLACKBOARD LESSON
ried to meet him. Second, the father heard the sorrowful confession of sin fulness and unworthiness; but before the son said anything about taking a servant’s place, the father interrupted the conversation. Third, the father made provision for the restoration of the son, giving him the best robe, a ring, and shoes. The same kind of gen erous reception is accorded every child of God who returns to the Father,’ though he may have wandered far in sin. All that is required is a recogni tion of the sin, the decision to return and to confess the sin, and the putting of that decision into action, HI. T he R esults with the F ather (23, 24). Preparation was made immediately for glad time of fellowship. A feast was prepared—a festive meal at which the father and the returned son would sit together. This is a picture of what awaits every backslidden child of God who returns to God the Father-with confession and sorrow. The son was welcomed as one who had come back from the dead. The believer who is out of fèllowship with the Father is really among the dead, so far as the enjoyment of fellowship with his Lord is concerned. He is a wan derer in a far country and needs to re turn. Note that the son was driven to return by bitter providences; God the Father knows how' to arrange provi dences-destined for the spiritual good of every erring child of His. Finally ‘‘they began to be merry.” It is difficult to decide which was th » mer rier, thé father or the son. The father would be glad because his son had re turned, and the son would rejoice be cause he had returned. Both enjoyed each other’s fellowship to the full- Thus it is when a backslider returns. The restored believer rejoices in the blessed ness of having his sins forgiven apd his iniquity all covered; the Father re joices that the provision which He has made for the erring one’s forgiveness and restoration has been -accepted. Points and Problems Much controversy has waged over the question whether or not the so-called “Parable of the Prodigal Sop” was in tended to picture a lost sinner being brought to God for salvation or the
freedom, away from the father’s house, the younger son, mentioned here, gathered up his belongings and
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