The Amazing Grace of Our Father

Note: We highly recommend reading (or re-reading) the first two posts in this series by Martha before reading this one: “Seed Sown is Fruit Harvested” and “A Nightmare Chosen” Tomorrow’s post will be the conclusion…unless the Spirit has more to say on the subject.

God’s Father-Heart longs to give redemption always, but the lesson of our irreverent foolishness must be learned. It is only learned by living the result.

Galatians 6:8 AMPC
For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Joseph’s brothers sold him for twenty pieces of silver into Egyptian slavery.

And then they lived for (perhaps 13) years with the terrible grief of their father and the unsolvable guilt of their crime. This was the sickening fruit of their ‘return’ and they had to eat it for some 4,700 days. Destruction.

But Joseph saved his brothers from famine, but he did far more than even this. The wisdom of Joseph, by his own surrender, brought his family to repentance and reconciliation with God and each other.

For the Father, the Sentence is Paid

In spite of this immutable Law of Cause and Effect, there remains Grace, the ‘unmerited favor’ of God. Our hope rests on Christ, who bore the entirety of our terrible consequences…that we may enjoy His spiritual heritage we do not deserve.

The Prodigal’s waste and sin is inexcusable. Then and now. The son sowed seeds of corruption, greed, immorality, rebellion – the most vile of seeds. What parent could just dismiss such sin, betrayal and theft? What parent could instantly trust again such a child?

Our Father Rejoices at Repentance

Galatians 6:8a NIV
For the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction…

The Prodigal tasted his consequences, and they were many and unbearable: rejection, starvation, poverty, degradation and shame, ruin and decay. He reaped the entire justice of his senseless living. Then “he came to his senses.” He saw it all as SIN, and by that understanding, he came to sanity. He saw himself in the light of God and he repented. Twice he said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:18, 21).

The reckless son ran home to his waiting father and was redeemed so fully that his past simply vanished. He met no condemnation but more…no punishment! He was treated as if a hero, a conqueror, a prince! Such is the total turn-around that repentance effects!