Questions for believers
Response to comment [from a Christian]: [...But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.] "That sounds almost like unless there was the later reunion, the earlier son -ship did not count."
The son had been living in the pig pen in a far country. He
was still a son.
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And
they began to be merry [Luke 15:22–24].
"If you really want to have a ball, you can’t do it in the far country. If
you’re God’s child, you can’t sin and get by with it. You may even go to the
pigpen, but, my friend, you can never enjoy it. If you’re a son of the Father,
there’ll come a day when you’re going to say, “I will arise and go to my
Father,” and you will go. And when you go, you will confess to Him. “If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). That’s the way a sinning child gets
back into the fellowship of the Father’s house. In fact, the only way back is by
confession.
Have you ever noticed the things the father says he’s going to do for the son?
He says, “Get a robe.” Now a robe was clean clothing that went on him after he’d
been washed. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Our Lord washes us. The One
who girded Himself with a towel is the One who will wash one of His sons who
comes back to Him; he has to be cleansed when he’s been to the far country. And
that robe is the robe of the righteousness of Christ that covers the believer
after he is cleansed. The ring is the insignia of the full–grown son, with all
rights pertaining thereto. He’s brought back into his original position. Nothing
is taken from him. He’s brought back into his place in the Father’s house.
Christ right now is at God’s right hand, still girded with the towel of service
for one of His who gets soiled feet or soiled hands by being in the far country.
When we confess to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have to come like the Prodigal Son came.
“Father, I have sinned, and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me
a hired servant.” And the Father will say, “I’d never make you a hired servant.
You’re my son. I’ll cleanse you, I’ll forgive you, I’ll bring you back into the
place of fellowship and usefulness.”
A son is a son forever." McGee, J. V. (1991). Vol. 37: Thru the Bible
commentary: The Gospels (Luke) (electronic ed.) (193–194). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
The problem child was the older son.
"Lk: 15:20b-24. The third section of the parable describes the father’s
response. He had been waiting for his son to return, for while he was still a
long way off the father saw him. The father, full of compassion for his son, ran
to him, and hugged and kissed him. The father would not even listen to all of
the young son’s rehearsed speech. Instead the father had his servants prepare a
banquet to celebrate the son’s return. He gave the son a new position with a
robe … a ring … and sandals. Jesus intentionally used the banquet motif again.
He had previously spoken of a banquet to symbolize the coming kingdom (13:29;
cf. 14:15-24). Jesus’ hearers would have easily realized the significance of
this feast. Sinners (whom the young son symbolized) were entering into the
kingdom because they were coming to God. They believed they needed to return to
Him and be forgiven by Him.
15:25-32. The parable’s final section describes the attitude of the older
brother, who symbolized the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. They had the
same attitude toward the sinners as the older son had toward the younger son.
The older brother, coming home from working in the field and hearing what was
happening, got angry. Similarly the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were angry
with the message Jesus was proclaiming. They did not like the idea that people
from outside their nation as well as outcasts and sinners in the nation were to
be a part of the kingdom. Like the older son who refused to go to the feast, the
Pharisees refused to enter the kingdom Jesus offered to the nation.
Interestingly the father went out and pleaded with the older brother to go to
the feast. Likewise, Jesus ate with Pharisees as well as sinners. He did not
desire to exclude the Pharisees and teachers of the Law from the kingdom. The
message was an invitation to everyone.
The older brother was angry because he had never been honored with a feast even
though, as he said, All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders (v. 29). Those words betrayed the fact that the older
brother thought he had a relationship with his father because of his work. He
served his father not out of love but out of a desire for reward. He even
thought of himself as being in bondage to his father.
The father pointed out that the older son had had the joy of being in the house
all the time, and now he should rejoice with the father in his brother’s return.
The words, You are always with me and everything I have is yours, suggest the
religious leaders’ privileged position as members of God’s Chosen People. They
were the recipients and guardians of the covenants and the Law (Rom. 3:1-2;
9:4). Rather than feeling angry, they should rejoice that others were joining
them and would be a part of the kingdom." Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of
the Scriptures (Lk 15:20–32). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
"Lk: 15:22 the father said. Without a single word of rebuke, for the past, the
father pours out his love for the son, and expresses his joy that what was lost
had been found. Each of the father’s gifts said something unique about his
acceptance of the son: robe. Reserved for the guest of honor. ring. A symbol of
authority. sandals. These were not usually worn by slaves, and therefore
signified his full restoration to sonship.
15:23 the fatted calf. Reserved only for the most special of occasions—a
sacrifice or a feast of great celebration. All this (vv. 22, 23) symbolizes the
lavishness of salvation’s blessings (cf. Eph. 1:3; 2:4–7).
15:25 older son. He symbolizes the Pharisee, the hypocritical religious person,
who stays close to the place of the Father (the temple) but has no sense of sin,
no real love for the Father (so as to share in His joy), and no interest in
repenting sinners.
15:28 he was angry. This parallels the complaining done by the scribes and
Pharisees (v. 2).
15:29 I never transgressed your commandment at any time. Unlikely, given the
boy’s obvious contempt for his father, shown by his refusal to participate in
the father’s great joy. This statement reveals the telltale problem with all
religious hypocrites. They will not recognize their sin and repent (see notes on
Matt. 9:12, 13; 19:16–20). The elder son’s comment reeks of the same spirit as
the words of the Pharisee in 18:11. you never gave me a young goat. All those
years of service to the father appear to have been motivated too much by concern
what he could get for himself. This son’s self-righteous behavior was more
socially acceptable than the younger brother’s debauchery, but it was equally
dishonoring to the father—and called for repentance.
15:30 this son of yours. An expression of deep contempt (cf. “this tax
collector” in 18:11). He could not bring himself to refer to him as “my
brother.”
15:31 all that I have is yours. The inheritance had already been distributed (v.
12). Everything the father had was literally in the elder son’s possession. Yet
the elder son was begrudging even the love the father showed to the prodigal
son. The Pharisees and scribes had easy access to all the riches of God’s truth.
They spent their lives dealing with Scripture and public worship—but they never
really possessed any of the treasures enjoyed by the repentant sinner." The
MacArthur Study Bible. 1997 (J. MacArthur, Jr., Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Lk
15:22–31). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
"... In the prodigal son story the father calls the son dead yet while hes alive - did he stop being his son then?"
No. He was
living badly. He was miserable.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants
[Luke 15:18–19].
"Now we get to a really bright picture. This is the brightest one of all, and
it’s the picture of that lovely home we were telling you about. Oh, it’s a
beautiful home. It’s the father’s house. The Lord Jesus said, “In my Father’s
house there are many abiding places …” (John 14:2, translation mine). This is
the house. The house is there in the background, and I see a father looking out
the window. He’s been looking out the window every day since his boy left. And
do you know why he’s been looking out the window? He knew that one day that boy
would be trudging down the road coming home.
Somebody asks, “Do you believe that if you’re once saved you’re always saved?”
Yes. Somebody asks, “Do you believe that a Christian can get into sin?” Yes.
“Can a Christian stay in sin?” No. Because in the Father’s house the Father is
watching, and He says, “All my sons are coming home. My sons don’t like pigpens
because they do not have the nature of a pig. They have the nature of a son.
They have My nature, and they won’t be happy except in the Father’s house. The
only place in the world where they will be content is the Father’s house. And
every one of My sons that goes out to the far country and gets into a
pigpen—regardless of how dirty he gets, or how low he sinks—if he’s My son, one
day he’ll say, ‘I’ll arise, and I’ll go to my Father.’” And the reason he’ll
say, “I’ll go to my Father,” is because the Man who lives in the big house is
his Father. Up until now, after at least 6,000 years of recorded human history,
there never yet has been a human pig that has said, “I will arise and go to my
Father’s house.” Never, never. Pigs love it down there. They don’t want to go to
the Father’s house. The only one who wants to go to the Father’s house is a son;
and one day the son will say, “I will arise and I will go to my Father.”
Now the son starts home. Maybe you thought a moment ago that I was exaggerating
when I said that this father had been looking out the window every day. But he
had, and now he sees him coming. He has compassion, and runs, and says to his
servant, “Go down to the tree and cut me about a half a dozen hickory limbs. I’m
going to switch this boy within an inch of his life.” Is that the way your Bible
reads? Well, mine doesn’t either. It ought to read that way. Under the Mosaic
Law a father had a perfect right to bring a disobedient son before the elders
and have him stoned to death. This father had a perfect right to say, “This boy
took my name and my money, my substance, and he squandered it. He disgraced my
name. I’ll whip him within an inch of his life.” He had a right to do this. But
this father, rather, did something amazing. And when our Lord got to this part
of the parable, and when He put this bright color on, it caused all those that
were present to blink their eyes. They said, “We can’t believe that. It’s bad
enough to see him hit the bottom and go down yonder with the pigs, but it’s
worse for the father to take him back home without doing something. He ought to
punish him. That’s the thing that we don’t like. He ought to be punished.” Will
you notice what the father did. Let me read it accurately now."
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off,
his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and
kissed him [Luke 15:20].
"He’s in rags, and you can almost smell him—oh, that pig smell! There stands the
boy, and the father goes and puts his arms around him and kisses him."" McGee,
J. V. (1991). Vol. 37: Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Luke) (electronic
ed.) (191–193). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
"Do saved people who commit suicide go to hell?"
Yes.
"What would be the difference in self murder than any other sin?"
We can be forgiven of any sin except the sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit's promptings (Mt 12:31).
We never want to barge into God's presence uninvited. God has plans for people.
Response to comment [from a Christian]: [Loose salvation?] "No, Again, Romans 8:37-39"
That's right.
See:
Can I loose my salvation? Once Saved Always Saved?
It is likely
after such a wicked act that you will loose blessing in heaven (Ro 14:12) but
you will be there. The believer appears at the Bema Seat to receive blessings.
The unbeliever and the make-believer appear before the Great White Throne.
See:
What is the Judgment Seat of Christ / Bema Seat of Christ? If all of a
believer's sins are forgiven, what is there for Christ to judge at the Judg...
What is the Judgment Seat of Christ? Who will be judged at the Judgment Seat of
Christ? What is the Bema Seat Judgment?
What is the Great White Throne Judgment? When does a person experience the final
judgment after death?
