Have you ever done something wrong and wondered if you could still go back to God? It’s a tough question to ask oneself, because we’ve all been taught that breaking someone’s trust leads to strained and broken relationships. Past experiences in our own lives and the lives of others all seem to point at God and demand that He follow the norm and reject us when we rebel against Him. No matter what happens, though, there’s this innate curiosity or gut feeling that compels us to wonder how much God would still love us if we came back to Him.
Well, in answer to this very question, Jesus tells us a really interesting story about a father’s relationship with his two children: specifically focusing on what this father does when one of his children shames the family, then comes home seeking forgiveness. Starting His story in Luke 15:11, Jesus describes this father’s youngest son. Tired of life at home and wanting to get away from his dad’s rules, this son walks up to his father one day and demands to be given his inheritance early, unwilling to wait until after his father’s death. Shockingly, even though this impudent kid was essentially telling his father that he wished the man was already dead, he was given full control over his portion of the inheritance (Luke 15:12).
No doubt excited to be finally free from the influences of home, the prodigal son quickly proceeded to move to a faraway country and begin a life of wild recklessness, tarnishing the family name abroad and wasting his inheritance on sinful pleasures (Luke 15:13). Things don’t exactly go according to the boy’s plan, though. Quickly running out of money, he finds himself forsaken by his friends and trapped in a very dark place, trying to stay alive by working the most disgusting job a religious Jew could dream of. Stuck in a literal pigsty and slowly starving, the Bible records his agonizing thoughts of home. “…When he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!’” (Lk. 15:17)
Reminded of his father’s care for even the lowliest of household servants, the desperate boy couldn’t help but wonder aloud if he could still go back home and live again under his father’s roof after all he’d done. His dad had every right to be angry about the dishonour brought on his family, and the knowledge that the inheritance had been wasted would surely infuriate the man. Despite all this, though, something inside the boy just couldn’t stop thinking about the nagging question: did his father have enough love left in him to at least receive him back as a servant?
Friend, have you ever felt like the prodigal son? Maybe you have decided to turn your back on God, hoping to get away from His rules only to have everything blow up in your face. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a really dark place and have realized that God is your only hope of change and redemption. If so, then you must have wondered how God will respond if you turn back to Him. Will He laugh at you and scornfully sneer, “I told you so.” Will He be angry and reject you as imperfect, unworthy of His love?
Well, the Bible makes it clear that “God is a just judge…” and that “…the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does” (Ps. 7:11, Dan. 9:14). This shows us that God is perfectly fair and will always make the best and most upright decisions. It’s for these reasons that His law requires for sin to be condemned and punished (Rom. 6:23, Nah. 1:3), and it’s also for these same reasons that Jesus died on the cross so that we could be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10). God loves sinners (Jn. 3:16), and He will not cast out anyone that comes to Him (John 6:37). But can God lovingly receive a lifelong sinner without justly condemning them for their sin? Does He accept His wayward children back in love or does He justifiably throw them out? How will He respond when the prodigal finally comes back home?
Thankfully, the prodigal son’s story doesn’t end with him starving in the pigpen. You see, the memory of his father’s care for everyone under his roof ignited a small spark of hope in the young man’s heart. His desperate circumstances forced him to swallow his pride and turn his weary feet back home to seek forgiveness (Lk. 15:18-19).
Unbeknownst to the prodigal, though, his father’s love for him had never wavered. The old man had tirelessly watched for him to come home since the day he’d left, hoping against hope to see his son return safely. Because of this, even from a great distance away, the father saw his wayward son stumbling up the road and ran out to meet him with open arms. All of the horrible things the son had said, all the money he’d wasted, and the dishonour he’d brought on the family had not changed his father’s love for him: that love had only increased to match his need (Luke 15:20).
Mentally prepared to beg for a servant‘s place, the prodigal was astonished to hear his father joyfully shout “my son has come home!” His dad‘s voice rang out loud and clear, calling for his beloved son to be dressed in the finest robes, outfitted with sturdy new sandals, and given the signet ring of authority. Preparations were quickly made for a lavish feast: the old man was radiant with joy (Luke 15:22-23). Imagine how shocked that boy must have been! Why in the world was he being treated like a beloved son after what he had done? Why was he being given such rich gifts and authority when what he deserved was only punishment?
Well, here’s the reason that the father gave for his rejoicing. According to him, “…my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Lk. 15:24). You see, the father had recognized his son’s change of heart even when the boy was still far in the distance. The young man that had chosen to come home that day was not the same impulsive boy that had left home so long ago. That irresponsible son had died back in the pigpen, and now his child trusted in his love again and had come home repentant about everything he done.
Because of that, in the eyes of the father, a new son had been born that day–an heir just as legitimate as the other children who had never left home. This “new” child was entitled to all the authority and privileges of a son and was to be treated just like an honoured heir. The party thrown by the father was to celebrate the arrival of this new child–a fresh start for a man completely different from the former son that had shamed the family.
Friend, don’t think for a moment that God will not receive you back if you turn to Him in repentance for your sins. You see, even though He could justifiably chastise and punish you for breaking His law, because of His incredible love for you He instead chooses to affirm you as His child and generously give you the gifts of His grace and His Spirit: the power you need to keep His law.
In God’s eyes, any sinner that turns to Him in repentance is a born-again child of God: no longer a slave of sin (Jn. 3:7, Gal. 4:4-7, 2 Cor. 5:17). His grace is expressed in richly blessing His children so that they can be fully equipped to live a new life. He welcomes those who come to Him with all the zeal and joy of a new parent, and lavishes his love and grace on them until they can’t help but respond with obedience and affection.
What’s stopping you from turning to God today? He will not cast you out or reject you, but will come running down the road to meet you with open arms, ready to bless and reinstate you as His child. He’s paid the ultimate price, taking on the punishment for your misdeeds–death itself–to give you everything you need for a second chance.
So why not turn to God now and let His grace amaze you once again?