This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son: (Luke 15: 11-32 NLT)
11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.
12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.
14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.
15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.
16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!
18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,
19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.
23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,
24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,
26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on.
27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him,
29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.
30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.
32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
So, what does this mean to you today? I have given you faith refreshers before. Today, I will provide you with a grace refresher. You will get a dose of teaching on God’s grace that should change how you live!
1. Grace: The Unmerited Favor of God.
— Grace is not something we earn. It’s certainly not something we deserve. It is God’s unmerited favor towards us.
— Grace is God’s empowerment for us to overcome challenges and live the life He destined for us.
— I’ve come to understand that grace is God’s part, while faith is our part. We simply believe and receive what He has already provided.
— God’s grace covers our weaknesses, turning our failures into testimonies, turning our scars into stars.
— When we truly understand grace, we rest in God’s finished work and cease from our own efforts.
— The Prodigal Son thought his actions had disqualified him from his position in the family, but when he came home, he encountered a father who extended to him love and grace. This is how it is with our Heavenly Father!
2. The Gift of No Condemnation Through Christ.
Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24). This means that those of us who believe in Him get to experience three things: 1) we receive everlasting life (which literally lasts forever), 2) we shall not come into condemnation (period), and 3) we have already passed from death to life (so we should not be afraid of dying).
— Jesus took all our condemnation on the cross so we might live in freedom.
— Condemnation is from the enemy, not from God. God corrects but never condemns.
— Understanding our righteousness in Christ helps us to stand firm against the accusations of the enemy.
— The love of God demonstrated through Christ, is greater than any mistake or failure.
— Living in the revelation of no condemnation empowers us to walk boldly in our God-given purpose.
3. The Power of God’s Love and Grace.
— God’s love for us is unconditional and unchanging, regardless of our actions.
— It’s by understanding God’s love and grace that we are transformed from the inside out.
— When we have a revelation of God’s love, it compels us to live righteously, not out of obligation, but out of gratitude.
— I don’t do what I do because I am afraid of going to hell. I know I am not going to hell. I work so hard for God (by His grace) because I love Him, not because I am afraid of going to hell and not because I am trying to earn His blessing.
— God’s love and grace are the foundation of our relationship with Him.
— We don’t know what happened with the Prodigal Son after he experienced the love and grace of his father, but we know how we should respond to the love and grace of our Heavenly Father. The realization of God’s love and grace should change the way we look at God, others, and ourselves.
— As we continually experience His love and grace, we become conduits of His love to others, drawing them to the heart of the Father.
4. Righteousness Over Condemnation.
— God’s desire is for us to walk in the righteousness provided to us by Christ Jesus Himself.
— Jesus became sin for us so we could become righteous in Him.
— The Father PUT (imputed) our sin on Jesus, and in turn, He put (imputed) Jesus’ righteousness on us.
— When we get a revelation of this, through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to rise above guilt and live in the freedom of God’s grace.
— Our mistakes don’t define us; God’s love does.
— Embracing our righteousness in Christ allows us to live victoriously; not free TO sin, but free FROM sin!
— When we understand our position in Christ, we can confidently reject the enemy’s lies.
— The love of the father, in the parable, restored his son to his rightful position in the family, even though he did not feel worthy to be called a son. Our Heavenly Father will do the same for us when we run into His grace.
5. The Power of Redemption and Restoration.
— The father’s celebration of the Prodigal Son’s return symbolizes God’s joy over our redemption.
— God’s heart is always towards restoration and reconciliation.
— God’s arms are always open, waiting for His children to return.
— Our past doesn’t disqualify us from God’s future blessings, especially when you consider the fact that we never qualified in the first place.
— The son thought his performance had disqualified him from “son status,” but he was never a son because of his actions. He was a son because of his position in the family. In the same way, once you are Born-Again and you are in God’s family, your position is not based on your performance!
6. Living in the Fullness of Our Identity.
— Recognizing our true identity in Christ liberates us from guilt, shame, and condemnation. And this it important to receive this freedom because satan specializes in thoughts that will strip you of your identity and keep you bound in sin.
— We are not defined by our lowest moments but by God’s predestined path. God knew all the mistakes you would make, in advance, and He destined you anyway.
— The Bible teaches us that God “saved us and called us with a holy calling,” so our lives could be about something that is bigger than us. God did so “not according to our works,” the Bible says, “but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” This is from 2 Timothy 1:9.
— This means God has a purpose and plan for each of us, rooted in His love and grace, not our performance.
— God did not call us according to our own works. He called us according to His own purpose and grace, and He gave us both (purpose and grace) in Christ Jesus before the world began.
— When you get a revelation of this, you will embrace your identity in Christ Jesus with a level of confidence, boldness, and joy that will not be shaken!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
Father, I thank You for Your unmerited favor and grace in my life.
I declare that I am not defined by my mistakes but by Your love and righteousness.
I am free from condemnation because of Jesus, and I walk in the fullness of my identity in Christ.
Your love and grace are the foundation of my relationship with You.
I am redeemed, restored, and called for a divine purpose.
I embrace my position as Your child, not based on my performance but on the finished work of Jesus.
I am empowered to live victoriously, reflecting Your love and grace to the world.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
