From a friend.
What Do You Know of Grace? Do you see God the Father running to His lost children?
I really enjoy the picture attached to this message. Look at him go - such a dignified older man, draped in the fine robes and garments of his wealth, running as fast as his legs can take him, full steam ahead toward a nearly naked, odious, filthy, pig-slop covered son. It is his son! It is his son returned! Go get him Dad!
"And He said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 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. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 BUT THE FATHER SAID to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD, AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST, AND IS FOUND. And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:11-24)
"After he had come as low as he could he thought of the kindness and love of his father. He then felt the need of a father. He had brought upon himself his position of friendlessness and want. His own disobedience and sin had resulted in his separating himself from his father. He thought of the privileges and bounties that the hired servants of his father's house freely enjoyed, while he who had alienated himself from his father's house was perishing with hunger. Humiliated through adversity, he decided to return to his father by humble confession. He was a beggar, destitute of comfortable or even decent clothing. He was wretched in consequence of privation and was emaciated with hunger. {3T 101.3}
"While the son was at a distance from his home, his father saw the wanderer, and his first thought was of that rebellious son who had left him years before to follow a course of unrestrained sin. THE PATERNAL FEELING WAS STIRRED. Notwithstanding all the marks of his degradation THE FATHER DISCERNED HIS OWN IMAGE. He did not wait for his son to come all the distance to him, but hastened to meet him. He did not reproach his son, but WITH THE TENDEREST PITY AND COMPASSION, that, in consequence of his course of sin, he had brought upon himself so much suffering, THE FATHER HASTENED TO GIVE HIM PROOFS OF HIS LOVE AND TOKENS OF HIS FORGIVENESS. {3T 101.4}
"Although his son was emaciated and his countenance plainly indicated the dissolute life he had passed, although he was clothed with beggar's rags and his naked feet were soiled with the dust of travel, the father's tenderest pity was excited as the son fell prostrate in humility before him. HE DID NOT STAND BACK UPON HIS DIGNITY; he was not exacting. He did not array before his son his past course of wrong and sin, to make him feel how low he had sunk. HE LIFTED HIM UP AND KISSED HIM. HE TOOK THE REBELLIOUS SON TO HIS BREAST AND WRAPPED HIS OWN RICH ROBE AROUND THE NEARLY NAKED FORM. He took him to his heart WITH SUCH WARMTH, and evinced such pity, that IF THE SON HAD EVER DOUBTED THE GOODNESS AND LOVE OF HIS FATHER, HE COULD DO SO NO LONGER. If he had a sense of his sin when he decided to return to his father's house, he had a much deeper sense of his ungrateful course when he was thus received. HIS HEART, BEFORE SUBDUED, WAS NOW BROKEN BECAUSE HE HAD GRIEVED THAT FATHER'S LOVE. {3T 102.1}
"The penitent, trembling son, who had GREATLY FEARED THAT HE WOULD BE DISOWNED, WAS UNPREPARED FOR SUCH A RECEPTION. He knew he did not deserve it, and he thus acknowledged his sin in leaving his father: “I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” He begged only to be accounted as a hired servant. BUT THE FATHER REQUESTED HIS SERVANTS TO PAY HIM SPECIAL TOKENS OF RESPECT AND TO CLOTHE HIM AS IF HE HAD EVER BEEN HIS OWN OBEDIENT SON. {3T 102.2}
How can this be? Is there injustice with God? No, not at all!
"To wit, that GOD WAS IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM (2 Cor 5:19-21)
So what do you know of grace? Do you see God the Father, in the person of His only begotten Son, running to His lost children? What a warm embrace indeed! The love of the Father and the Son, entry into the bosom of Divine love, is the safest most blessed experience in all the universe. You can feel a Divine hug, even now, by the presence of the Divine Spirit. There is nothing down here on earth that can truly compare!
What Do You Know of Grace? Do you see God the Father running to His lost children?
I really enjoy the picture attached to this message. Look at him go - such a dignified older man, draped in the fine robes and garments of his wealth, running as fast as his legs can take him, full steam ahead toward a nearly naked, odious, filthy, pig-slop covered son. It is his son! It is his son returned! Go get him Dad!
"And He said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 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. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 BUT THE FATHER SAID to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD, AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST, AND IS FOUND. And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:11-24)
"After he had come as low as he could he thought of the kindness and love of his father. He then felt the need of a father. He had brought upon himself his position of friendlessness and want. His own disobedience and sin had resulted in his separating himself from his father. He thought of the privileges and bounties that the hired servants of his father's house freely enjoyed, while he who had alienated himself from his father's house was perishing with hunger. Humiliated through adversity, he decided to return to his father by humble confession. He was a beggar, destitute of comfortable or even decent clothing. He was wretched in consequence of privation and was emaciated with hunger. {3T 101.3}
"While the son was at a distance from his home, his father saw the wanderer, and his first thought was of that rebellious son who had left him years before to follow a course of unrestrained sin. THE PATERNAL FEELING WAS STIRRED. Notwithstanding all the marks of his degradation THE FATHER DISCERNED HIS OWN IMAGE. He did not wait for his son to come all the distance to him, but hastened to meet him. He did not reproach his son, but WITH THE TENDEREST PITY AND COMPASSION, that, in consequence of his course of sin, he had brought upon himself so much suffering, THE FATHER HASTENED TO GIVE HIM PROOFS OF HIS LOVE AND TOKENS OF HIS FORGIVENESS. {3T 101.4}
"Although his son was emaciated and his countenance plainly indicated the dissolute life he had passed, although he was clothed with beggar's rags and his naked feet were soiled with the dust of travel, the father's tenderest pity was excited as the son fell prostrate in humility before him. HE DID NOT STAND BACK UPON HIS DIGNITY; he was not exacting. He did not array before his son his past course of wrong and sin, to make him feel how low he had sunk. HE LIFTED HIM UP AND KISSED HIM. HE TOOK THE REBELLIOUS SON TO HIS BREAST AND WRAPPED HIS OWN RICH ROBE AROUND THE NEARLY NAKED FORM. He took him to his heart WITH SUCH WARMTH, and evinced such pity, that IF THE SON HAD EVER DOUBTED THE GOODNESS AND LOVE OF HIS FATHER, HE COULD DO SO NO LONGER. If he had a sense of his sin when he decided to return to his father's house, he had a much deeper sense of his ungrateful course when he was thus received. HIS HEART, BEFORE SUBDUED, WAS NOW BROKEN BECAUSE HE HAD GRIEVED THAT FATHER'S LOVE. {3T 102.1}
"The penitent, trembling son, who had GREATLY FEARED THAT HE WOULD BE DISOWNED, WAS UNPREPARED FOR SUCH A RECEPTION. He knew he did not deserve it, and he thus acknowledged his sin in leaving his father: “I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” He begged only to be accounted as a hired servant. BUT THE FATHER REQUESTED HIS SERVANTS TO PAY HIM SPECIAL TOKENS OF RESPECT AND TO CLOTHE HIM AS IF HE HAD EVER BEEN HIS OWN OBEDIENT SON. {3T 102.2}
How can this be? Is there injustice with God? No, not at all!
"To wit, that GOD WAS IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM (2 Cor 5:19-21)
So what do you know of grace? Do you see God the Father, in the person of His only begotten Son, running to His lost children? What a warm embrace indeed! The love of the Father and the Son, entry into the bosom of Divine love, is the safest most blessed experience in all the universe. You can feel a Divine hug, even now, by the presence of the Divine Spirit. There is nothing down here on earth that can truly compare!
