I used to be the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. I was addicted to the ungodly sin of self-righteousness because I had a twisted view of God’s mercy. I considered myself to be more righteous than others because of my beliefs and practices. Therefore, my sins weren’t as bad as yours because I was closer to God. This made me guilty of the unrighteous sin of pride because I thought God loved me more. And, I was guilty of the ultimate sin of self-idolatry because I thought you needed to be more like me to be accepted by God.
- Are you an accidental Pharisee?
- The fear of religion is a dangerous trap
- Gnosticism and the altar of special knowledge in the church today
Let me tell you about my journey. I met some dear Christian friends who believed completely different theological doctrines than me. In my elder brother opinion, they were believing damnable heresies. But, I could see they loved God and had been accepted by God just like me.
I could see that God had accepted them with, what I thought were, ungodly doctrines even though I had not accepted them. The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed, that my opinion was somehow more important than God’s
This put me in the same quandary as Peter with the early Jewish Christians in Acts 10-15. My Christian friends were horrified that I had fellowship with people like this.
The news traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard about it—heard that the non-Jewish “outsiders” were now “in.” When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some of his old associates, concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: “What do you think you’re doing rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited and ruining our good name?” (Acts 11:1-3 MSG)
But it didn’t end up for me like it did with Peter and the early Christians. My friends and family ostracized me, and hated me, and shunned our family, and finally, violently pushed us out of their assembly.
As it turns out, that was the second most important day in my Christian life. At first, we were devastated and heart-broken. Most of our friends and many of our own family refused to have anything to do with us or even talk to us. Bitterness welled up within us. Then we discovered grace. If God, could forgive my sins, which are many, then he could forgive their sins because he already paid the price. So we laid our sins and their sins at the foot of the cross and let the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10 WEB)
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:20-21 WEB)
- The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller – Newsweek called renowned minister Timothy Keller “a C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century” in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, Keller takes his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity and uses the parable of the prodigal son to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation. Within that parable Jesus reveals God’s prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way.
- Why Grace Changes Everything by Chuck Smith – The difference grace will make for you…. Grace.. It’s a word we all love to hear. But do we all know what it means? Without it, our lives are dry and dusty. But when grace comes, it transforms our lives into something rich and beautiful. With remarkable insight gleaned from his own life, Pastor Chuck Smith unfolds the mystery of grace and reveals the surprising truth: We can never grow in grace by our own efforts. True grace flows from the heart of the Father through the love of Jesus Christ. To know that God is for you, that He loves you, is the greatest source of security you will ever know. That is grace-and that is what makes life worth living.
Like any recovering person, I always have to be on guard against accidentally slipping back into the ruts of my elder brother ways of thinking and behaving. Therefore, I have to repeatedly ask those around me to forgive me for my instinctive tendencies. I know God can change the way I think, and I praise him for his work in my life, but I know this is going to be a life-long process of staying focused on the godly goal.
- If we confess our sins, he will forgive us (1 John 1:9)
- Let God change the way you think (Romans 12:1-2)
- Forgetting the past and pressing onward (Philippians 3:12-14)
The final chapter isn’t written yet, but God has blessed us more than we could have ever imagined. We have met, been impacted by, and worked with thousands of Christians. Now, one of my fondest wishes is to spend the first 10,000 years or so in heaven catching up with all our eternal friends