Scriptures:
Roman 8: 1-16
Romans 12: 2
Romans 3:23-24
1 John 1:9
Luke 15
Main passages:
In Luke 15: 11-32 Christ tells a parable of the lost son.
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, Father give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son; threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 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…”
Luke 15: 4-7 The parable of the lost sheep
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home… Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Lesson:
We know that the son and his actions are representing us and our actions. When God created us he made us to be a particular way but because of the sins of Adam and Eve, we are now automatically born into sin. However, as we grow some of us start to drift farther and farther from God and our inheritance, which is the kingdom of heaven. Some of us never even knew God to begin with and aren’t even aware that we are royal. We become so concerned with living our “best lives”. We give ourselves up to false doctrines and sexual immorality. We surround ourselves with things that we believe will fill us up.Some of those things may be drugs, alcohol, dating, money, or partying. The thing we all fail to realize when we’re out in the world is that none of those things will last and none of them will fill us up. Being out in the world will bring you to a point where the things you are surrounding yourself with will become a famine in your life. When you realize that, you might start to search for ways fix that longing inside. You think that something in your life needs a little tweak and you’ll be fulfilled. You say to yourself, if I just ask this person for this i’ll be filled or if I try to think or speak the thing I want to happen into my life I can fix this famine I feel inside. You might even think that your fulfillment lies in “settling down” with someone but no longer what you do or how you do it, if you do not come to God you will forever be unsatisfied. Like the lost son you will have your fun at first, but when that famine hits your spirit nothing of this world will be able to feed it besides God. When you make that decision to go back home or to come to the Lord for the first time he will meet you halfway and rejoice because you are found. The lost son realized that even the servants in his Father’s house were fed and had plenty left over. There is so much anointing in the presence of God and so many of the people in the Lords home are fed and they all have some left over. Even though you were lost and far from home God was already looking for you and he is filled with compassion for you. You are his lost sheep but in order to be fed, you have to come to the point where you allow him to find you. The way you allow God to have access to you is by seeking him wholeheartedly and keeping his commands.
Read more hidden textJust like the lost son when you decide to come to Christ you will be met with the love of God. The Father in the parable, dressed and then fed his lost son. In the same way when we come back into the presence of the Lord, even if we were never in his presence to begin with and we find him, God will transform us. He’ll clothe us in righteous clothing meaning he will cleanse us of our sins and then he’ll feed our spirits which has been long suffering from the famine. Before all of that can be done we must allow God acess in our lives and make that decision to go home to our Father. After we do that we must confess our sins to the Lord just as the son did when he confessed to his father that he sinned against him and heaven. That is the same way we too must confess our sins and then God will start working on us and feeding us. The bible tells is that , “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all righteousness” (1 John 1:9) and we know the the word of God is all truth and holy. With that being said confess your sins and allow God to transform you.
What the enemy likes to do is try to make you feel like you are unworthy of forgiveness or make you feel condemned. Remember that none of us are saved through works and that only the blood of Jesus Christ makes us worthy and that there is no condemnation in the Lord (Romans 8). The bible tells us that who Christ has set free is free indeed (John 8: 36). Meaning if God has forgiven you and has freed you you are free. Do not let the enemy cause you to turn back or be ashamed. All of the great people of the bible were sinners and none of them were perfect, but God was still able to take them out of their brokenness and turn them into the people we know today. God transformed them, renewed them, and then he fed them. Do not allow the enemy to rob you of your inheritance. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by his grace through redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). There will always be a constant battle between the desires of our flesh and the desires of the spirit within us but we must be willing to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Christ everyday. It will be difficult but with the help of Jesus through prayer you will be able to do it. If you look at Romans 7 verses 15 Paul describes his struggle with dying to his fleshes desire. Even when we take up our cross and follow Christ, we know that he still carries the load and that he took that load with him to the cross. None of us are perfect but if we keep ourselves focused on God and ask him for help he will help us. Do not allow the enemy to tell you that you are not free when you know what God’s word says. No matter what you did or how many times you fall as long as you keep seeking the Lord and you turn away from the sin you will find the fulfillment you are looking for in Christ, our Lord.
If there ever is conviction in your life just understand that God will correct the people he loves and that conviction is not condemnation it’s an act of love. God is our Father and does not wish that any of us should perish but that we all have eternal life. In the same way that if you were a parent you’d correct your child from doing something wrong because you do not want them to harm themselves, is the same way the Lord corrects us. If you feel shame and feel like discouraged to keep seeking God because you feel unworthy understand that no sin is to big for the Lord to forgive. For crying out loud he forgave Moses and King David for breaking his commandments. Don’t let the world, your thoughts, the enemy, your friends, or anyone else in your life keep you from your inheritance. Take that first step towards God, he is already looking for you but you have to be ready to be found. So, take that step towards God, ask for forgiveness, and offer yourself up as a living sacrifice. In doing so, the Lord will be able to clothe you in his righteousness and your soul will be fed. .
Things to think about:
Remember that God took something as lifeless and dirty as the dirt from the ground and created something so beautiful in his likeness and image. That alone makes you royal. To walk in that royalty you need to deny yourself and let go of the things of this world that God did not design you to partake in. Keep seeking because you will find what it is you are looking for through Christ.
Scripture to think about:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12-: 2)
Pray about the words above and be blessed