The prodigal son did not receive any benefit at all from the Father until he chose to repent and return. "He is able to graft them in again IF they do not Continue in unbelief" Rom 11.
The analogy isn't quite applicable.
The grafting in of the vine was not for salvation, but to bear fruit as in abiding in Him. To confuse that with the grafting of the Gentiles as opposing the Jews that rejected Him is not the same thing. This is a different grafting so as to bear fruit for apart from Him, believers can do nothing.
Had he stayed in the pig pen - he would have eventually died there.
This half glass empty perspective is not how one views the reading of His Words. Scriptures are to testify of Jesus: John 5:39-40 Scriptures do not testify of man nor place something on the believer that he may glory in himself in. So viewing it as the son saved himself by returning is an error.
The half glass full approach in veiwing the hope in Christ and not having any confidence in the flesh to testify of man to glory in men; we find that the prodigal son is still son. This is what has not changed. The fact that he did return shows that he will return. Consider this as a promise from God:
1 Corinthians 5:5To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Paul said the above in regards to excommunicating a brother that was fornicating.
1 Corinthians 3:11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The foundation of God is that He knows those that are His have we read in my previous post to you in regards to 2 Timothy 2's reference. We continue reading on in this reference of the severity of that reproving fire:
1 Corinthians 3: 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
But this was to leave no doubt to the power of God in having bought us and sealed us as His...
1 Corinthians 3:21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; 22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; 23And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
The necessity of this fire is for this purpose:
Hebrews 12: 4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.......
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28Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29For our God is a consuming fire.
We are a sealed memeber of God's kingdom. That citizenship cannot be moved. The errant view of OSAS as some read the scriptures is that "it doesn't matter what we do, we are saved" is a half truth for they are saved, but it does matter because in light of eternity, giving up the first inheritance like Esau did for something temporary or as the prodigal son did for wild living... there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It may look to them like it did to Esau that seeking a "pleasurable sin" at this stime is worth it, but as temporary as that pleasure is like having that one meal, is nothing compared to the loss of eternal pleasure of obtaining the salvation which is in Christ Jesus WITH eternal glory as a vessel unto honour. It is by that loss, they have become a vessel unto dishonour... for all eternity in God's house which is why Gd has to wipe away the tears from their eyes, a divine intervention, to get past that loss.
God weeps over the lost "not willing for any to perish" as we see in 2Peter 3 - but they are "lost still".
Again, half glass empty approach. Half glass full approach shows God is not willing any should perish so Jesus will go after that lost sheep which is not to be confused with those "lost" that were not sheep at all, as in never having been bought and sealed as His.
Amen - all true. God is continually calling the lost to salvation and even the somewhat lax among His children (Heb 12) back to repentance and faith.
The difference is the call to those that are lost as for salvation is not to be confused with the lost sheep that were led astray.
Paul points out in 2Cor 7:10 that the expelling of the wrong doer in 1Cor 5 produced "Godly sorrow works repentance leading to salvation". Paul never argues "saved while in rebellion".
Clarity is needed here. Paul did say that the rebellious disobedient son is still His in 1 Corinthians 5:5. So let us look at 2 Cor. 7:10
2 Corinthians 7:10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
"Not to be repented of" is read towards "for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation" is to mean... that they were not using godly sorrow to work repentance to salvation, but the repentence is towards the world, putting to death which would cause the sorrow of the world. Paul goes on...
2 Corinthians 7:11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
We have to remember Paul's words in how he was speaking to them earlier:
2 Coreinthians 6: 14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
7:1Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. ..... 3I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
So in repenting towards the world which will cause sorrow will enable them to be received by the Father freely whereas.. the disobedient will have to go through chastenment.
My argument is not that He does not go after them - for He says in Romans 11 "He is able to graft them in AGAIN IF they do not continue in unbelief".
But by going after them, He will graft them in again, even those left behind at the rapture event because those other sheep will hear his voice finally and be one fold and one shepherd, albeit, as a vessel unto dishonour in God's house. In the half glass full of hope in Him and His words, will God set out to do something and not perform it? Yes. Just as easily that He will begin to finish what He started to build.
The story is not of the form "while working in the pig pen the prodigal suddenly found himself at home with his father". The son had to come to his senses while IN the pig pen and CHOOSE to return to the Father.
When he returned home - he found the Father was waiting.
Had he stayed away - the life of one "removed" as Romans 11 would have continued to be his.
Still, the emphasis on the prodigal son choosing to return is not applicable for no man can come to the Son unless it is the Father that draws him as God knows those that are His and He calls them by name. Can His word go out and return to Him void? The Father does not cease to be Father.
to be continued... God be willing...:type:
