What do I mean by that?
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Perhaps a person has lived an ungodly life.
They have scoffed at or denied Jesus Christ for as long as they can remember and have done things they are deeply ashamed of.
Many people who have gone down that path conclude that God could never accept someone like them.
That way of thinking is understandable.
In human relationships, when we have badly hurt someone, we rarely expect them to welcome us back.
Often the breach remains until the day we die.
That is tragic, especially when people genuinely regret what they have done and have changed their minds.
Admitting our wrongdoing is an important step towards reconciliation, but it is rarely easy.
Pride gets in the way. People who have already been battered by life are often reluctant to surrender what little dignity they feel they have left.
God, however, is not like us.
His standards are indeed perfect, but so is His grace.
The message of Christianity is unique because it declares that people who have rebelled against God are not beyond hope.
No matter what they have said or done, they are not excluded from His mercy if they turn to Him.
Jesus illustrates this beautifully in the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.
If you want to understand God’s attitude towards those who have wandered far from Him, this is the first passage you should read.
The parable tells of two sons.
One remained with his father, while the other demanded his inheritance and wanted nothing more to do with him.
Jesus is painting a picture of humanity’s relationship with God.
After receiving everything he wanted, the younger son pursued the life he had always desired.
Ignoring his father’s wishes, he squandered his inheritance in reckless living until he was left with nothing.
His circumstances became so desperate that he found work feeding pigs and even longed to eat the food they were given. He had reached rock bottom.
What could he do now?
His father had allowed him to leave and had not prevented him from making foolish choices.
In the same way, God allows people to reject Him and suffer the consequences of their rebellion. He does not force them to remain with Him.
Then came the turning point. Jesus says, “But when he came to himself” — that is, when he came to his senses.
He began to think, “Should I return to my father? What if he rejects me?”
Yet he knew that even being a servant in his father’s house would be better than the misery he was experiencing.
So he humbled himself and went home.
What happened next is one of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture. While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him, ran to him, embraced him and welcomed him home.
It was a remarkable meeting between a repentant son and a compassionate father who had been ready to receive him all along.
No short article can do justice to this parable, so I encourage you to read Luke 15 for yourself.
Jesus’ point is clear: no-one is beyond recovery.
God willingly receives those who repent and return to Him.
Pastor David McAllan
Echuca Community Church