By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
FRIDAY
THEME: THE JOY OF HEAVEN: PART II
SCRIPTURE: Luke 15:20
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
REFLECTIONS:
In all the three conditions of lost human beings captured in the parable of Luke 15, there is always an avenue of hope – the lost is found! Remember Jesus’ premise for His mission to the world recorded in Luke 5:32 – “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” God does not treat sinners the way sinners themselves treat other offenders. The love of God permeates every action He takes on behalf of the sinner. Thus, Jesus demonstrates that every single sinner is dear to God.
Luke 15:4-7 presents the parable of the lost sheep. Here, Jesus shows that the lost sheep is so important to the shepherd that he will leave the other 99 and search for the lost one. Every one of the sheep – in this case, every human being and sinner is important to God. The outcome is worth celebrating when a sinner is found and responds to God’s entreaties. Heaven is joyful for the repentant. Finding the lost coin brought jubilation (15:8-10). It is a parable and, therefore, in proper context, refers to a sinner who is lost and does not know its lostness. Jesus has to find the coin (sinner) to restore hope. A scary dimension is that the coin was lost in the house. Within the people of faith and, by extension, the house of God, could there be some who are lost? Think about it. God’s unfailing love is still seen in the lost coin story – He searches for the sinner to save and restore.
The third parable, popularly referred to as the parable of the “prodigal son” (15:11-32), elaborates on God’s joy for a sinner who returns to Him. It does not matter how wayward, rebellious, or indecent you have been; once you respond positively to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, God does everything to establish you in the kingdom. In the previous instances, God took the initiative to search, but the sinner’s decision is emphasized here. Luke 15:17-18 – “[17]“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! [18]I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” “When he came to himself” and “I have sinned” means he accepted his awful situation and acknowledged his sin. That moment of repentance and his return to his father allowed him to be restored and treated as a royal – unique treatment.
Indeed, the parable gives a glimpse of God’s joy over a sinner who repents. Heaven celebrates the repentant sinner. The garbage is thrown away, and God gives grace to enable you to walk in His light. That moment of surrender allows you to be robed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Anytime a sinner repents, Christ gives the person a new dress – a robe of righteousness – a symbol of an impeccable character. Then angels join the Father and our Lord Jesus to rejoice over you for your return to Him. There is salvation in Jesus Christ. Meditate on this – Psalms 32:1-2, “[1]Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. [2]Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” May heaven rejoice over you.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 186 – “I’ve Found a Friend”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His interest in your life; thank God for the experience of forgiveness and restoration; pray to abide in Him and remain faithful to the end;
– Pray for members of your church who still dwell in sin; pray for church members to be wary about worldliness and unfaithfulness;
– Pray for your neighbors, families, and friends to draw closer to Christ; pray for young people engaged in addictive behaviors; pray for those who are ministering to unbelievers;
– Pray for a peaceful and progressive country; pray for personnel of the security and health systems; pray for the conviction of the Holy Spirit over those you have requested God to save.
