SHAMELESS GRACE #5
SHAMELESS GRACE # 5
LIVING IN THE FREEDOM OF GOD’S LOVE
DR. LARRY LAMB - OCTOBER 2, 2022
Galatians 5.13 “For you have been called to live in freedom, my
brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful
nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”
Luke 15.1,2 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to
listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of reli gious law complain that He was associating with such sinful people—
even eating with them!
A prodigal son / daughter abandons their faith when they become
enamored by someone, a lifestyle, or a fantasy that promises
fulfillment. They left:
- TRUTH… to chase a lie.
- SECURITY… to embrace a fallacy.
- WISE COUNSEL… to the addiction of their way.
Luke 15.11-13 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story:
“A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share
of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his
wealth between his sons.
Too much of anything in the hands of the immature is usually
catastrophic.
Luke 15.14-16 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept
over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to
hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The
young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the
pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
REF Luke 15.20,21
Ephesians 2.8,9 God saved you by His grace when you believed. And
you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a
reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast
about it.
When Jesus told stories it was important for people to locate
themselves within the story.
1) For those who relate to attitude and action of the prodigal son. Stop
where you are, come to your senses and go home. The word is REPENTANCE. Don’t travel another day away from home. Come back.
2) For those who relate to the father. Don’t stop PRAYING for a
prodigal son or daughter. God is always at work and knows exactly
how to bring them back to sanity.
3) For those who relate to the older son. Lose your resentment. Take a
new look at the CROSS and see if your resentment matches the
weight of the CROSS and the Love of Jesus.
4) God’s viewpoint is love, grace, and forgiveness. But wait, there are
consequences to their choices. That’s true for them and for us.
Before we get too steeped in our self-righteousness, let’s go back
and read:
Luke 15.1,2 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to
listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious
law complain that He was associating with such sinful people—even
eating with them!
Self-righteousness and joy cannot coexist. Stop analyzing
every motive from your perfected point of view.
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I know the penalty of my sin is
physical, spiritual, and eternal death. I acknowledge that I can't do
anything about my situation. But I