Luk 15:17 | KingComments | STEP | At the bottom of his misery he comes to himself. This is the beginning of the return. Around him everything is gone. He only has himself. Now that he no longer has any distractions, he starts thinking about home. He remembers what he has turned his back on. He left his father’s house as a son and now is with the swine in the greatest misery, while his father’s hired men have no shortage of anything. Where the Spirit of God works, we always find two things: the conscience is convinced of sin and the heart is attracted by God’s love. This is the revelation of God to the heart. God is light and God is love. As light He works in the heart the conviction of his lost condition. As love there is the attraction of His goodness. The result is true confession. The prodigal son makes a decision: he will go back to his father. He does more than just decide to go back. He sees that he has sinned, both against heaven and Him Who dwells therein and against his father. The life of a sinner is contrary to the life lived in heaven by angels who only do what God says. In his inner being the son is convinced of his sins and is prepared to confess them openly. By his willingness to stand up, he has already acknowledged before God that he has sinned. He also realizes that he has lost all rights to be still accepted as son. This is the work of God’s Spirit. He is truly broken and contrite of spirit. He wants to take the place of a hired man. If he could take it, he would be satisfied with it. The desire was good, but legalistic because of unfamiliarity with grace. That is how many Christians live. They are only concerned with themselves and still have so little awareness of what lives in the Father’s heart. It is not about what we want, but about what the Father wants. That is so impressive in this part of the parable. It is not about what the son wants, but about what the father does. The Father proceeds according to the fullness of grace that is in His heart for lost sons. God’s desire is not satisfied by giving lost sons the place of a hired man at the doorstep of His house. He wants sons in the area and atmosphere of His house. Many Christians have no awareness of what sonship to the pleasure of the Father’s will is ( ). There is no peace by return alone. True peace comes when we get to know the Father’s thoughts about us.

‏ Luke 15:17

The Younger Son Comes to His Senses

At the bottom of his misery he comes to himself. This is the beginning of the return. Around him everything is gone. He only has himself. Now that he no longer has any distractions, he starts thinking about home. He remembers what he has turned his back on. He left his father’s house as a son and now is with the swine in the greatest misery, while his father’s hired men have no shortage of anything.

Where the Spirit of God works, we always find two things: the conscience is convinced of sin and the heart is attracted by God’s love. This is the revelation of God to the heart. God is light and God is love. As light He works in the heart the conviction of his lost condition. As love there is the attraction of His goodness. The result is true confession.

The prodigal son makes a decision: he will go back to his father. He does more than just decide to go back. He sees that he has sinned, both against heaven and Him Who dwells therein and against his father. The life of a sinner is contrary to the life lived in heaven by angels who only do what God says. In his inner being the son is convinced of his sins and is prepared to confess them openly. By his willingness to stand up, he has already acknowledged before God that he has sinned.

He also realizes that he has lost all rights to be still accepted as son. This is the work of God’s Spirit. He is truly broken and contrite of spirit. He wants to take the place of a hired man. If he could take it, he would be satisfied with it. The desire was good, but legalistic because of unfamiliarity with grace. That is how many Christians live. They are only concerned with themselves and still have so little awareness of what lives in the Father’s heart. It is not about what we want, but about what the Father wants. That is so impressive in this part of the parable. It is not about what the son wants, but about what the father does.

The Father proceeds according to the fullness of grace that is in His heart for lost sons. God’s desire is not satisfied by giving lost sons the place of a hired man at the doorstep of His house. He wants sons in the area and atmosphere of His house. Many Christians have no awareness of what sonship to the pleasure of the Father’s will is (Eph 1:5). There is no peace by return alone. True peace comes when we get to know the Father’s thoughts about us.