Luke 15:11-24 – A Prodigal

The prodigal son is a picture of everyone before they are saved. We are all naturally proud and selfish. We have no pleasure in fellowship with God. We turn away from Him, going as far as we can. We spend our time, and strength, and mind, and heart on worthless things.

The prodigal son finds out that the ways of sin are hard, by bitter experience. This too is a common situation. Sin is a hard master, and the servants of sin always find it out, sooner or later, to their cost. Unconverted people are never really happy. They are often anxious, sick at heart, dissatisfied with themselves, tired of what they are doing, and thoroughly uncomfortable.

The prodigal son awakens to a sense of the mess he is in and resolves to repent. Thousands of people think this way every day. We should be thankful when we see those thoughts coming. Thinking is not a change of heart, but it may be the beginning of it. But we must remember that good thoughts are all very well, but they are not saving Christianity. If the prodigal son had never got beyond thinking, he might have kept from home to the day of his death.

The prodigal son is then a picture of a man turning to God with true repentance and faith. The man in whose heart a true work of the Holy Spirit has begun, will never be content with thinking and resolving. He will break off from sin. He will stop doing evil, and he will learn to do good. He will turn to God in humble prayer, confessing his sin. And just like the prodigal son he will find his sins freely pardoned and himself completely accepted by his loving Father.

Questions
1. What are the consequences of sin?
2. What is true repentance?

Prayer Points
1. Give thanks for the forgiveness of sins and the love of God.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.