Rather than putting up a good fight; standing on God’s promises and remaining girded about with His strength and power inside the whole armor of God, whereby, allowing God to win the battle, some people choose to throw in the towel and walk away, because of hunger pangs in their gut for the taste of pleasure and the fast life.
Before selling out and giving up, the “runner” fails to stop and consider that these distractions, when tasted, become a venomous toxicant to their body. When swallowed, it poisons the whole system, because it’s impossible to digest. Psychological, spiritual, and physical systems experience symptoms of rejection that are revealed in the countenance and character of the one experimenting with harmful contaminants.
Reality quickly reveals that this kind of pleasure is empty; completely void of healthy nutrition—only temporary satisfaction. Giving into temptation rather than demanding that it take a hike brings pain and despair after partaking of its deception. While surrendering to selfish desires, God is kept out of the loop; at arm length; preventing Him from kicking Satan to the curb.
They sell out cheaply; trading their birthright for a piece of stale bread and worthless bowel of lentils, as it were. Their actions remind me of the story in (Genesis 25:28-34). Esau traded his worth (birthright) to his younger brother, Jacob, because of haste and hunger. He lost everything in a moment of poor judgment.
When the Holy Spirit beckons a prodigal runaway to come home from their wandering, to be reunited with God the Father, too many times they continue with a hell-bent notion of doing their own thing, as they turn their head slightly to look over their shoulder and say, “When I’ve had my fun and I’m old I’ll return home.” They go their merry way to lavish upon themselves whatever suits their fancy—living the motto, “If it feels good do it.”
All the while God is looking for their return, waiting patiently for good sense to take up residence in their thinking so that dedication to what is right can once again resume its place in their heart. As they grow older, the more set in their ways they become. This is the danger of procrastination. Putting off to another day what should be done today plays into the devil’s unclean hands. A person starts believing the deceptive lies that Satan feeds them; running the risk of total deception.
Listening to the lies the devil spins, they believe these untruths as factual, and buy into the notion that they are indeed undeserving and unworthy to be called a child of God…lies like: “You’ve been down this road too long to turn back now.” or “You don’t have the right to return home.”
As they look at their careless living and how they turned their back on God, the prodding and goading from Satan to continue their trek-of-despair, convinces them that all hope is gone. Their mind accepts, as fact, that changing their way of living and returning to Christ is not an option any longer. These lies are from the pit of hell!
There is not one person on earth that is worthy or deserving to be called a son or daughter of God. We actually deserve hell instead, because of our unrighteousness. Every one of us have sinned and failed to measure up to what it means to be Christ like.
(Romans ), “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
(Isaiah 64:6), “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
God loves us anyway. He wants to care and provide the things we have need of, because His love is pure. God established the provision for sin; His name is Jesus. Our Father wants us to come home to enjoy a safe and peaceful haven. God’s grace speaks gently the following scriptures:
(Matthew 11:28), “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
(1 John 1:9), “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(Romans 10:9-10), “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” vs.10 “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Anyone can call upon the name of the Lord and be set free. Jesus gave His life freely for you and me. He suffered death on the cross that we might have an abundant life; free from sin. God sees us as righteous and clean when we accept His son Jesus; the perfection of holiness, which is the only name under heaven, whereby, we can receive forgiveness for our sins.
(Romans 5:6-8), “For when we were still without, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” vs.7 “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.” vs.8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God, being holy and all that is good, cannot look upon sin. Sin is an abomination to Him. The disobedience of sinning separated mankind from our Heavenly Father in the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned against God. Separation took place in the Garden of Eden between God’s first man and Himself, because of sin.
God wants us to be reunited with the family of God. For this reason He sent His only son to die for the remission of sin. We are united with the Father the moment that we say yes to Jesus—the moment we make Him Lord of our life.
(John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
In (Luke 15:11-32) is the Parable of the Lost Son that wanted his father to give him his part of the inheritance, such that he could leave the responsibilities at home, because he thought the grass was greener elsewhere. His father gave him his portion of the family wealth; and the son left the sanctuary of home, even though his father was grieved in spirit.
The son squandered all of it on riotous living, prostitutes, and strong drink. When the money ran out so did his friends. He found himself alone, living a hog-trough existence. While eating with the swine in a pig-pin, he remembered what it was like living under his father’s care. He realized that even his father’s servants had an abundance of food to eat, while he was starving.
Not only was there plenty to eat, he remembered the nice, warm bed that he slept in, and his family that loved him for who he was and not for what he could buy them. He reminisced; recalling the good times that he had back home.
Finally, realizing the errors of his way and how far down his rebellion had taken him, he knew that home was the answer. In fact, the more he contemplated home, the more he wanted to return.
He concocted a plan of what he would say to his father; and then set out on his trek, homeward bound, rehearsing the proposition in his mind as he journeyed. He was willing to become a servant rather than asking to be reinstated as a son if only he could remain at home. He was hoping to find compassion in his father’s heart.
Meanwhile, his father gazed into the distance every day, looking for his son’s return, expecting to see him coming down the path that led home. Finally, one day when his father was checking the horizon, he saw someone walking toward him afar off. “Could it be?” He uttered. “Yes, it is! My son has come home!” He exclaimed.
He recognized his son and ran out to meet him. He fell upon his neck, kissed, and hugged him; expressing love. He placing a ring on his finger; a robe around his shoulders; and ordered the servants to kill a calf and prepare a great feast. It was celebration time! His son that was once lost had found the way home!
The son started to explain and give the excuse that he had rehearsed, but his father interrupted, preventing him from making his plea for mercy. He didn’t allow him to degrade himself by telling his father how unworthy and undeserving he was to be called his son. His father was happy! His son was home! That’s all that mattered! He was safe at last!
Our Heavenly Father shows mercy in much the same way. When we too are out of the arch of safety and wanting to come home, God welcomes us with open arms. He is waiting patiently and watching for our return. He knows that we are unworthy in our self, but He shows compassion and forgives us of our transgressions, because of Jesus.
God accepts us just as we are, with worn out shoes, torn clothing, and smelly body, which was tainted by the world’s influence. Our Father loves us and kisses away the filth of exposure off our face, and places a bond-ring on our finger and a robe of righteousness around our shoulders, signifying son-ship.
We are the sons and daughters of Holiness. We are joint-heirs with Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We are part of the Royal Priesthood of Heaven, because of our reinstatement into the Body of Christ. All of heaven rejoices, because a soul that was lost has found the way home.
Anyone can reject salvation and forsake the right of kinship in Jesus Christ, because of freedom of choice, thus, selling out to Satan, but when a decision to come back home has been made and the dust settles from the long, hard journey back, God’s grace is sufficient for whatever the need.
For those people that have been eating the husks of worldly refuse that need to come home; God made a way—Jesus. Should we find ourselves separated from God’s love; wanting to come home, God provided the way home.
Our Father washes and cleanses us; removing the stench of sin—son-ship is restored. Souls are set free from the bondage of wandering that held them tightly in the grip of degradation. They are made whole—no longer dissimulated by the world that pulls in so many directions.
(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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