Just got back from a training session on the ‘bounded set’ versus the ‘centered set’. The wording may be a bit confusing but here’s the bottom line. The Christian has a few choices about the life we live. Two common Christian lifestyles are rebellion and legalism.
The rebellious Christian decides at some point that God is not who they thought He was, so they set out to find a better way, one better suited to their own life, their own set of rules, they own goals, their own morality, their own desires.
The prodigal son was that rebel.
He had it all but he wanted more.
There had to be a better way.
More fun, more parties, more purpose, more love, more money, less conflict, less rules, less conviction, less work, less responsibility.
The flesh cannot be satisfied and at some point there is the realization that the Father is the only One sufficient to fulfill our needs.
And we run home to the loving arms of the Father.
The legalistic Christian may best be represented by the prodigal’s brother.
He has stayed home with the father but he does not know his identity in the family.
He believes that he is deserving because of the work that he has done.
He feels cheated when the father rewards the prodigal.
The father must remind him that there is room for many in the family and as a son, he has rights to all that the father owns.
The prodigal’s legalistic brother needs to rest in the knowledge that his inheritance is secure.
The most fulfilling choice for the Christian life is the one of repentance and rest.
Repentance releases us from the condemnation of sin and frees us to rest in the love of our Father.
Having been set free from the sin and legalism that bind us, we can live the empowered life, resting securely in our inheritance as a child of the King, the one and only Creator God!
Repent and rest.
(picture:
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Links/link2us.html
)
