The Power of Repentance-The Prodigal Son

January 18, 2025

The Power of Repentance-The Prodigal Son

Repentance is a decision that you make to turn away from your old wicked ways followed by actions that back up your decision. It is the first step to getting set free from the snares of the enemy and walk in your victory in Jesus Christ. We know that the Lord wishes that nobody would perish 2 Peter 3:9 details, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Here we can see that Peter is letting us know that the Lord does not wish that any one of us die eternally lost. He loves us so much that He prolongs His valid judgment against us in the hopes that we would turn from our wicked ways and seek Him. The problem is a lot of us think that we have plenty of time to make things right and so we take the free gift of Salvation for granted.

God is clear that our lives and but a vapor (James 4:14) we don’t know what tomorrow brings and cannot afford to wait when it comes to our eternal life. In order for you to truly repent from the bottom of your heart you have to be willing to die to yourself daily and follow Jesus Christ. What that entails is following His commandments.

John 14:21 reveals, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” When you follow the Word of God and obey the rules and stipulations embedded in the Scriptures, repentance will begin to naturally take place.

Unfortunately a lot of people do not read the Lord’s Word for themselves and so they have no clear idea of what God’s stipulations are let alone follow them. That is one of the main reasons why the Lord gave us the free gift of the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into absolute truth, John 16:13.

The story of the prodigal son shows us the character of God and how He responds when a lost person of a backslider comes back to His grace. Let’s take a look at that depiction in more detail so that we can have an understanding of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-13 “Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.”

Jesus is explaining to us the parable of the prodigal son painting the descriptive picture of a man having two sons and the youngest one wanting to receive his inheritance before he was ready for it. If you think back on your life you can remember times when the Lord said “no” to something that you had been asking him for. That “no” could have very well saved you heartache and wasted time.

Just like this prodigal son often times we will try to do things on our own without the Lord’s help. When trials and tribulations hit you they will make you realize just how much you need God in every aspect of your life. He is the One that will give you the strength that you need to persevere.

The prodigal son was seeking immediate gratification which satisfied him for a short time but he eventually hit rock bottom. We have to get to the point in our lives where we trust the Lord’s process even though it may take a little longer for you to get what you are asking Him for.

Luke 15:13-15 “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.”

As the Scripture regarding the prodigal son continues we can decipher the outcome of the son wanting to take short cuts with his inheritance. Due to his uncontrolled behavior, it did not take him long before he ended up wasting all of the inheritance that was given to him by his father. He had no choice but to join the people that were around him to try to survive.

Repeatedly, we find ourselves in this same scenario where instead of repenting and turning away from our wicked ways pride kicks in and we try to fix things on our own. This route is never going to lead you to a good place but you will find hardship at the end of that road.

Luke 15:18-21 “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

There is a lot to unpack in these passages of Scripture regarding the power of repentance and forgiveness. The Prodigal son realized how amazing he had it when he was with his father and wanted to go back to where he was even if it meant that he would lose the honor of being called his son. What he didn’t expect was his father’s reaction when he saw him from afar.

The father immediately was filled with compassion and ran to his son even before he could get a word out. This is a depiction of our Heavenly Father’s love for each and every one of us. Romans 3:23 details, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The Lord knows that we are going to make mistakes and slip up from time to time but what He is searching for is the condition of your heart. Are you truly in a state of repentance or are you just speaking empty words?

Luke 15:22-23 “But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.”

These final verses that I am highlighting are giving us a clear picture of how the father received the son even after he lost all of his inheritance. The father treats him as if he never left or made a mistake to begin with. He dresses him with the finest attire and actually throws a feast for him.

In the same way when the Lord says in His Word that He no longer remembers sin that you have repented for and confessed, He throws it in the sea of forgetfulness, Micah 7:19. God will wash you clean and treat you like royalty just as if you never transgressed to begin with! That is how amazing our Father truly is!

Conclusion

The prodigal son is a remarkable story of the redemptive power that repentance and forgiveness possess. The father loved his son so much that he did not force him to do the right thing and hold on to his inheritance until the time was right. Instead he allowed him to make the decision for himself in when he would receive his inheritance.

What that did was permit the son to see just how good things were when he was under the covering of his father. Similarly the Lord allows us to make our own choices when it comes to repentance. One thing is for sure when you confess with your mouth He is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

The Power of Repentance-The Message of Repentance

The Power of Repentance-What Exactly is Repentance?

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2

The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration

The Spiritual Laws of God-The General Principles

The Spiritual Laws of God-The Power of Your Tongue!

The Spiritual Laws of God-Having an Understanding

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