Prodigal Son

[natcat86]

I have just watched a clip from Jesus of Nazareth, where Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. It really spoke to me about UR. The son was dead, the father was glad he was alive- in this life, that he had come back to life in this life. It doesn't seem to me to speak at all of the after life. In other words, the father wasn't pleased the son had come back so he had escaped hell, but that the son had come back to him in this life. That is what Jesus sacrifice on the cross did. We can come home now and although our bodies die we go on still in that relationship with Father. If there had been no fall we would already be at home but thanks to Christ we can come home.

It gets me every time the thought of the father running towards his son. There is no shame in that, no condemnation. It makes me cry with joy.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Amen.........

[jabcat]

 :thumbsup:

Almighty God, the great I am
Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful, awesome Lord
Victorious warrior, commanding King of Kings
Mighty conqueror, and the only time
the only time I ever saw Him run

CHORUS:
Was when He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said "My son's come home again"
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
"Son do you know I still love you?"
He caught me by surprise when God ran

The day I left home I knew I'd broken His heart
And I wondered then if things could ever be the same
Then one night I remembered His love for me
And down that dusty road ahead I could see
It was the only time – it was the only time I ever saw Him run

And then He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said "My son's come home again"
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
"Son do you know I still love you?"
He caught me by surprise as He brought me to my knees
When God ran – I saw Him run to me

BRIDGE:
I was so ashamed, all alone and so far away
But now I know He's been waiting for this day

I saw Him run to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said "My son's come home again"
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice I felt His love for me again

He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said "My son's come home again"
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said, "Son", He called me Son
He said, "Son do you know I still love you?"
He ran to me and then I ran to Him
When God ran

(When God Ran) Hazell Dean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-p5I1ySPhg

[natcat86]

Thanks jabcat!  :happygrin:

[WhiteWings]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

[sparrow]

It gets me every time the thought of the father running towards his son. There is no shame in that, no condemnation. It makes me cry with joy.

:HeartThrob:  me too.  :HeartThrob:

[jabcat]

Thanks jabcat!  :happygrin:

Welcome  :bigGrin:

[natcat86]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

The father says, "My son was dead and now is alive again" He was dead in this life. That was the fathers concern that, in this life, his son was dead in his sin. The father was pleased that his son was alive again, in this life. The privaledges of returning back to the family were immediate also, the rings, feast and most of all the fathers love and forgiveness.  Thats why when I read it it think it supports UR because it speaks to me of reconciliation in this life.

[Gab]

The parable of the prodigal son has always been one of my three favorite passages in the Bible, the other two being the one begun by the verse in my signature and 1 Corinthians 13.  I can't help when I read this parable but picture a lost soul being embraced by God - no more separation, no more grief, just a child being held by a father who has always loved him.

[WhiteWings]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

The father says, "My son was dead and now is alive again" He was dead in this life. That was the fathers concern that, in this life, his son was dead in his sin. The father was pleased that his son was alive again, in this life. The privaledges of returning back to the family were immediate also, the rings, feast and most of all the fathers love and forgiveness.  Thats why when I read it it think it supports UR because it speaks to me of reconciliation in this life.

ETs also teach that the lost can get saved at any time in this life if they turn to Jesus. No difference between ET and UR there. The difference is what happens after death. Does the father still accept the returning lost son?
Note: I do believe teh Bible teaches Father always embraces returning children. I just sorta want proof to show an ET the chance doesn't end when you die....

[claypot]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

Just a note......

I don't think what the ps did was real repentance. I think he was still a conniving person bent on doing what was best for himself. It wasn't a humble thing he did, it was another plan to get something better for Himself. Notice how the father did not even let the son pour out his (the son's) speech until after the father ran to him and kissed him. Then the father kind of ignored the words of his son.

This is interesting to me. I think the father knew the son was still unrepentant but the father also knew the time was now to love his son in such a way that real repentance would come.

Also it is so clear that the son did repent in 'death'. He was dead, the father says the son became alive, but only after the father 'ran to him when he (the son) was afar off'. Going from death to life is not something the son did but is something the father did.

Being afar off is also huge in my eyes. The son was afar off, unrepentant still, in death. Even while we were still sinners (afar off) Christ dies for us (runs to us and hugs us and.....).

Just my thoughts.

cp

[natcat86]

[/quote]

Just a note......


Also it is so clear that the son did repent in 'death'. He was dead, the father says the son became alive, but only after the father 'ran to him when he (the son) was afar off'. Going from death to life is not something the son did but is something the father did.


[/quote]


Fantastic. The son was dead when he came back. The bible doesnt tell us that there is an expiration date on salvation. You cant be more dead than spiritually dead! If god can bring us back to spiritual life the state of bodies wont have much to do with it. Its not our bodies he saves but our souls and they go one after our bodies have fallen away.

Hopefully contributing to this forum will help me become a bit more articulate. So bare with me if my train of thought is a bit muddled, but I'll get there!

[sparrow]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

Just a note......

I don't think what the ps did was real repentance. I think he was still a conniving person bent on doing what was best for himself. It wasn't a humble thing he did, it was another plan to get something better for Himself. Notice how the father did not even let the son pour out his (the son's) speech until after the father ran to him and kissed him. Then the father kind of ignored the words of his son.

This is interesting to me. I think the father knew the son was still unrepentant but the father also knew the time was now to love his son in such a way that real repentance would come.

Also it is so clear that the son did repent in 'death'. He was dead, the father says the son became alive, but only after the father 'ran to him when he (the son) was afar off'. Going from death to life is not something the son did but is something the father did.

Being afar off is also huge in my eyes. The son was afar off, unrepentant still, in death. Even while we were still sinners (afar off) Christ dies for us (runs to us and hugs us and.....).

Just my thoughts.

cp

Thank you for posting that.. that was very insightful.

[claypot]

Bottom line to me is that God made us, we were 'at home' with God at one time. We wanted to party, we were allowed to 'party'. We wanted to do our own thing and we were allowed to do it. In doing so we 'died'. Again we were allowed to die. God even said when we 'eat of the tree' (party on our own) we will die. We did and we did.

Then, at some point, we find our end. I personally believe we all have an end, a point where we bottom out and turn. God sees this 'end' and comes running to us even while we are still trying to fix ourselves by seemingly coming to Him.

His meeting us while we are still afar off (still in our sins) is like the sun rising in our very beings.

I'm off track here.

God made us (Adam). We died (took off to party). We came back to life (Jesus).

Kind of interesting to me to see Adam running away from God (home) and, even after all the crap 'Adam' did, God sees Adam afar off yet God sees Jesus when seeing Adam and it excites God so much he jumps off the porch and runs like a man possessed to get to the one He loves. God loves Jesus like He loves Himself and we are 'in Jesus' as we were (still are in some ways) in Adam.

It is God's faith in us that is never wavering and our salvation IMO.

cp

[jesushandsarekindhands]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

The father says, "My son was dead and now is alive again" He was dead in this life. That was the fathers concern that, in this life, his son was dead in his sin. The father was pleased that his son was alive again, in this life. The privaledges of returning back to the family were immediate also, the rings, feast and most of all the fathers love and forgiveness.  Thats why when I read it it think it supports UR because it speaks to me of reconciliation in this life.

ETs also teach that the lost can get saved at any time in this life if they turn to Jesus. No difference between ET and UR there. The difference is what happens after death. Does the father still accept the returning lost son?
Note: I do believe teh Bible teaches Father always embraces returning children. I just sorta want proof to show an ET the chance doesn't end when you die....

White wings, this isnt a dig at you, but on every post i see you are trying to 'formulate' some plan to show ET'ers that they are wrong in their beliefs.

Why?

Is it really that important for you to convert someone else to what you believe?
It must be, because they are 'saved' if they believe in God and have repented after all...So what good is it going to do to battle with someone elses belief?

I'm just wondering why you do it that's all, especially when there are still thousands upon thousands out there who havent even heard the name of Jesus that you could be sharing the good news with.

[sparrow]

Bottom line to me is that God made us, we were 'at home' with God at one time. We wanted to party, we were allowed to 'party'. We wanted to do our own thing and we were allowed to do it. In doing so we 'died'. Again we were allowed to die. God even said when we 'eat of the tree' (party on our own) we will die. We did and we did.

Then, at some point, we find our end. I personally believe we all have an end, a point where we bottom out and turn. God sees this 'end' and comes running to us even while we are still trying to fix ourselves by seemingly coming to Him.

His meeting us while we are still afar off (still in our sins) is like the sun rising in our very beings.

I'm off track here.

God made us (Adam). We died (took off to party). We came back to life (Jesus).

Kind of interesting to me to see Adam running away from God (home) and, even after all the crap 'Adam' did, God sees Adam afar off yet God sees Jesus when seeing Adam and it excites God so much he jumps off the porch and runs like a man possessed to get to the one He loves. God loves Jesus like He loves Himself and we are 'in Jesus' as we were (still are in some ways) in Adam.

It is God's faith in us that is never wavering and our salvation IMO.

cp

Great post.

Well after reading this, this quiet little thought popped in my head as my eyes sorta welled up:
I suppose God misses us as much as we miss Him... :HeartThrob:

peace..

[peacemaker]

The son was still alive. The son did return to the father by his own choice (repent).
For ETs the interpretation of that is that the sinner has to repent before death.

:dontknow:

Just a note......

I don't think what the ps did was real repentance. I think he was still a conniving person bent on doing what was best for himself. It wasn't a humble thing he did, it was another plan to get something better for Himself. Notice how the father did not even let the son pour out his (the son's) speech until after the father ran to him and kissed him. Then the father kind of ignored the words of his son.

This is interesting to me. I think the father knew the son was still unrepentant but the father also knew the time was now to love his son in such a way that real repentance would come.

Also it is so clear that the son did repent in 'death'. He was dead, the father says the son became alive, but only after the father 'ran to him when he (the son) was afar off'. Going from death to life is not something the son did but is something the father did.

Being afar off is also huge in my eyes. The son was afar off, unrepentant still, in death. Even while we were still sinners (afar off) Christ dies for us (runs to us and hugs us and.....).

Just my thoughts.

cp

Thank you for posting that.. that was very insightful.

Indeed, many focus on the son, not the father.

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice."