Let me try to tell it with a story
Submitted by GCF on July 10 2001 04:44:25
In reply to Can a Christian Live outside God's Will? submitted by Elfboy on July 7 2001 14:58:25
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Imagine a loving father. A man full of generosity, honesty, integrity, and love. And strong man with a good heart and immense creativity and imagination. A man of some means, with a desire to create good things and do good for his children. Imagine this man has a son. A beloved child whom he cherishes dearly. He wants only the best for his son, so he gives him everything he'll need for a wonderful life. He even gives him a beautiful place to live, with all the resources he could ever need or want. The man says to his son, "I've set all this up for you. I've loved you since you were born, and now I want you to go and be the best man you can be. All I ask is that you love me, continue to be my friend, and always listen to me and tell me your thoughts and feelings. Share your life with me. Honor me as your father, and I will do everything I can for you. Now go be free." But the poor son has a rebellious streak. He gets into his new house and sees all the great gifts his father has given him. Before long he's also gone out and made his own friends--even taken a wife to be with him. He's got his own life and family now, and dear old dad just doesn't seem to be as important as he used to be. The son looks around and says, we'll maybe I don't really need my father anymore. After all, I've got everything I could ever want right here. I'm taking my family and my things, and we're moving to this other house--even bigger and nicer than the one we're in. No need to tell dad--he's been getting on my nerves lately anyway, so I think I'll just let the poor old guy go. After all what do I need him for?" The wayward son goes off and does as he pleases. Who wouldv'e thunk it? Yet he's forgotten everything his father ever did for him. He's absconded with all the gifts, and after a while no longer give's a rat's ass about his father. It's been so long since they've really talked. Pretty soon the guy has treated his wife and kids like dirt, alienated all his closest friends, met up with a new group of friends who are no good, and generally let his life go right down the crapper. He's not nearly as happy as he used to be, but hey, at least his still got his own life, right? He may have lost the people closest to him, but he's still got a lot of stuff, right? Hmmmmmm.... Now back to dear old dad. How is he going to respond to all of this? What will he do? He decides to write a letter to his son, telling him how he feels and what he thinks. Who knows what the son will do with it, but it's a start. He sends it but gets no response. So after a while he sends one of his other sons (one of the lost son's brothers--actually his ONLY son that is still true to him, near and dear to his heart) to deliver the message in person to his lost brother. Now, what is the content of that message? Well, here are three different possible things that it could be: #1) "It's ok son. So you've left me behind; you no longer care about what I think; you've hurt your wife and kids. I know your friends are jerks, and that you're in some trouble now, and not really happy, but, what the hell? It's OK, really. It doesn't bother me. You have to be yourself. Do whatever you want, I'll still be here regardless. I love you, but you have to do whatever you want. After all, I gave you all those things, and your freedom, so I can't really blame you for using them however you wish. I'm OK, you're OK. Have fun, nice chatting with you. By the way, aren't things nice? I like stuff." #2) "For the love of all that's holy son, you'd better straighten up and fly right, or there'll be hell to pay. I'm gonna give you a chance to come back to me and make things right, but by golly, if you screw it up, you're through. No son of mine is going to live like that. You've realllly screwed it up, and you know how much I hate screw-ups. I'm just sooooooo angry at the way you've treated your family, that I'd kill you myself if I wasn't gonna give you one more chance. You better start being more like your brother here. I'll be watching you closely...don't mess it up this time. Do exactly what I say, and you might just redeem yourself. I'll help you, but never forget who you're dealing with here." #3) "Oh, son, I'm so sad at what you've done and what you're going through. I know you must be hurting too. I wish that things could have turned out better between us, but can't we please try again to make things right. I'm so sorry at the way you've used my gifts, and treated your family so poorly. Yes, I am angry about it. I don't think it's right, but I want to help you to make amends for what you have done. I forgive you, but I want to help you learn so you don't have to keep making these mistakes over and over. I love you, please let me back into your life. We can work together on these problems. If you let me help you, we'll be able to repair the damage you've done. You may get your wife and kids to truly love you again, but no matter what, I will love you. And if you let me, I will help you. I will help you understand the ways in which you have strayed from the love you once knew. No, I don't like what has happened, but it's too late to change that. Let's focus on the future. Please, I want to help you. I miss you. Please give me the chance to show you the love again that I once did, and then you'll be able to love yourself and your family and friends again for real. I hope you will listen to what I am saying and work with me. I'm sorry to say, it's sad but true, I won't be able to help you if you refuse me. If you do that, you'll be left to your own devices, but that will only lead you to more suffering. I know you may be angry at me right now, you think you know better than me. But I've been your father since the day you were born, and I can help you know more than ever. Please give me that chance. If you let me help you, I PROMISE you I will never let you go. I will always be there for you. I will love you forever, no matter what. If you will accept my love and my help, whatever happens, it will be better than what you have now." Now it all hinges on how the son responds. Which one of these three responses do you think is likeliest to get a REAL positive response out of him? Which is most likely to get him to do what is right? I hope it is #3. This story is supposed to be an analogy of our relationship as humans to our God. God is our father, and we are his children. Like the first son in the story, God gave us everything we could ever need, but we rebelled. Jesus is like the second son who delivers the message, and the message is the word of God. Continuing the story with #3 as the message: Unfortunately, the poor son didn't respond so well at first. At the beginning, he was happy to see his brother, but after a while, he got REALLY tired of hearing about what his father wanted, so he threw his brother out. Rejected him. Killed him, actually. But dad had an ace up his sleeve. He brought his one and only true beloved son back to life!! When the lost son saw this, that the brother he had killed had come back, he was so moved by his father's love that he finally decided to trust him, to let him back into his life. At long last, the family was together again, and the lost son was able to begin healing and growing into the person that he had always been meant to be, that his father had hoped he would become. And he was truly happy at last! From that day on, no matter how tempted he ever was to rebel again, no matter how many times he actually did something wrong and upset his father, he knew that his father loved him so much, that he always came back to him. Somtimes he felt the call of his "bad old friends", tempting him to do what he knew was wrong. Sometimes he even caved in and did it! But deeper down he knew he could never leave his father again, and that his father would always be there for him. He was truly sorry for the times he went astray, and he longed to do better. They worked on it together over time. He rebuilt his family and his life. After a while, he no longer wanted to rebel, and they all grew old together, happy, and at peace. Now which version of the message do I think is the true word of God? Obviously, I believe #3 comes closest. Both #1 and #2 are rather exaggerated for effect. But #1 reminds me of the teachings of many liberal Christians nowadays. #2 reminds me of the teachings of fundamentalists and legalists. I don't really like either of these messages. Only #3 reminds me of the true gospel, of biblical Christianity. Perhaps I am all wet, but this is the best way that I could come up with of distinguishing between cheap grace (#1), legalism (#2), and true grace (#3). |
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