Saturday, August 8, 2020

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 15:1-10 comments: joy over one sinner that turns from their ways




Luke 15:1 ¶  Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2  And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3  And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8  Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9  And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Here, Jesus teaches one of the great lessons on how God will receive a sinner who is repentant. First, on a direct level He is speaking to Jews about Jews. This is not about someone who has never known of God. This is about someone straying from the fold who is welcomed to return. Jesus uses metaphors and a parable explain what He is saying.

The Jew could stray and walk away from God’s care and mercy. He could choose to not return and would be lost forever. But, if he did return there was to be much rejoicing in heaven. In the Old Testament God pleaded with His people to return to Him, to receive His mercy and not perish.

Ezekiel 18:30  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

God who, as His talk with Job in Job 38 and beyond said, controls events in the far reaches of space and on earth that no man has seen, who makes dust turn to clods in a farmer’s field and controls how far the ocean waves wash onto the dry land, who has drawn millions of people back to Him in the great apostasy after the Fall of Adam and Eve, reconciling them to Himself, rejoices when one seemingly insignificant one of His people repents and turns to Him and to His mercy. That is an amazing thing to consider.

It is not unreasonable to assume that the inhabitants of Heaven rejoice when a Christian who has strayed from their faith returns to try to live for Christ. Although I do not believe a Christian, someone truly experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God and Christ, can ever be happy while engaged in open or secret sin against God and facing the consequences of it on earth in their flesh, I also do not believe a Christian can lose their salvation. Salvation is an act of God whereby you become a part of Christ’s body on earth, the church. It is not something you did yourself. It was an act of God.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

We are now His body operating on the earth, the church.

Colossians 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

In fact, not only are we in His hands but we are a part of His hands.

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Many Christian groups practice a works-religion where they try to earn their way to eternal life or at least to pay for it on installments but there is only one true work of God.

John 6:28 ¶  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Strong-willed children and childish adults, when they have spent their last argument and have nothing more of value to say will end things with something like, “I know what you’re saying, but still…” and that is what some will do when they want to control the Christian, to dominate their behavior and time, and insist they can lose their salvation that they neither earned nor can pay for but no matter, let’s continue. Many people come to a religion or a political movement that seek not truth but the ability and right to control others even if they aren’t aware of that drive consciously. Let’s dismiss them and surrender only to Christ.

This passage is about the repentant Jew, a lesson taught by Christ in the first century to Jews before the Cross and the Resurrection. We can use it to apply to the backsliding Christian but it is not about people that were never God’s in the first place but were in Satan’s camp.

Ephesians 2:1 ¶  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So, this isn’t a very good lesson for soul-winning today but is a very good lesson for trying to get a Christian to return from a bad life to the protection and mercy of God in this mortal existence.

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