Conclusion

For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Romans 11: 32.

As we conclude, let me refresh our minds of something that was said in yesterday’s offering. We were hearing about God’s kindness and wisdom in giving us over to disobedience, so that His mercy will be upon us. I quote.

“Don’t you see the wisdom and kindness of love, in all its fullness? Does this not give us a clearer understanding of how love and only love, can bind us over to disobedience, for our own good? Hate, jealousy, bitterness and any such darkness, will also leave us to our own devices, but to destroy us. Not our Loving Father in heaven. His only reason for giving us, His children, over to our folly, is that He may have mercy on us.”

Let’s return to the parable of, The Lost Son, or The Prodigal Son, as it’s commonly known. We continue to receive the wisdom of the Holy Spirit for us today.

Having been bound over to disobedience, the foolish son, unable to help himself, goes down the expected path of pure sin, against the father. Only after he had hit rock bottom, only after he had fallen into the place of lowest degradation and deprivation, only after he admitted his utter filthiness and wretchedness that he stopped. Lost, alone, hungry and thirsty, living in pure filth and emptiness, this dead, lost child, came to his rightful mind.

I ask you now! Is this not a moment for spontaneously loud thanks and praise?

Does this not move us to leap with unlimited love for Father God, as we are given the assurance that even when we are totally away from Him, because of our wretched sinfulness, we can be brought back to our senses?

Don’t you want to come quickly to the place of desperation, the point of despair and the position of, enough is enough, so that you can die to all disobedience and long for home?

Is there not, even now, a restlessness to die to one’s sins, and be lost in one’s disobedience, so that we too, can get up and return and hear these words of utter and complete mercy. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Luke 15: 24a.

Only our Father in heaven gives life again to the dead. Only He is able to find and redeem that which was lost. If this is not our Loving Father’s mercy, then what is?

When we first started this week we were brought to desire and seek, from our Teacher and Counsellor, a greater level of consciousness, in:-

Listening – We sought unclogged ears, to receive truths about God’s mercy, which might not always fit into our myopic understanding of mercy.

Learning – We desired deeper and more humbled hearts, to accept spirit-revealed facts about God’s mercy and how free God is with His mercy towards all humankind.

Looking – We sincerely wanted to be surrendered and submissive – heart, soul, mind and strength - to God the Holy Spirit, as He revealed deeper depths to us, concerning the mercy of God.

Has this not been so? Have you, by implicit faith and unmoved trust in the One, true, Holy Spirit, not been brought to accept that mercy is all of God? It matters not who you are, or what you have done, your faith must allow you the comfort and freedom of knowing that mercy has absolutely nothing to do with a person’s actions, good or bad. It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9: 16.

Trust God’s Word! Believe God’s Word! Let no doubts, scepticism, massive queries and deep questioning, about God and His mercy, or unbelief, even, in one small part, cause you to denounce God’s Sovereign mercy, according to His Sovereign Will.