Given over to Disobedience

Today, our path is to pursue the image of the lost son, who went his own way and ended up living the life of debauchery, wickedness, idolatry and self-gratification. Here is a child who denounced his father’s will, to live according to his own will, as he abandoned his father’s house, to find other houses of abode.

May God grant us listening ears, that we all may hear this very familiar and well used parable, with Holy Spirit sense and sight, in this matter before us. Amen!

We are brought into this sight, as we are openly and clearly shown how a child, who represents us all, has been bound over to disobedience, so that the father’s mercy will abound in his repentant, returning child.

How has this child been bound over or consigned over to disobedience? This took place from the moment the son, who was living with his father, doing his will, became enticed by outside living and asked amiss. Is this not true of us, as Father God’s children – sons and daughters – who are enticed by the ways and thoughts of the enticing world all around us?

When the son went to the father, this was his request. Father, give me my share of the estate. Luke 15: 12b. Pause here for a while and listen to what is being revealed to us and in us. O the depth of the Spirit’s cutting sword within!

Cut Lord, cut asunder all that will cause me to remain in stubborn ignorance and unrepentance. Thank You Lord! Amen!

The child’s request is not one of greed. What is asked for, is not for everything, but for that which has already been apportioned out for him. Give me my share. There is consideration and thought for the other brother. Regardless of what is taking place in his mind, he never ever asked to be given what is not his by birth-right.

You see:-

He knows his birth, that he is his father’s son. There is not the slightest bit of doubt there.
He knows that his father has an estate of good, nothing bad, evil or deceiving. There is no hesitation or suspicions about what the father owns. He knows it is all good.
He knows that he is a joint heir with his brother, of the father’s good and he accepts this without rebellion or questioning. In fact, he is delighted to be sharer in his father’s estate. He wants only his share, no more and no less.
He knows that the father will give him what he asks for, because he knows his father. He knows that his father will not withhold any good thing from him. He knows that nothing bad dwells with his father.

Indeed, from the moment the son said to the father, give me my share of the estate, he was bound over to disobedience. Be not deceived, this is you and me and all God’s children who come to Him daily, asking for His good to use accordingly, as our wills dictate. We have been told that this child took the father’s good, went to a far country, and there squandered his wealth in wild living. Luke 15: 13b. Is this not true of us, who seek our heavenly Father’s good and when we receive it, we use it to satisfy and stroke our own carnal selves? Is it not true that even our Father’s grace, showered upon us, is seen as license to do as we please? Jude 1: 4b KJV indicates that we end up, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

This father, in the parable, knew that his son was being disobedient, was making a wrong call and would end up lost, as a disobedient one, as it were. This is what I mean.

The father never withheld his good from the asking son, although he knew that it would all be squandered. He bound him over to his poor choices.

The father never told the son that he was being foolish and that he was just heading straight for self-destruction. He bound him over to his self-will.

The father never locked any doors from his son, or did anything to hinder him from leaving the house. He bound him over to his foolish path.

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.