A Testimony of Repentance (Part Four)
1 Corinthians 11:24 "Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me..."
There is a "gospel" (which is no gospel at all) that teaches that man is saved by his faith in Jesus Christ, and also by his obedience to the Law. In another words, if that man after his "salvation", failed to demonstrate obedience to the Law, then his salvation is in jeopardy. The Jesus Christ of this type of "gospel" is not the Jesus Christ of the Holy Bible at all, because first and foremost:
Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
Man did not enter into sonship with God on the premise of his own merits. Rather, it was by the grace of God and grace alone.
Ecclesiastes 1:15 "That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered."
Luke 3:4-6 "As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
No man can make himself straight. Only God has the power to make straight the crooked. In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son took his inheritance from his father, left his father house, and wasted his substance with riotous living. Afterwards, he began to be in want, he repented and made a decision to return to his father's house to become a hired servant. Notice what happen next:
Luke 15:20-24 "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
The word "compassion" is a reference to the grace of God (Romans 9:15; Exodus 33:19). Despite his sin, the prodigal son could not out-sin his father's grace. Once a son, always a son. At this point, I'd like to share my own testimony which is very relevant to the things in the parable of the prodigal son (r. Luke 15:11-32). Many of you in my friends list would have known that in 2016 February, I took all that I have and moved to Australia.
Luke 15:13 "... and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living."
That was me.
Luke 15:14 "And when he had spent all, ... he began to be in want."
That was also me, no doubt about it.
Luke 15:16 "And he would fain have filled his belly ... and no man gave unto him."
Yup, it happened to me.
Luke 15:17 "And when he came to himself..."
Yup. I did, and I repented.
Luke 15:18 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,"
Yes, I still remember: that day I knelt before my King James Bible and cried out unto heaven for mercy. For a long time, we have not visited a local church. Then, it dawned on me: "I want to go back to the house of my Father!!"
Luke 15:20 "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
Not too far from where we lived, there was a Calvary Baptist Church http://calvarybc.org.au. The following Sunday, after I repented, we went as a family to that church. It so happened that it was also their communion service.
For some reason, the pastor (Pastor Ernie Veszely) said in that service that they have not had holy communion for a long time, and he just felt like he wanted to have holy communion with the congregation on that day.
1 Corinthians 11:24 "And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me."
When those words were read out during the communion "Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me", you can imagine how my heart was broken into pieces, how I broke down in tears before the congregation.
Luke 15:21 "And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."
In my brokenness, I said unto my Father which art in heaven: “I have sinned against thee. I am no more worthy to be called thy son!!” Notice how gracious the father was to the prodigal son:
Luke 15:22-24 "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
God too, was gracious to me, despite my sin. Once a son, always a son. Once saved, always saved.