When we sinners accept Christ as our Savior, we have God’s favor and no longer need to look for it or think we need to work for it. The good works we do will not make us more acceptable to God. It is the attitude of our hearts, repenting and looking to God for his mercy that matters to Him.

Sinners loved being around Jesus. However, Jesus did not become like the sinners of His day. He “changed the room” for their ultimate good. Do people in sinful lifestyles love being around us, or do they avoid us because we’re judgmental?

The church is a place of grace, not judgment. We need to welcome home people who repent, and not make it hard on them to come home.

The Prodigal Son

Rebellion

The youngest son was in rebellion because he was not grateful for what he had. He felt like he was “owed” his inheritance now, and did not want to wait for his father to die to get it.

Repentance

After his inheritance was gone, the younger son realized all he had lost. He repented and came home to tell his father he was no longer worthy of being his son. He just wanted to be a hired hand.

Faultfinder

The older brother was angry that the youngest had returned. He was not gracious toward the younger brother, not so much because of the younger brother but because of the way the older brother felt about himself and his father. He saw the faults of others, but not himself.

Redeemer

The father was always looking for the younger son to return, while also loving the older son. The father was anxious to see his younger son repent and return, and at the same time the older son would inherit all that the father had left.

God blesses us more than we realize. We need to appreciate how our gracious God loves and blesses us. At the same time, we need to extend grace to others, showing we appreciate the grace God gave us by welcoming home those who want to return to God without judging them.

Grace, it’s better than you think it is!