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Christ’s Object Lessons
but as a father longing to embrace his repenting son. The sinner will
exclaim with the Psalmist, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the
Lord pitieth them that fear Him.”
Psalm 103:13
.
In the parable there is no taunting, no casting up to the prodigal of
his evil course. The son feels that the past is forgiven and forgotten,
blotted out forever. And so God says to the sinner, “I have blotted out,
as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins,”
Isaiah
44:22
. “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin
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no more.”
Jeremiah 31:34
. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and
He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly
pardon.”
Isaiah 55:7
. “In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord,
the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and
the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found.”
Jeremiah 50:20
.
What assurance here, of God’s willingness to receive the repenting
sinner! Have you, reader, chosen your own way? Have you wandered
far from God? Have you sought to feast upon the fruits of transgres-
sion, only to find them turn to ashes upon your lips? And now, your
substance spent, your life-plans thwarted, and your hopes dead, do you
sit alone and desolate? Now that voice which has long been speaking
to your heart but to which you would not listen comes to you distinct
and clear, “Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest; because it
is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.”
Micah
2:10
. Return to your Father’s house. He invites you, saying, “Return
unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.”
Isaiah 44:22
.
Do not listen to the enemy’s suggestion to stay away from Christ
until you have made yourself better; until you are good enough to
come to God. If you wait until then,
“Seek ye the Lord while. He may be found, call ye
upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah
55:6, 7
.
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you will never come. When Satan points to your filthy garments,
repeat the promise of Jesus, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise