Those English grammar classes
we all had to sit through in school. And I, in my case, do
mean sit through. I don't mean that I took them
very well, but I did sit through. And we would learn rules. And I always had a question that
came to my mind, and it was one I asked frequently when I was
paying attention. They'd teach us a rule of grammar,
and every time we had to learn a rule of grammar, almost without
exception, we had to learn an exception. And I thought to myself,
why don't they just make rules and forget the exceptions? And
I would often ask the question. That just makes perfectly good
sense to me. I realize I'm not the brightest bulb in the room,
but that just makes sense to me. Why make a rule and then
make an exception to the rule? But now I'm 53 years old and
I've learned to accept exceptions. And as you've guessed, I've told
you that to let you know I'm going to talk to you about an
exception. I've told you many times when we look at parables,
the parables are intended by the Spirit of God to be illustrations,
to illustrate, to enforce one great lesson, one particular
truth. And that is the rule. But the
parable of the prodigal son is the exception. I'm convinced
this parable is uniquely intended of God to set forth, to illustrate,
to enforce, to give us several lessons about the grace of God
that are taught throughout the scriptures in this blessed, blessed
picture. So I want us to look once more
at this parable, and we probably will look at it a few times more
before I move on to the end of Luke 15 in this series of messages
in Luke's gospel. Tonight I want to talk to you
about God's method of grace. I just told you the Bible is
open in Luke 15 and I want to make some comments by way of
introduction. Now as you know, and I'm thankful
you do know this, it is the universal testimony of Holy Scripture that
salvation is by the free sovereign grace of God in Jesus Christ
alone. Brother Lindsey has We've been
hammering away at this in the studies in Galatians 3. Our works
have nothing to do with it. The scriptures declare, by grace
are you saved. Not by grace plus, not by grace
and, by grace are you saved. We are justified freely by the
grace of God through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. We are
sanctified by God's grace. We are kept by the power of God's
grace. We are held secure by God's grace. Salvation from beginning to end
is totally the work of God's grace. Now, everyone who professes
to believe God, everyone who professes to believe this book
to be the word of God, everyone who claims to have faith in Christ
will readily acknowledge that. I spoke to a young man yesterday. He's called me a couple of times
the last few weeks. Just made a few statements, he said, well,
I wouldn't see any problem with that. And I listened to a little bit
more of what he said, had to say, he didn't have any idea,
he didn't even hear what I said, didn't even hear what I said,
because he'd been conditioned to use terms that he has no idea
what they mean. Now, when you read the word grace
in this book, Be sure you understand the meaning of the word grace
in the context of Holy Scripture, not in the context of the religious
thought of the day. The grace of God is in Christ. Now let that sink in. You've
heard it. You've heard it for years, and you've heard it regularly
for years. Let it sink in. The grace of
God is in Christ. The first chapter of Ephesians,
the Apostle Paul talks to us about God's grace. And he talks
to us about the many, many wonderful works and blessings of God's
grace. The grace of God by which we
believe. The grace of God that chose us.
The grace of God that redeemed us. The grace of God that adopted
us. The grace of God that revealed
Christ to us and in us. The grace of God that called
us, that sealed us. The grace of God that raised
us up from the dead. And all the way through that
first chapter, Paul uses these two words, in him, in him, in
him, in him, in him. Grace is to be found nowhere
except in Jesus Christ the Lord. There's no grace to be had because
of your connection with the man. No grace to be had in any church,
no grace to be had by any decision you make, grace is to be had
only in Jesus Christ. United to him by the grace of
God, united to him by the operation of his grace, we draw grace from
him, but nowhere else. Now secondly, understand this.
This grace of God in Christ is eternal, everlasting grace. Let's look at a couple of passages.
Look at that text in Ephesians 1, I referred to a moment ago.
The grace of God in Christ is eternal, everlasting grace. And most any time, especially
when I'm not here, if I'm talking about grace and God's salvation,
I use adjectives, and I use about as many as I can put in one sentence.
I'll talk about free grace, sovereign grace. The grace of God is free,
sovereign, it's eternal, it's everlasting. But why stress these
things? Because most folks don't understand
that. They think that grace is sort of a wish on God's part,
sort of an emotion, a passion, something God puts in your hand
for you to work with. But the grace of God is eternal,
everlasting grace. Look in Ephesians 1, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath, hath. That means it's done. It was
done at one time, in the past, with permanence and everlasting
consequence. Who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings. What does that mean? That means
there are no spiritual blessings that God has not already given
to us, with which he has blessed us from eternity in Christ. No spiritual blessings. You mean,
preacher, None of God's blessings that we enjoy in Christ are conditioned
upon anything in us? You got it. That's just what
it means. He hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Well, how did he do
that? According as he hath chosen us
in him, when? Before the foundation of the
world. For what reason? That we should be holy and without
blame before him, in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will. Look at Romans chapter 8. Romans
the 8th chapter. God's grace. All of it. is eternal, everlasting grace. This grace that's given us in
Christ Jesus. Eternal, everlasting grace. The 28th verse most everybody
quotes. Few, few, few people have any
idea what it says. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. And now here's his purpose. For
whom he did foreknow, the word is foreordain, foreaccept, forelove,
foreapprove of. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate. Predestinate is a good word. That's not a bad word. That's
not something you don't mind, you kind of, I hear preachers
talk about it and it's almost like politicians, boy I hope
the microphone wasn't on. No, predestinate, that's a good word,
a good word. He predestinated them to be conformed
to the image of his son, to be holy and without blame before
him. He predestinated them to be conformed to his son, that
he, his son, might be the firstborn, that he might have all the preeminence
among many brethren, verse 30. whom he did predestinate, then
he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified, and whom
he justified, then he also glorified." Now, that's not a prophecy. How does that read to you, Bobby?
It looks to me like when he predestinated them, he called them, justified
them, and glorified them. Is that how it looks to you? If you were reading that without
ever hearing a preacher give you a confusing interpretation
of it, how would you read it? Well, it looks to me like back
yonder before the world began, God foreknew somebody, and his
foreknowledge of them involved predestination, calling, justification,
and glorification before the world. You mean that's the purpose
by which God rules the world? You got it. That's just exactly
what it means. That's just exactly what it means.
God's purpose of grace is that by which he manipulates all the
affairs of providence. That by which he rules the world.
This grace of God that's in Christ Jesus. Look in Romans 9. Turn
over one page. It's everlasting, everlasting
eternal grace. And it is free, unconditional
grace. Unconditional. Unconditional. Thank God. It is unconditional. What do
you mean by that, Preacher? I mean without condition. Unconditional. Unconditional. It's almost impossible
for us to think in such terms. Unconditional grace. Unconditional. Let's see if that's not what
the book says. Romans 9 verse 11. The children being not yet
born. neither having done any good
or evil." Now the reason he put that in there is because that's
real important. That's good. Well, God saw what Jacob would
do and saw what he saw would do so. No, no, no, no, no. Neither having done any good
or evil. And the reason for it is to show
us this, that the purpose of God, according to election, might
stand not of works, but of him that calleth. But this doesn't
have anything to do with elections. Wait a minute. What did we just
read? God says that the children, being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand. Not in works, but
according to him that calleth. Oh, this is all about election.
This is all about salvation. This is all about how God saves
sinners. Read on. It was said to her, The elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated." Oh, I don't understand that. Take it up with
God if you want to, but that's what he says. Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? How are
we going to respond to this? I'll tell you how most folks
respond. That's not right. That's not fair. Whoever told
you you had a claim of fairness from God? Whoever told you you
had the right to sit in judgment over what God does? Whoever told
you that your puny brain is greater than the mind of the Almighty?
Is there unrighteousness with God? Why, perish! Bite your tongue! God forbid! For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll have compassion on
whom I'll have compassion. In other words, my mercy, my
grace, my compassion is not something that you earn or deserve, it's
mine. It's not something that you are owed by me, it's mine. And I'll give it to whom I will,
but you don't. So then, what's the result of
this? Salvation is not of him that
calleth, or of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. but
of God that showeth mercy." Now that's exactly what the book
teaches. Even for this same purpose have
I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth." Well, what on
earth has Pharaoh got to do with God saving his people and God
loving Jacob and hating Esau? Read the next line. He's explaining
to you everything that happens in time with every creature under
the sun is according to this. Therefore hath he mercy, on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hearteneth." God's
grace in Christ, everlasting, eternal grace, unconditional
grace. It is sovereign and discriminating. It is electing and predestinating. It is immutable and unchanging. It is effectual and irresistible. What do you mean by that, Richard? That means that whatever God's
purpose is in his grace, whatever his will is in his grace, whatever
his intention is in his grace, is always at all times absolutely
effectually accomplished. God never willed anything he
didn't see accomplished. He never wanted anything he didn't
have. He never tried to do anything
he didn't perform. His grace is always effectual. It is sure grace, and blessed
be his name, it is indestructible grace. You don't dare tell people that. I don't dare not tell you that.
Lindsay Campbell, if God's grace is yours, there's nothing on
this earth you can do to destroy his grace. He seized to it. It's indestructible grace. He
set his heart on you from eternity. And you tried best you could
to destroy every thought of his loving you. It's indestructible
love. Tried best you could to destroy
every thought of him ruling over you. It's indestructible grace.
Indestructible grace. There are many, many beautiful,
beautiful pictures of God's marvelous grace in Christ, illustrations
of his grace in the scriptures. In our text, Luke 15, we have
this beautiful, blessed, instructive picture of grace in the parable
of the prodigal son. Someone has called this the pearl
of parables, and for me it is indeed that. This parable, more
than any of our Lord's parables, is a parable that exemplifies and
sets forth my experience of God's grace. In the whole parable,
we see joy in heaven over one sinner that repented. Can you
imagine? There's joy in heaven. every time a sinner comes to
God by faith in Christ, by the work of his marvelous grace.
Now, if God the Holy Spirit will graciously speak to your heart
through what I've prepared this evening, I've got something good
for you. I seldom ever sit here trying
to focus on preaching, but what an incident goes through my mind
Brother Scott Richards and I were sitting in a Bible conference
one time years ago, a long time ago, and a fellow got up to preach. As a matter of fact, a few did.
And they read papers and they debated issues and talked about
truth. And we were going out the door
of the building one morning and Brother Scott said it sounded
to me like a hound trotting through dry leaves, just nothing but
noise. And I think to myself, God, don't
let me just stand here and make a lot of noise. I want to speak
to your heart and I want to talk to you about God's grace. Let
me show you these five things in this parable. I won't be long.
First, wisdom. Oh, the great wisdom of God's
grace. I won't attempt to satisfy the
curiosity or the caviling of proud, unbelieving men. folks
who call into question God's sovereignty and God's goodness
and God's wisdom. But I want you, my brothers and
sisters, I want you and me to see clearly the great wisdom
of our God in his grace. I want us to see the wisdom of
God as he sets forth his wisdom in this parable. It was a great
act of wisdom and grace on the part of our God to ordain the
fall of our Father Adam. It was a great act of wisdom
and goodness in God our Father to ordain the fall of our Father
Adam and the ruin of our race in him. Well, how can you say
God ordained that? Because the scripture tells us
he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Because the scripture tells us
all things are of God. Because the scripture tells us we know that all things work
together for good. For good to them that love God.
Work together not by accident but by purpose. The purpose of
God. When God spoke to Adam in Genesis
chapter 2 He did not say, now Adam, if it should somehow ever
come to pass by some possibility that is out there beyond my control,
you should eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
then you will probably die. That's not how the scripture
talks. But rather God said, in the day
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Romans chapter 5
tells us that Adam, in his act of transgression, as our federal
head and representative, the federal head and representative
of the whole human race, was a similitude, that is, was a
picture of another Adam, a last Adam, the second Adam, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who is our federal head, the federal head and representative
of God's elect before God, by whose obedience we are made righteous
before God. So God ordained the fall of our
father Adam. Now, let no one suggest that
God is the author of sin. I have folks frequently say,
well, how can you say God ordained that when he's not the author
of sin? Because God says he's not the author of sin. Well,
how can you reconcile that? I don't have to, he's God. How
can you justify those two things? I don't have to, he's God. James
tells us plainly that God never causes a man to sin. And yet
this blessed book teaches us plainly that God has ordained
all that comes to pass, and that includes Adam's sin as well as
all others. God didn't cause Adam to sin,
He didn't tempt Adam to sin, He didn't in any way induce Adam
to sin, but to suggest by any way that Adam's transgression
took God by surprise, that somehow this thing Satan sneaked up on
God's blind side and poured one over on Him, is to deny the very
Godhood of God. Oh indeed, God ordained this,
and it was an act of His great wisdom and grace to do so. just
as the father in this parable willingly divided to the particle
all his living, divided it to a rebel to be wasted
by him in riotous living, so our heavenly father wisely gave
to our father Adam everything he knew. everything. He said look at Adam,
here it is. The whole creation is yours.
Gave it to him to be wasted by him in riotous living to the
ruin of our race. Well why would he do that? I
can't answer that question. I can give you an answer. So
that he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
in Christ Jesus shall the exceeding wonder of his love for us on
the horrible black backdrop of sin and rebellion and ungodliness. I was talking to someone the
other day who picked up the phone, answered the phone, a good friend. He had called me to tell me about
some difficulty he was having. And when he started talking,
we had just finished talking to Pam and Ron about Amanda and
the situation there. He said, I don't have any trouble. He said, I'm sorry it took that
to make me see it. Isn't it amazing how we fail to see God's goodness
to us until we see something, some difficulty, some trouble
that someone else has. We fail to appreciate blessing
until we see hardship somewhere else. And the Lord God takes
the black backdrop of human sin to show us his grace. And the
fact is, there's no other way to know it. If there had never
been a fall, just suppose there had never been a fall, suppose
Adam had never transgressed, suppose he and all humanity had
lived in the perfection of creation with no sin whatsoever. Well
these things are certain. We would never have known the
wonder of redemption. couldn't be known. That which
our God declares to be his glory, we could not have known. The
angels of God sing of his holiness, but they can't see his glory. They can't see it. They can't
see it. They visited right here. Listen,
let's talk about it. Sing about it. Because they can't, they've
never known it. The angels who lost their first
estate are reserved in chains of darkness with no mercy, no
grace, no redemption, no hope, no forgiveness. The angels of
God who are kept by his grace never can know the wonder of
redemption. Had there been no sin, we could
never have known forgiveness. And the most blessed thing on
this earth to know, the most blessed thing on this earth to
know is forgiveness. Had there been no fault, had
there been no enmity between God and man, enmity in our hearts
against him, we could never have known the joy of enmity conquered
and reconciliation established. Our text speaks to us not only
about the wisdom of God's grace but also the goodness of it. Nothing more displays the goodness
of God's grace than what the old preachers used to call prevenient
grace. Prevenient grace is the grace
of God that goes before grace and prepares the way for the
grace of God that runs before his saving mercy and prepares
his people for his mercy. We see God's prevenient grace
in giving the prodigal all his living. If you're familiar with
it, but it won't hurt you a bit to turn back to Hosea chapter
2 and look at it one more time. Hosea 2. abandoned her loving husband. He found her. And he could have brought her
home at any time. She was his wife. And as far as Old Testament
law is concerned, she was his property. He could have had her
killed for what she did. Or he could have gone in there,
took her by the nap of the neck, and said, we're going back home,
honey, you're mine. That was his right. But he wouldn't
have her. until she wanted him when she
wanted life itself. And God Almighty holds us in
his hands where he is. And if he wanted to, he could
force us to bow to his throne against our wills or he could
throw us in hell where he is. He can do with us what he wants
to and we deserve his wrath. But he won't have us. He won't have you. Did you hear
me? The Lord Jesus Christ won't have
you until you want Him more than life itself. And blessed be His
name, He fixes it so you want Him more than life itself. But
in the meantime, He takes good care of you while you spit in
His face. Look at it, Hosea 2 verse 8.
Hosea found out where Gomer was staying. where she would entertain
her lovers. Isn't that a wonderful way for
a strumpet to talk about the folks she hires. Hosea says I'd sleep up there
every night, put a bag of groceries by her
door and she'd get up in the morning and see them and she
didn't know. She said look what my lovers gave me. She didn't
know that I gave her corn and wine and oil and multiplied her
silver and gold which they used to worship Baal. And that's what God's done for
his people and still does. Still does. You see this prodigal was his
boy. Just as much his boy when he was down in the hog pen feeding
the hogs as when he was sitting in his father's house. His boy. And he took care of him. You were his. And he took care
of you. Turn to Hebrews chapter 1 verse
14. Not only does he give us everything
needed to sustain us in life while we lived in rebellion against
him, he sends his angels, his servants, to watch over his wayward
children. Hebrews 1.14, Paul's talking
about angels. He said, Are they not all, every
one of them, ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them? who shall be heirs of salvation. Without detail, let me tell you
what I know about that. I lived in utter rebellion to
every form of authority there was, loving nobody but me, and
didn't like me much either. flirting with death all the time,
playing games with death all the time, saw friends killed
doing the very things I did. But God Almighty preserves His
own in Christ Jesus until the day of their calling. He won't
let anything happen to them. He sends his angels secretly
to watch over them, protect them, provide for them, even in their
rebellion. And he graciously, in his wise,
secret manipulation of providence, brings them down. Look at verse
11 of Luke 15. A certain man had two sons. One
of them was the object of his love and didn't appear to be. The other one was Esau and looked
like Jacob. One of them God did nothing for
and looked like he did everything for him. And the other one, he
did everything for him. and looked like he did nothing
for him. Two sons. That's the way it is with the
whole human race. Verse 12. And the younger of
them, that's us, said to his father, Father, give
me the portion of goods that follow to me, and he divided
unto them his living. This prodigal makes his selfish
demands. The other boy, he was a good
boy. Never made such a demand. but the prodigal being. Isn't it amazing that proud rebels who deserve God's wrath right
now, selfishly think they have a right to demand of God everything
the world has. and not many days after, the
younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far
off country, just as far away from God as I came, and there
wasted his substance with riotous living. How I wish I could convince folks
of this. How I wish I could take every
One of your children, our own, set him on my knee, squeezed
him up real tight and said, listen to me, listen to me, this is
what I've learned, this is what I know, oh my God I know it. Life without Christ, life in
rebellion to God is a waste. waste of everything. Don't care what else you have.
I don't care what else you get. I don't care who praises you.
I don't care who pats you on the back. I don't care who sets
you on a pedestal. I don't care who lifts you up.
No matter how high you achieve in this world, life without Christ
is a waste, an utter waste. Verse 14, And when he'd spent all, when
he'd spent all, there arose a mighty famine in the land. And he began to be in want. I reckon how that famine came
to be. I wonder why it arose right then.
Because the father had his eye and his heart on him. And he
brought him down. And he went and joined himself
to the citizens of that country. He sent him into the fields to
feed his swine. He made his legal efforts to do good for himself.
He would fairly fill his belly with the husk the swine did eat,
and no man gave to him. And now, look at the method by
which this particle is restored in God's grace. Verse 17. He came to himself. More about
that later. But that's the turning point. God Almighty says to his own, like he says
to the waves of the sea, hitherto shalt thou go and no further. There is a turning point fixed
by God called the time of his love when he steps in your way. and you run flat smack dab into
God Almighty and now nothing shall ever be the same again.
Verse 18, he said I will arise and go to my father and I'll
say to him father I sinned against heaven and before then no more
worthy to be called thy son. And then this last thing, let
me talk to you for just a minute about the experience of The prodigal arose and came to
his father. And his father saw him when he
was yet a great way off, had compassion on him, and ran and
fell on his neck and kissed him. Brought him into his house, said
to his servants, kill the calf. That would have been fatted and
ready for him. Bring all the fat in the garments and put them
on him. Ring on his finger. My son was dead and is alive.
He was lost and found. Oh, let's make merry. Let's make
merry. and the prodigal. Without yonder, in his rebellion, when at last
he came to himself, thoroughly convinced the best hope he had,
because he never could know his father, not really, not really,
until he had been down there in that hog pen and came home
and was reconciled to The best hope he had, the best hope he
had was his father wouldn't kill him. That's the best hope he
had. That his father would at least
let him live as a hired servant, as one of the hired hands in
his house. That's all. But now, he comes
to his father and experiences grace. Now, the experience of
grace is the result of all the operations of God's grace, never
the cause in any way. When we first experienced grace,
the experience of it seemed like the cause. We believe, he forgives. We call, he answers. We turn,
he receives us. We run to him, he runs to us.
That's the way it appears in the experience. But that's never
the case. Never the case. Turn to 2 Timothy
1. Everything that you and I have experienced of
God's grace, and you know what? We're just beginning to experience
it. Everything we have experienced
of God's grace is the result of God's grace bestowed upon
us in Christ before the world began. Look here, 2 Timothy 1
verse 9. God hath saved us, that is his
gift. This is something God did. Did
it once and for all with finality, with permanent results. God hath
saved us and called us. within holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. Now
just in case you don't understand what I'm talking about, listen.
Which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Wow. Given us in Christ Jesus. What? His salvation. His calling. His grace. Given us. in Christ
Jesus before the world began. But now, now, is made manifest by the appearing
of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel. This prodigal is dead in his
eyes only. his heart set on him, so he gives
him his living. And the boy goes out and wastes
everything. And the daddy said the servants
have to watch over him and take care of him, make sure he doesn't
bring any permanent harm to himself. The boy comes to himself because
the great famine had been brought in the land. And in humiliation,
acknowledging his unworthiness to be accepted of his father,
he runs home with the hope of just escaping death and immortality and life. are brought to light. Grace is
manifest when the father runs and falls on his neck and kisses
him. Bring you the calf. That's your
sacrifice. Bring the best robe. That's your
robe. Bring the family ring. Put it
right there. That's your ring, son. Bring the shoes. That's your stability, son. See
all this joy? That's because of my grace, son. Amen.