Q: Isn't the prodigal son an excellent example of man exhibiting free will - freely running away and freely returning. Does this suggest the ungodly can choose to seek God?

Answer it though Tulip

Tulip essentially talks about ...

T- TOTAL DEPRAVITY / INABILITY: (Dead in Sin)

Because of the fall of Adam, man is unable of himself to believe the gospel for salvation. The sinner is spiritually dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in slavery to his sinful nature. (Genesis 2:15-17, Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 3:10-18, Jeremiah 17:9 John 6:44, Ephesians 2:1-10)

U- UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION: (The Father Elects)

God sovereignly chooses to save specific sinners before the foundation of the world. His choice of saving particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith or repentance. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. Therefore God’s choice of the sinner, not the sinner’s choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation. (Romans 9:10-21, Ephesians 1:4-11, Ephesians 2:4-10, Romans 8:29-30, Acts 11:18, Acts 13:48, Revelation 13:8)

L- LIMITED ATONEMENT (The Son Pays the Debt):

Also known as particular redemption or definite atonement. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for the sins of the elect. Jesus dies for all those who will believe in Him. Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary payment of the penalty of sin in the place of specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation.(Matthew 1:21, Romans 5:12-21, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5-6, John 10:11-30, John 17:6-12, Romans 8:28-30, John 6:44, Acts 20:28)

I- IRRESISTIBLE GRACE (The Holy Spirit Resurrects):

The saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has predestined to save (the elect) before the creation of the world. In God’s timing, he overcomes their resistance to the call of the gospel and irresistibly brings them to repentance and a saving faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit resurrects spiritually dead sinners and brings them to life. (John 3:16, Matthew 22:14, Acts 17:29-31, Matthew 23:37-39, John 6:44, Romans 8:28-30, John 1:12-13, John 3:1-8, Ephesians 2:8-10)

P- PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS: (God Keeps His People) All who were chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end. The elect people of God cannot lose their salvation. (John 3:16, John 6:35-40, John 6:44, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:12-13, Jude 24-25, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:28-30, Romans 8:35-39)

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The Parables is not a true story and call our attention to 1 thing.

Sure we can preach about this parables for 2-6 weeks, and still be amazed by what we learn...

but in short the lesson we should take from this parable and the other 2 in Luke 15 is

God rejoices, the angels rejoice as sinners repent. Is free will in play. No, as dead people, spiritually dead people, we can and will never choose God.

If we choose, we will always choose to run away.

These parables are about rejoicing, and we should not read anything else into them... We know through looking at the Bible as a whole what we can and cannot assume from this short story. Free will in our salvation is not something we can assume from this story.

At the start of Luke 15 we see The Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So the 3 parables starts with the pharisees complaining...why do Jesus do this. Eat with sinners. And Jesus says, for I came to look for them. Seeking them.

He ends the 3 parables by the older brother who also complains.

Jesus talks the pharisees about the 100 sheep, where 1 gets lost and the Shepard goes to find him. and once he do, they rejoice.

The widow with 10 silver coins, 1 gets lost, and she looks for it, and once found she rejoice and calls her neighbours.

The story of the lost son, or the prodical son, his dad did not send a search party out, but he kept on praying and was watching continualiy for him, and once he came back they all rejoiced.

Except the older brother. who was essentially reprensing the pharisees. Who says…we freely choose to serve God, yet we are not receiving anything. They missed the point, just like the older brother did. When something was lost and found, rejoice.

The main point of all three parables are...when you and I or anyone repent, if we are lost and are found then heavens will rejoice...

Jesus said...there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance. BUT

Right in the middle of the third parable, the one of the prodical son, after he squandrede his inheritance, the son is feeding pigs, and he stinks. He is without hope.

His clothes are rags,dirty, sweety, old, his shoes are disintegrated, he is hungry, he is desperate. He hit rock bottom.

This is where GOD's GRACE is shining through like a bright light.

For some of us, this was the case for me. If we did not hit rock bottom, we would have kept on running and partying.

Hitting rock bottom, for some, like me was God's way of calling you home. It is his divine grace. He showed a way of hope.

while the son's actions appear as free will, they are deeply intertwined with divine grace and providence.

The prodigal son's return is less about his independent choice and more about him being drawn by his Father's grace.

He probably thought “My dad is a kind man, he will accept me as a slave or field worker.” I will be better of there. Where I am now, I will die.

He did not go home thinking I will be re-instituded as a son. He was willing to be a servant.

And that is true repentance. He was truly sorry for what he did. No one would have given that lost son even a second chance, for he stunk, he had nothing to offer. Except his father.

He had no free wil,

he was desperate,

either return home and plead for grace and forgiveness or death.

Remember he was in a far of land, and he most likely had to walk home, getting weaker, and more hungry.

and as he returned to his father, his dad did not hesistate to implement unconditional election.

Off-course my son. You are my son.

Can the ungodly choose to seek God.

If they do, it is not them seeking but God divinly orchastrating the events to work out as they do.

RC Sproul says the prodigal son's is being drawn by a "divine and supernatural light".

I was thinking of Pilgrim’s progress here. Similar to the need to get rid the burden and then being shown the light by evangelist.

Chrisitan had no idea there was a place he could run to. God divinly placed evangelist there at the right time, to point to Christian where to go.

This is a heavy topic for a new believer, as John Piper says, when he was young. I make the decisions. See I dropped the pen. It was I who did it.

But the fact is that, our very own choices,like the lost son, like eve in the garden of eden, that very same free will, is what gets us into trounble.

Theologically it makes sense from a reformed background, but some here might choose to view it from a different perspective...and that is fine.

The elder believer in TULIP AND the 5 SOLAS.

Some here might say... I chose God. The reality is, as we are dead in our trespasses and sins, we all run away, for there is no-one righteous not one.

Our salvation is completely dependant on God's favour and Jesus's death and payment. Sure, he does not want any to perish. But some continue to reject him, by free will.

That is the only thing our free will allows us to do. Run away.

If we say it is up to us, we will be like the boy who jumped over the wall, in Pilgrims's progress and copmpleted the race but when he stood at the gate of heaven,

all he could say was, I should come in, because heaven would not be compelte without me. And that would proof, like a pharisee that he dependanded on his own works and free will and not on the complete work of Jesus.

Can we freely choose. No, for then we would have something to boast about.

Rather it is through

Christ Alone

Faith Alone

Grace alone

and to God's Glory alone.

We would be stealing and making Christ's death less significant if we claim that we could play a small part in it.

Jesus would surely say, go away from me you sinner, I never knew you.