The Eternal Pardon

The last few weeks we’ve been talking about spiritual contraband. We’ve talked about doing bunk searches on your heart to get that spiritual contraband out and keep it out. I left off last week talking about God’s love. I did that intentionally because without the love of God, none of it matters. Today, I want to finish this series of guarding your heart by talking about the eternal pardon.

A pardon is a forgiveness of offense. In regards to the law, a release from the penalty of the offense. Usually performed by a person of authority.

Where it all started

Genesis 3:1-8

Genesis 3:1–8 NKJV

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

The Lost Sheep

Luke 15:1-7

Luke 15:1–7 NKJV

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Notice one thing here that Jesus asks “If one of you lose one of your sheep, won’t you go into the wilderness and search UNTIL you find it?” A shepherd made a living off of herding, raising, and selling sheep for various purposes.

The sheep were the shepherd’s source of income. So every sheep was important to the shepherd. Each sheep had value. The same is true for us! You are valuable to God!

If you’re lost, Jesus will never stop coming after you! He loves you so much! When a sheep is wandering in the wilderness, it runs the risk of running into predators. Jesus knows what awaits if you don’t repent and turn from your sin. He doesn’t want that for you! God rejoices when we accept that free, unconditional gift of salvation because He saves us from certain ultimate destruction.

I want you to think of someone who is living their life terribly. This person can be someone who just finds trouble no matter where it is. This can be someone who is always selling drugs, getting drunk or high, always stealing cars, or someone who is constantly violent. You still care about this person and you wish they would change, but you don’t like the way they behave or live their life. Now imagine this, what if one day, they realized they were wrong all this time. If they came to you and apologized and said “I want to start to live right starting now.” How would you react? Would you send them away and guilt them about all they’ve ever done? Most wouldn’t blame you if you did, but that’s not what our God does. He goes and finds that unbelieving person, brings them back, puts them back on his shoulders and tells people to celebrate with Him!

The Lost Coin

Luke 15:8–10 (NKJV)

Luke 15:8–10 NKJV

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

One silver coin doesn’t seem that important. She has 9 other coins right? To this woman, every coin had value and was needed. God feels the very same about you. He created you. He formed you in your mother’s womb. You are valuable to Him.

When you find your way back home to Him, they have a celebration over you!

AT&T Stadium doesn’t have anything on heaven when a lost sinner repents. I know how you Cowboys fans love your team and will cheer when they win. That celebration doesn’t come anywhere near the celebration in heaven when we accept Christ as Lord. The Longhorns had 100,000 fans in their stadium this past Saturday for their season opener. They were cheering and going crazy for their team. That doesn’t even come close to the celebration that happens when a sinner gets saved!

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11–12 (NKJV)

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

So the younger son wanted his share of the inheritance. This would have been one third of everything that his father owned. His older brother would have gotten the other two thirds.

Back then, and in most cases even now, you don’t get an inheritance until someone passes away.

So essentially what this son was saying was “Dad, I don’t respect you, I wish you would hurry up and die so I can have my money.” The law gave instruction on what to do about a son like this.

Deut 21:18-21 ““If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.”

Luke 15:13–16 (NKJV)

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Notice how it says he journeyed to a far country. Not only did he disrespect his father by getting his inheritance early, but he got far away from his father who gave him that money in the first place. As we, and the original audience of this parable would expect, the son wastes all his money on things that just don’t matter. A little bit of context here. Pigs, or swine, were considered to be one of the most unclean animals in Jewish culture. Jesus drove demons into a herd of pigs, unclean animals. And its says he wanted to fill his stomach with their slop! This guy was as low as he could possibly get. The original Jewish audience would have expected the story to end here. The disrespectful, prodigal son gets what he deserves, thus teaching not to be disrespectful and wasteful. But the story takes a twist that nobody expects.

Luke 15:17–24 (NKJV)

Luke 15:17–24 NKJV

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

If you’re hearing this story for the first time, you’re probably expecting this son to be beaten and stoned, but that’s not what happens. Remember, the prodigal son has shown his father nothing but disrespect, he wasted a third of everything that his father had ever earned; and now, he has the audacity to come back and ask for forgiveness? You would have to think the prodigal son’s physical appearance would have changed with everything he went through. But it says that the father still recognized him a great way off and had compassion for him!

No matter what you go through, and no matter how much you change, the Father will always recognize you.

So the son says his rehearsed speech to his father. The son isn’t expecting anything at this point. He probably is hoping he doesn’t get stoned. Jesus shocks us and the original audience by explaining what the father does. The father saw how disfigured and dirty his son was. He sends servants to go get the best robe, which would have belonged to him. The ring would represent authority and restoration to sonship. The shoes were a sign of freedom. Slaves and servants didn’t wear shoes in that time. The fattened calf was set aside strictly for special occasions only. It would feed an entire village depending on the size. The father decided that there would never be a more special occasion than this.

So instead of being condemned, the prodigal son gets fresh clothes, a place of authority, freedom from condemnation of his sin, and a big celebratory feast.

Luke 15:25–31 (NKJV)

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

Its important to note here that the older son disrespected his father in a different way. In that time, it was considered disrespectful to address your father as anything but sir or father. I believe Jesus is speaking to two different groups of people here, Pharisees and us who already believe. He’s telling us “Listen son, you have what is mine. You’re safe! You have everything that I have. I’m not withholding anything from you, but your brother was dead and he is alive now! This is cause for celebration! He’s alive! He came to his senses! I want you to imagine that person we talked about earlier. Do you really hate them that much that you want them to be condemned forever and ever? I don’t think you do. Its hard for me to imagine anyone that would. This is why the Bible says to pray for our enemies. Pray for them to come to Jesus and be saved!

It is in God’s nature to come forgive us if we will humble ourselves. He loves us. We’re his sons!

1 John 1:8–9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In order to make parole, you need to have a vote from The Board of Pardons and Parole. Now this board can set certain conditions on your parole. Things like ankle monitor, you have to do certain things to keep your freedom etc. This implies that if you violate that parole condition, you’ll have to pay the penalty again. When Jesus gives you the eternal pardon, its unconditional. There’s no class you can take to earn it. There’s no point system with God. The only thing you have to do is call on Jesus, turn from your sin and you’ll be saved. Maybe some of you have been like the prodigal son. Have you burned bridges, wasted time or money on things that don’t matter, ran away from God? I invite you to come back. Your best thinking got you where you are now. Wouldn’t you like to live a better life? A life that matters? A life that is something to be proud of. The Bible says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. So come home. Are you like the older brother? Do you scoff at some people who you THINK fake church? You know how they’ve always been and don’t believe their change. You’re just waiting for them to slip back into their old ways. I invite you to pray and let that go. That’s a Pharisee mindset. Pray for that person that they don’t fall off. Be happy for them! They’ve found the right way and now they’re not going to hell if they really meant their commitment to Christ. No matter which brother you compare you, be a faithful son today. He’s paid the price for your eternal pardon.