Its basically knowing & claiming what is rightfully ours as children of God who are citizens in He's heavenly dwelling, since bought with the very high price. Being chidren of God comes up with lots of benefits & previlages that one misses out when/if not clued up about ones benefits.
The lost son asked for what was due to him,
It begins with being aware of he's benefits as a son in he's fathers house... I personally don't see anything wrong with him asking he's for what was rightfully he's..... He's problem was timing & patience like most of us finding it hard to wait for whatever reason when we should be waiting upon the Lord. And its a question of maturity since he wasn't matured enough to handle such wealth, Hense he should have sticked around he's father & learn as much as possible, and enjoy the inheritance when the season is right. (when the old man has passed on, since the inheritance is meant for such time anyway)
This is how it relates to salvation:
While the son was lost, he was wondering from life, truth, home & safely. Likewise with us when not yet saved. We are just existing beings. Life begins when coming home to Jesus through faith that He's the very being of God the father, God the son and God the precious Holly spirit. When believing & confessing that He's the Lord who died for our sins, our names are then written in the book of life. We are then citizens of He's kingdom.
Now that we are saved
We no longer live anyhow like we did when still not saved. We're now living for the big day, the wedding day. (the return of the groom to come get he's wife)
Who is the groom?
Jesus Him self.
Who is the bright?
We are... He's chosen ones.... The church.
Please do forgive me if I somehow missed what you're trying to get from this question,
That was just how I thought of it when answering you.
Thank you, Sisygirl! I appreciate the response and I hope you join us here more often! I do think you're correct in your interpretation, that's generally what I believe anyway. Keep studying, there's always something to unlock and make clearer with these discussions!
Luke 15:32 "It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
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I believe this response to the son who remained faithful shows how we should celebrate the salvation of a lost sinner.
I believe it represents someone who was lost in sin (Romans 3:23; 6:23); �as we are spiritually dead. �The sinner sunk so low and finally went to the Father, lowly, humble and broken...realized that he could not make it on his own. �
With salvation comes eternal life, was dead and is alive...
Not only did this wayward son come home, but he was bestowed the blessings of his father...I think the other son was like Jonah...angry that his brother received blessings that he didn't deserve, like Nineveh not being destroyed.
A reminder to us that we should be joyous when a sinner gets saved...knowing that our Heavenly Father has enough grace to share with all who believ.
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Luke 15:20�And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.�
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
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I think it is important to point out that the son had to come to the father...he knew his father could take care of him, but until he went to the father, the father's blessings and abundance were doing him no good.
Our Heavenly Father stands watching and waiting, with plenty of grace for all who ask for it, but until one asks for the grace/gift of God, the Father will not bestow it on him/her.
In Luke 15: 11-32, one son went away from the Father into a foreign place and ended up living and eating with the pigs, which is all metaphoric. But he repented and came back to the Father. The other son did not go off to a foreign land and squander his inheritance like the repentant son did. Nevertheless, the older son demonstrated his position by not being glad the younger son repented and returned to the father. The older son does not represent the elect in this parable. The younger son does represent the elect.
The elect do not reject those who were in sin and in false beliefs but who repented and came to the Father in Truth. They rejoice.
But those in the churches who have been taught dispensationalism and/or some other form of Jewish supremacy cannot interpret this parable to mean that the older brother in rejecting his repentant younger brother represents physical Israel.
"...he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit..." Galatians 4: 29
Some will claim that Galatians 4: 29 is just about anyone who remains in the flesh opposing those who are in the Spirit. But here Paul is talking about two Israels. In Galatians 4: 25-26 he contrasts the Israel, called Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children, that is physical Israel, to that Israel, called Jerusalem, which is above, is free and is the mother of us all, that is the mother of all the elect of God. In verse 29 he is talking about physical Israel persecuting those who are born again after the Spirit.
There is no mention of the church in Galatians 4: 29. Physical Israel is not said to persecute the church. It persecutes that Israel born again in Christ, after the Holy Spirit.
When we are not saved we are dead to the word of God,dead in spirit.
But after coming to salvation we are alive in Christ Jesus.
When we choose our own ways and live according to our wishes as the son had chosen and lived, we are dead and lost.But when we come to Christ we are alive for we never follow our wish but Christs.
Both were sons after the flesh but only one was a son after the Spirit -- the prodigal son. The older son represented the Pharisee and the self righteous mindset. 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
The prodigal is said to be lost and then found - just like the two parables preceding it. This represents the Elect remnant of Israel that Jesus came to "seek and to save".
The prodigal son (the elect remnant of Israel) was drawn back to his Father by God's providential dealing in his life. vs 14-17.
He also demonstrated repentance vs. 21 which was proof to his father that he went from being dead to being alive again -- i.e. regenerated. vs. 24
