A while back I was listening to a sermon on the radio and the preacher said that the church is filled with broken people. In fact, he said the church is for broken people. The church is for those of us who realize that we are sinful at heart and broken and we can't fix ourselves and we need someone to do it for us. Enter Jesus. I suspect if you love Jesus a good deal of that love comes from the fact that you know how broken you are and that you don't have hope without him. I feel a lot like Paul does in Romans 7:18-19: "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing." And I am just as relieved as Paul when he cries out: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25).
So if the church is for broken people and thus filled with broken people, what should we expect to find when we step inside one? Selfishness, pride, anger, legalism, greed, gossip, and so on. Let's face it. We don't become perfect once we're saved. When we're saved, what we get is grace. All that sinful stuff that defines us is washed clean because our God loves us enough to die and be raised for us. That's what happens. But we still struggle with that sinful human nature that doesn't want to rest under God's grace. It rears its ugly head and gratefully we have the Holy Spirit as our aid, giving us a sword to fight the sinful nature. But you know what? Sometimes we will fail. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).
Of course, we don't want to sin. Those who love Christ want to live as he did, or at least they should. John notes that he writes so followers of Christ won't sin--"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the
Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). John notes that those who love Jesus will do what he commands. We should want to obey and live godly lives. But thank goodness John says that if we do sin, we still have an advocate who died for our sin.
I don't know about you, but I still struggle against my sin. I have to turn to Jesus daily. I have to ask people for forgiveness often. And I have to remind myself that it is only by the grace of God that I can even take a step without continual self-condemnation. And this is the situation of most Christians I know.
So this is what I want people to remember: that Christians are not perfect; their Christ is. Christians want to be like him and the Holy Spirit is guiding them, but until glorification, we won't be entirely there. And that's why you aren't going to find perfection in the church. It seems the thing of the day for Christians to write blogs condemning the church and Christians for being horrible people that turn everyone away from the church. I cringe at those blogs. Because I know you will walk into a church and be met with mean people. If you think walking into a church takes you out of the world, think again. You will meet broken people in the church who wrongly treat you like dirt. You can't expect perfection.
But you will also find people who don't want to be bound by their sin and who will sympathize with you. You will find those who in their own brokenness don't crush others in their brokenness. You will find those who extend to you the same grace they have been given. In the church, you will find both the mean-spirited and the kind. The argument goes that the world sees Christians in a bad light. Of course they do. The pastor who gets down on his hands and knees to serve the wounded in his community rarely gets the spotlight. The pastor who has an adulterous affair is prime news fodder. The church that supports and runs a pregnancy center isn't going to be hailed. The church that throws mud at girls going to abortion clinics will be on the six o'clock news. The world gets a heavy dose of the mean and not the kind.
So, yes, of course, we should seek to be kind, welcoming people in the church. I wish every Christian I knew was kind and gracious 100% of the time. But I also know that we live with sin and we are broken and sometimes, we aren't going to shine. And rather than write blogs condemning our brothers and sisters for sinning, we should be encouraging each other to yield to the Spirit, take up our sword and fight the darts of our enemy and our sinful nature. And reminding ourselves that our perfect Christ has given us the power and the love to fight the good fight.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Epiphany: The Word Made Flesh
Epiphany is a Christian holiday usually celebrated on January 6th that is emphasized more in Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches, but I think it has value for all Christians. The Greek term epiphaneia means "to manifest or reveal." On Epiphany, Christians remember how Jesus Christ's deity was manifested. As such, churches may discuss Jesus' baptism, where his deity was declared or miracles that revealed his deity. Celebrated twelve days after Christmas, some churches commemorate the visit of the Wise Men and recognize Jesus' arrival for all nations. I always leave Christmas decorations up until Epiphany and try to find ways to celebrate the holiday. This year I am going to concentrate on the Word made flesh as found in John 1.
I've always loved the beauty of the beginning of John's gospel. In eloquent words, John speaks of the Word's revelation to man, how the Word became a human being. The Greek term for word is logos. Logos is a fascinating term for John to choose. Have you ever wondered why John didn't simply say Jesus or Christ? Why did he say "word"? I know many Christians that think this refers to the Biblical word become flesh in Jesus or God's promises become flesh and although this is part of the meaning, there is more to it. In fact, a deeper meaning to the term logos had been around quite a while by John's time. It was a term used by philosophers which John appropriated for his gospel.
Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher from Ephesus around 500 BC. He defined logos as the source and order of the universe. He further described it as "the principle according to which all things change, that which determines the nature of the flux that resides in all human beings" (www.abu.nb.ca).
Aristotle, the well-known Greek philosopher and student of Plato, called logos argument from reason. In this kind of argument, one seeks to give logical reasons to persuade someone of a fact.
The stoics, advocates of stoicism, a Hellenistic philosophy, said that logos is reason that pervades and animates the universe.To the Stoics,this logos was material and could be identified with God or Nature.They believed each person possessed some part of the logos.
Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher and a contemporary of John the disciple.Logos for Philo was the creative principle of the universe. He often paralleled the Logos with divine wisdom. The reason he did so was that he relied on the Platonic idea that imperfect matter and perfect idea were distinguished from one another. For this reason, God could not come into contact with any matter. The Logos, then, is the image of God and this is the image that God made in man’s mind. Philo said the Logos was "the archangel with many names, the expiator of sins, and the mediator and advocate for men. He said the Logos is a kind of shadow cast by God, having the outlines but not the blinding light of the Divine Being. The Logos as ‘interpreter’ announces God's designs to man" (Jewish Encyclopedia).
John would have been aware of how the term logos was used in philosophy. Read now John's profound description of the Logos, how he picked up on the above philosophical meanings and transcended them:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God.All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-4, 14).
John declares the Logos is indeed the source and order of the universe--all things came into being through him. He is the one who pervades and animates the universe--everything exists because of him. Yet he is much more than mind or reason--he is life entire. He is the light of men, says John. He exposes the darkness as the divine wisdom that enlightens men. John departs from Philo, declaring with boldness that the Logos has come into contact with matter--in fact, he has become matter himself, the Word made flesh. He is not a shadow of God, he is the exact representation of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3).
In appropriating a well-known philosophical term, John tied and modified the philosophical beliefs of his time to Jesus, revealing him as the true Logos. One need not look further than Jesus Christ to find the true divine being, "the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man" (John 1:9). Those who come to this light are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). This Logos is personal. He comes to enlighten and save and adopt.
This is what we celebrate at Epiphany--our Savior manifest, the Logos made flesh, the creator of the universe revealed in a man.
Tonight, we will read John 1:1-14, sing the hymn "Christ Is God Incarnated" and then celebrate with treats and special raspberry soup as we remember how we are children of God only because the Word became flesh.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Mary's Prayer
May you remember this Christmas the Savior who came to bring you life!
Mary's Prayer
by Max Lucado
God. O infant-God. Heaven's fairest
child. Conceived by the union of divine
grace with our disgrace. Sleep well.
grace with our disgrace. Sleep well.
Sleep well. Bask in the coolness of
this night bright with diamonds. Sleep
well, for the heat of anger simmers nearby. Enjoy the silence of the crib,
for the noise of confusion rumbles in your future. Savor the sweet safety of
my arms, for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect you.
well, for the heat of anger simmers nearby. Enjoy the silence of the crib,
for the noise of confusion rumbles in your future. Savor the sweet safety of
my arms, for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect you.
Rest well, tiny hands. For though you
belong to a king, you will touch no
satin, own no gold. You will grasp no pen, guide no brush. No, your tiny
hands are reserved for works more precious: to touch a leper's open wound, to
wipe a widow's weary tear, to claw the ground of Gethsemane.
satin, own no gold. You will grasp no pen, guide no brush. No, your tiny
hands are reserved for works more precious: to touch a leper's open wound, to
wipe a widow's weary tear, to claw the ground of Gethsemane.
Your hands, so tiny, so tender, so
white--clutched tonight in an infant's
fist. They aren't destined to hold a scepter nor wave from a palace balcony.
They are reserved instead for a Roman spike that will staple them to a Roman cross.
fist. They aren't destined to hold a scepter nor wave from a palace balcony.
They are reserved instead for a Roman spike that will staple them to a Roman cross.
Sleep deeply, tiny eyes. Sleep while
you can. For soon the blurriness will
clear and you will see the mess we have made of your world. You will see our
nakedness, for we cannot hide. You will see our selfishness, for we cannot
give. You will see our pain, for we cannot heal. O eyes that will see hell's
darkest pit and witness her ugly prince...sleep, please sleep; sleep while you can.
clear and you will see the mess we have made of your world. You will see our
nakedness, for we cannot hide. You will see our selfishness, for we cannot
give. You will see our pain, for we cannot heal. O eyes that will see hell's
darkest pit and witness her ugly prince...sleep, please sleep; sleep while you can.
And tiny feet cupped in the palm of
my hand, rest. For many difficult steps
lie ahead for you. Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel? Do
you feel the cold sea water upon which you will walk? Do you wrench at the
invasion of the nail you will bear? Do you fear the steep descent down the
spiral staircase into Satan's domain? Rest, tiny feet. Rest today so that
tomorrow you might walk with power. Rest. For millions will follow in your steps.
lie ahead for you. Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel? Do
you feel the cold sea water upon which you will walk? Do you wrench at the
invasion of the nail you will bear? Do you fear the steep descent down the
spiral staircase into Satan's domain? Rest, tiny feet. Rest today so that
tomorrow you might walk with power. Rest. For millions will follow in your steps.
And little heart...holy
heart...pumping the blood of life through the
universe: How many times will we break you? You'll be torn by the thorns of
our accusations. You'll be ravaged by the cancer of our sin. You'll be
crushed under the weight of your own sorrow. And you'll be pierced by the
spear of our rejection.
universe: How many times will we break you? You'll be torn by the thorns of
our accusations. You'll be ravaged by the cancer of our sin. You'll be
crushed under the weight of your own sorrow. And you'll be pierced by the
spear of our rejection.
Yet in that piercing, in that
ultimate ripping of muscle and membrane, in that
final rush of blood and water, you will find rest. Your hands will be freed,
your eyes will see justice, your lips will smile, and your feet will carry you home.
final rush of blood and water, you will find rest. Your hands will be freed,
your eyes will see justice, your lips will smile, and your feet will carry you home.
And there you'll rest again--this
time in the embrace of your Father.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Where Is My Heart?
For my personal daily Bible reading, I've been in Psalms lately. Today I read Psalm 50 and certain parts of it struck me. God is approaching Israel as judge in the psalm. He starts out by addressing their sacrifices:
"Listen my people! I am speaking!
Listen Israel! I am accusing you!
I am God, your God!
I am not condemning you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.
I do not need to take a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds,
For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,
as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.
I keep track of every bird in the hills,
and the insects of the field are mine.
Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?" (v.7-13)
It is interesting that God starts by saying he isn't taking them to task for their animal sacrifices. The people were offering them "continually." The irony is that God doesn't even need the sacrifices. He already owns everything so they are just giving him back what he already possesses. But didn't God command animal sacrifice? Yes. So what is the problem here? We find out later in the psalm:
"God says this to the evildoer:
'How can you declare my commands,
and talk about my covenant?
For you hate instruction
and reject my words.
When you see a thief, you join him;
you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives.
You do damage with words,
and use your tongue to deceive.
You plot against your brother;
you slander your own brother.'" (v.16-20)
The people may have been giving the animal sacrifices, but they did so superficially. They were "getting in good" with God and then running off to sin. They didn't sacrifice with contrite hearts with any intention of actually obeying God. I have noted before that God cares about our hearts. God says in Isaiah 29:13, "[T]his people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote..." The people were giving the sacrifice by tradition, but their hearts were not near the Lord. God makes it clear in the psalm what he wants of his people:
"Present to God a thank-offering!
Repay your vows to the sovereign One!
Pray to me when you are in trouble!
I will deliver you, and you will honor me!" (v.14-15)
"Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me.
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver." (v.23)
A thank offering was freely given, an optional sacrifice. It consisted of not just an animal offering, but a meal, symbol of fellowship with God. It was given to express gratitude to God for the blessings he had brought. In effect, God is telling his people in this psalm to celebrate fellowship with him and thank him for his blessings and to truly do these things, one must have a heart turned to the Lord. God asks not for the superficial motions of sacrifice, but a heart that thanks him, keeps its promises, prays to him and obeys him.
How can this apply in a modern context? I think the parallels are easy to see. Do we go through the motions of tradition, going to church, singing songs, listening to a sermon with a dead heart? This is a psalm that calls us to examine our heart attitudes to determine if we are truly worshipping our God. I do not see here that God is demanding perfection. He is desiring a heart turned to him that recognizes his grace. This kind of heart will fellowship with God, enjoying his presence. A heart thus cultivated doesn't view worship of God as something to get out of the way so I can go sin. I think the key in this psalm is to ask the question: What is the state of my own heart?
"Listen my people! I am speaking!
Listen Israel! I am accusing you!
I am God, your God!
I am not condemning you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.
I do not need to take a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds,
For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,
as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.
I keep track of every bird in the hills,
and the insects of the field are mine.
Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?" (v.7-13)
It is interesting that God starts by saying he isn't taking them to task for their animal sacrifices. The people were offering them "continually." The irony is that God doesn't even need the sacrifices. He already owns everything so they are just giving him back what he already possesses. But didn't God command animal sacrifice? Yes. So what is the problem here? We find out later in the psalm:
"God says this to the evildoer:
'How can you declare my commands,
and talk about my covenant?
For you hate instruction
and reject my words.
When you see a thief, you join him;
you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives.
You do damage with words,
and use your tongue to deceive.
You plot against your brother;
you slander your own brother.'" (v.16-20)
The people may have been giving the animal sacrifices, but they did so superficially. They were "getting in good" with God and then running off to sin. They didn't sacrifice with contrite hearts with any intention of actually obeying God. I have noted before that God cares about our hearts. God says in Isaiah 29:13, "[T]his people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote..." The people were giving the sacrifice by tradition, but their hearts were not near the Lord. God makes it clear in the psalm what he wants of his people:
"Present to God a thank-offering!
Repay your vows to the sovereign One!
Pray to me when you are in trouble!
I will deliver you, and you will honor me!" (v.14-15)
"Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me.
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver." (v.23)
A thank offering was freely given, an optional sacrifice. It consisted of not just an animal offering, but a meal, symbol of fellowship with God. It was given to express gratitude to God for the blessings he had brought. In effect, God is telling his people in this psalm to celebrate fellowship with him and thank him for his blessings and to truly do these things, one must have a heart turned to the Lord. God asks not for the superficial motions of sacrifice, but a heart that thanks him, keeps its promises, prays to him and obeys him.
How can this apply in a modern context? I think the parallels are easy to see. Do we go through the motions of tradition, going to church, singing songs, listening to a sermon with a dead heart? This is a psalm that calls us to examine our heart attitudes to determine if we are truly worshipping our God. I do not see here that God is demanding perfection. He is desiring a heart turned to him that recognizes his grace. This kind of heart will fellowship with God, enjoying his presence. A heart thus cultivated doesn't view worship of God as something to get out of the way so I can go sin. I think the key in this psalm is to ask the question: What is the state of my own heart?
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thanksgiving Prayer
This comes from a Puritan evening prayer. I love its wording and its thoughtfulness and it is utterly appropriate for today. It is the prayer of my own heart.
"I thank Thee for the
temporal blessings of this world—
the refreshing air, the light
of the sun,
the food that renews strength, the
raiment that clothes,
the dwelling that shelters, the
sleep that gives rest,
the starry canopy of night,
the summer breeze,
the flowers' sweetness, the music
of flowing streams,
the happy endearments of family,
kindred, friends.
Things animate, things inanimate,
minister to my comfort.
My cup runs over.
Suffer me
not to be insensible to these daily mercies.
Thy hand
bestows blessings: Thy power averts evil.
I bring my
tribute of thanks for spiritual graces,
the full
warmth of faith, the cheering presence of Thy Spirit,
the strength of Thy restraining will, Thy spiking of
hell's artillery.
Blessed be my sovereign Lord!"
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Happy Reformation Day!
Sola Scriptura
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of,
because you know those from whom you learned it
and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:14-15
Sola Fide
"For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too?
Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God,
who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith."
Romans 3:28-30
Sola Gratia
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
Solus Christus
"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
Soli Deo Gloria
"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.
If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 4:11
Friday, August 2, 2013
Worthy Daughter
So I was listening to Alistair Begg today in the car (if you haven't ever heard him, his preaching is dynamic) and he was preaching on the well-known parable of The Lost, or Prodigal, Son. Something he said plunged me into deep thought and towards a penetrating truth, revealing something I had never seen in the parable before.
Before I explain what he pointed out, I want to give a little background. I have struggled with my self-worth over the years. I think for a good portion of my early life I was depressed because I had trouble seeing myself as worth anything. I became a Christian at a young age and I have loved God so much for a long time. And even though my head knows that I am saved not by works, my heart has worried about works over the years, wondering if I have done enough to please God. It's not salvation so much that I have worried about (though a few times it has been), it's more will God be pleased with me when I get to heaven? A lot of that worry has been resolved knowing the truth about the judgment (see this post here for more details), but it still crops up now and then.
Back to the parable of The Lost Son. Alistair pointed out that in the parable the son begins by saying, "Give me" and ends by saying, "Make me." This is what sent me into great thoughtfulness. The son at first wants the Father to give him his inheritance, give him his rightful share of the Father's stuff. I'm sure we can't delve too deeply into what that stuff is because it might have very little meaning at all except to show the son's disregard for the Father. But I wonder if we could take some liberty and say that we want God to give us all the stuff he owns: money, power, things for our own selfish use. But when the son loses it all and comes to the end of himself, he sees the fleetingness of the stuff and then remembers his Father and how he treats even his hired workers so well. He determines to go home and say to his Father in repentance, "Make me like one of your hired men."
So he goes home and the Father rushes to him and kisses him and the son says his spiel, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." And he can't even get to the "make me like a hired man" part because the Father goes ecstatic wanting to party over his son who has come home. And that's when it hit me: the Father has no interest in getting another hired man. The son had decided he was just going to beg the Father to make him a hired man and the Father doesn't want to do that. He wants a son, not a hired man.
What made me think about this in relationship to worth was that the son looks at his dirty life feeding pigs and thinks that he has nothing to lose by going back to his father. But he doesn't see himself worth anything more than being a hired man. How many times have I thought that I'm not worth anything, that I'm a sinful human being who God must despise? I approach God with this attitude, begging to somehow gain a little of his kindness, but how does he respond? He doesn't want a hired woman. He wants a daughter. He throws off any idea that I'm not worth the party. He doesn't even want me to beg him to accept me like a hired woman. He accepts me fully as a daughter in his kingdom.
And what about after the son is in the home again? The parable doesn't go on, but it would be incongruous for the Father to say, "Well, you really aren't being as good as I thought you would when you came home, so I'm kicking you out of this house." The impression you get in the parable is the Father has accepted the son entirely, for eternity. I think a lot of my life I've spent time worrying that God isn't going to be pleased and either kick me out of his house or give me what for for not being good enough, turn me into a hired woman. But the Father accepted the son back just as he was--without money, dirty with pig slime, hungry and empty. Just like the son, I don't have to be perfectly clean for God to love me. He just wants me in his home no matter what.
*I was reminded of this short film while writing this. I highly recommend watching it: The Gospel.
Before I explain what he pointed out, I want to give a little background. I have struggled with my self-worth over the years. I think for a good portion of my early life I was depressed because I had trouble seeing myself as worth anything. I became a Christian at a young age and I have loved God so much for a long time. And even though my head knows that I am saved not by works, my heart has worried about works over the years, wondering if I have done enough to please God. It's not salvation so much that I have worried about (though a few times it has been), it's more will God be pleased with me when I get to heaven? A lot of that worry has been resolved knowing the truth about the judgment (see this post here for more details), but it still crops up now and then.
Back to the parable of The Lost Son. Alistair pointed out that in the parable the son begins by saying, "Give me" and ends by saying, "Make me." This is what sent me into great thoughtfulness. The son at first wants the Father to give him his inheritance, give him his rightful share of the Father's stuff. I'm sure we can't delve too deeply into what that stuff is because it might have very little meaning at all except to show the son's disregard for the Father. But I wonder if we could take some liberty and say that we want God to give us all the stuff he owns: money, power, things for our own selfish use. But when the son loses it all and comes to the end of himself, he sees the fleetingness of the stuff and then remembers his Father and how he treats even his hired workers so well. He determines to go home and say to his Father in repentance, "Make me like one of your hired men."
So he goes home and the Father rushes to him and kisses him and the son says his spiel, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." And he can't even get to the "make me like a hired man" part because the Father goes ecstatic wanting to party over his son who has come home. And that's when it hit me: the Father has no interest in getting another hired man. The son had decided he was just going to beg the Father to make him a hired man and the Father doesn't want to do that. He wants a son, not a hired man.
What made me think about this in relationship to worth was that the son looks at his dirty life feeding pigs and thinks that he has nothing to lose by going back to his father. But he doesn't see himself worth anything more than being a hired man. How many times have I thought that I'm not worth anything, that I'm a sinful human being who God must despise? I approach God with this attitude, begging to somehow gain a little of his kindness, but how does he respond? He doesn't want a hired woman. He wants a daughter. He throws off any idea that I'm not worth the party. He doesn't even want me to beg him to accept me like a hired woman. He accepts me fully as a daughter in his kingdom.
And what about after the son is in the home again? The parable doesn't go on, but it would be incongruous for the Father to say, "Well, you really aren't being as good as I thought you would when you came home, so I'm kicking you out of this house." The impression you get in the parable is the Father has accepted the son entirely, for eternity. I think a lot of my life I've spent time worrying that God isn't going to be pleased and either kick me out of his house or give me what for for not being good enough, turn me into a hired woman. But the Father accepted the son back just as he was--without money, dirty with pig slime, hungry and empty. Just like the son, I don't have to be perfectly clean for God to love me. He just wants me in his home no matter what.
*I was reminded of this short film while writing this. I highly recommend watching it: The Gospel.
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