Luke 15:29-32 (NKJV) 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. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
In the parable of the prodigal son, the elder son who stayed home had everything given to him in advance without him having to utter a word for it. The father was fair towards both his sons and had no favouritism. In fact, the elder son got to continue enjoying everything the father had even though he had already received his portion of the inheritance, but he was still sulking and complaining over the goodness, graciousness and the love of the father towards his brother!
Ephesians 1:11,13-14 (NKJV) In him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,…In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Similarly, we have received all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places because God has chosen to bless us with them now. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit to identify us as God’s children. These spiritual blessings—or positional truth—are given to us out of His grace, in spite of our flaws. He has chosen to see us as accepted in the Beloved, to adopt us as His children according to the good pleasure of His will.
The father pleaded with his son to enjoy the party by reassuring him that everything that he owned was his to enjoy. Likewise, we don’t need to wait till we are in heaven, but we can enjoy our position in Christ, or our inheritance, right now! Therefore, let’s be aware of behaving like the elder son by complaining about the party, being judgemental over others, but instead extend grace and join in the party over someone who has chosen to return to God. In order to do that, we must be secure in Christ, know our identity firstly as sons or daughters of God rather than servants of God. Otherwise, we will react negatively in every situation.
Sermon Series: Extending Grace
我们已经领受了产业
路加福音15: 29-32 他对父亲说：『我服事你这多年，从来没有违背过你的命，你并没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快乐。但你这个儿子和娼妓吞尽了你的产业，他一来了，你倒为他宰了肥牛犊。』父亲对他说：『儿啊！你常和我同在，我一切所有的都是你的；只是你这个兄弟是死而复活，失而又得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。』
在耶稣所述“浪子的比喻”中，家中的这个大儿子拥有了一切的产业，甚至在他开口要求之前，这些产业就都已经属于他。父亲对两位兄弟是公平的，并没有偏待谁。实际上，大儿子拥有的不仅仅是属于他的那一份，他还能恒久地享受在父亲的产业里，但他却因为父亲以良善，恩惠及慈爱对待他失而复得的兄弟就心生忧愤与埋怨。
以弗所书 1:11, 13-14 我们也在他里面得了基业；这原是那位随己意行，做万事的，照着他旨意所预定的;你们既听见真理的道，就是那叫你们得救的福音，也信了基督，既然信他，就受了所应许的圣灵为印记。这圣灵是我们得基业的凭据，直等到神之民被赎，使他的荣耀得着称赞。
同样的，我们已经领受了所有属天的福份，因为上帝选择现在就将这些赐给我们。我们既受了圣灵的印记，就得称为神的儿女。这属灵的祝福—或称位份的真理—因着祂的恩典被赐给了我们，尽管我们有缺点。祂选择在爱子里将我们看作蒙悦纳的，照祂旨意的美意收养我们为祂的儿女。
父亲劝慰他的长子并向他保证他可以享受自己所拥有的一切，希望他也可以享受在这个为欢迎浪子兄弟归来所摆设的盛宴，因为这一切也都属于他。同样，我们无需等到了进天国才享受我们在基督里的地位或产业，现在就可以！所以，我们都要儆醒，切莫像故事中的长子心怀不平，论断他人，而要恩待他人，与回转向神的手足一同欢乐！ 认识到我们在基督里的身份至关重要：我们必须在基督里笃定，首先要知道我们是上帝的儿女，而不是神的奴仆。否则，我们将对每一个状况都作出消极反应。
讲章系列：延伸恩典