"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" (II Tim. 4:10).
"Holding faith, and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme" (I Tim. 1:19, 20).
"But now, after that ye [Galatians] have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?. . .I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Gal. 4:9, 11).
No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Heb. 3:12).
"Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32).
"Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief" (Heb. 4:11).
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. 10:12).
"Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness" (II Pet. 3:17).
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me . . . If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned . . . If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" (John 15:4, 6, 10).
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:4-6).
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (II Thess. 2:3).
Our eternal destiny is conditional not only on our becoming a child of God, but on remaining one --persevering in the faith unto death. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (II Cor. 7:1).
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II Pet. 1:10, 11).
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The Possibility of Falling From Grace
from the "Light From the Word" column
in the Jan. 1998 issue of The Silver Lining
A very deceptive and dangerous doctrine that is supported by many professing Christians is the concept that is referred to as eternal security or once saved always saved.
These terms refer to a spiritual guarantee that once we have "accepted the Lord Jesus Christ" as our personal Saviour, then we are secure for all of eternity regardless of lifestyle. For a converted person, one whose life has been completely changed, there is, of course, a wonderful feeling of security as we think about eternity. That feeling of security in Jesus Christ will remain with us as long as we walk with the Lord and do His will. In that sense, we can find "eternal security" in our salvation.
However, it is very important that as children of God we recognize that we can walk away from our salvation. If we allow ourselves to go places or engage in activities that expose us to danger, we are tempting God and giving Satan an opportunity to cause spiritual shipwreck. These unwholesome activities can weaken our resistance and may cause us to fall.
Numerous passages of scripture state clearly that it is possible for a child of God to return to sin. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (I Tim. 4:1). "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (I Tim. 4:16).
Paul was instructing Timothy to be watchful of the false doctrine he would encounter that could deceive him and cause him to be careless. Several words in these passages are especially important "depart" and "continue". Clearly we cannot depart from something we never had, nor can we "continue" something we have not begun. Therefore, we are sure that Paul was speaking to Timothy about converted people.
In the last days, there will be believers who will be convinced to turn away from Christ and return to sin. There will also be those who grow impatient for Christ's return. They will be deceived and will try to convince others that the promises God made about Christ's return to claim his bride, the Church, are false. "...there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Pet. 3:3-4). We must patiently continue to "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown' (Rev. 3:11).
In the Book of Revelation, John wrote about those who at one time had placed the Lord first in their lives but had allowed themselves to grow careless and were very much in danger of losing their place in God's favor. "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place..." (Rev. 2:4-5).
We take great comfort in the promise that "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,..." (Rev. 3:5). This would certainly indicate that the faithful, the overcomers, will retain their place in the Book of Life. The importance of this is emphasized when John wrote "...and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,..." (Rev. 20:12).
Jesus explained to His disciples of the dangers and deceit that His followers would face before the end times. There will be false teachers and much sin in the world. "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:11-12). The only way for love to wax cold is for it to exist. Again, clearly Christ was speaking of those who once loved the Lord but allowed sin to intervene and their love for Christ grew cold.
Jesus Christ did not leave His disciples without hope. He promised them "But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13). This beautiful promise would not have been needed unless there was a danger of falling away.
Not only do we need to be careful that we are not deceived by others, we must be careful that self-confidence does not cause us to grow careless. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. 10:12). We must also remain dependent upon the Lord to keep us safe and in His love. "How excellent is thy loving kindness, 0 God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings" (Ps. 36:7).
In addition to the danger of puffing trust in ourselves and losing our salvation, we must also not put our trust in riches. "...an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:.. following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness" (II Pet. 2:14-15).
Numerous other scripture passages could be cited that help us understand the false doctrine of once saved, always saved. Time and space do not permit a complete list but a few more are simply listed without comment. "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). "But now, after ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage" (Ga. 4:9). "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (II Pet. 2:22).
In spite of the seriousness and frequency of the warning in the Holy Scriptures that those who have become followers of Christ would return to sin and lose their salvation, there is no need for a child of God to despair. To each of the seven churches that are addressed in Revelation, a promise of a secure eternity was made to those that overcome and remain faithful. That promise is still in effect for us today.
From The Silver Lining, Jan. 1998. Address RR 2 Box 50, Roanoke, IL 61561. Prepared by an editorial committee of elder brothers of the Apostolic Christian Church to address some of the special needs of our times.
Comments (11)
i hafta make this real quick...KOS (kids over shoulder). lol. i definitely believe we can fall into sin. totally. i just don't believe we can lose salvation ..there wll be prostitutes and many in heaven whom we do not expect to see..this is what Jesus said. b/c once the holy spirit is living in us, He cannot break His promises. yes, people live decades as carnal chirsitans even denying Him, but so that no man can boast, God does not break His promises b/c He is Holy/faithful/just/true..otherwise the cross wouldn't have been that much different than sacrificing of animals. the cross paid absolutely everything for those whom He saves. this is the most awesome part of all. b/c HE is Holy. b/c HE is righteous. HE even helps us to love Him better and each other better. it's never any of our own doing at all. that is why there is no room for pride or fear. b/c He is the one who gets all the glory for any so -called good we do. it's all about Him, always and forevermore.
@YouTOme - The bible says that NARROW is the path and FEW that find it....not MANY
Matthew 7:21-23:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
Lord Lord implies that they were believers
dear, i just want you to know that even if we disagree, it doesn't change how much i care about you and how much i respect and appreciate your friendship. i wish i could listen to you and talk more on this. but will have to table that for another time. we both have so much going on right now anyway so i'm going to focus my energies on praying for both our situations and our familys okay? love you and barry and the kids very much. ((hugs))
@YouTOme - have a great night
@Kristenmomof3 - amen. narrow is definitely right. but not b/co four own efforts. narrow b/c not many will believe on Him and be saved. yes, many practice lawlessness...but that is not context of how that was written is not literally talking about losing salvation, but moreso people were outwardly doing things but inside their hearts were not right, there are definitely times when we rebel where God will hand us over to our sin if we do not repent...then we cannot expect to hear God's voice or the guidance of the HOly spirit. but He still never leaves us. we will still be in heaven...as hard as that is to imagine. it's so that nobody can ever claim that they helped themselves to be saved. otherwise that is pride. and pride is the most dangerous sin of all. that is what the pharisees got tripped up in...Jesus thought more highly of the prostitutes than them for a reason....He said they would enter into the kingdom before them.... so does God contradcit Himself. no. He does not. God knows people's hearts...but even our hearts aren't good enough. they are only good b/c of Him. we are just vessels...our worth is poured into us by the HOly spirit.
once barry talked about his mother being saved. i believe IF she really was, she will be in heaven with him, despite how she had lived the rest of her life. there is always hope..not b/c of herself, but b/c of HIMself. b/c He is still there in her heart deep down even if she has buried Him down deep b/c of her disbelief/apathy/doubt or whatever else.
..we all are sinners and fall short every day...but then what is the cross for if we cannot be cleansed by it and work it out for ourselves? do you not see that this becomes a pride issues? that love cannot exist with fear/trying to earn God's favor. then we are no different than muslims or other religions that strive to earn God's favor. what a difference when we receive God's grace and the holy spirit helps us to want to please Him instead because of who He is and not what we do or what He has given or done for us. see, there will come a time in your walk when God is silent, if it has not already happened. a time when you will feel distance to God no matter how hard you obey, read, praise, seek, fast, and strive to please Him or earn favor. then, you will also come upon a time when you will receive His abundant grace...undeserved when you least expect it..why? b/c He is faithful when we are not. He is strong when we are weak. He cannot divorce us like we would do to Him if we acted like spoiled children. He will not abandon us even if it appears that way for a while....He never forsakes, He never contradicts or lies...we just don't understand everything in the Bible all the time. sometimes we have to pour over thing and stay on our knees for a long time. sometimes we have to a.fma.a (sorry...kids). sometimes we have to trust when all seems dark. but He is always here for us no matter how little we deserve it. we may mess up our lives and become like samson or solomon or david..but God always loves His own. Look at how faithful He was to the Jews...His remnant always endured b/c HE had a grand purpose. just as He does now. all who are saved will be with Him b/c of HIs guarantee, not our own. He will not forsake us, just as He promised.
i will try. i just hate being away for a while knowing that these were our last words to each other. =/ please take care of yourselves.
Hi Kristen, hope you're doing well. Even though I don't often comment, I do read your stuff!
Just wanted to echo a little bit of what YouTOme was saying. The author of the article calls this doctrine a dangerous and deceptive doctrine. I respectfully disagree. 
The problem with articles like this is that it's hard to refute only one angle of what we commonly call "the doctrines of grace". It's hard to fully understand the Biblical concept of "perseverance of the saints" (or as it should more rightly be known as preservation of the saints) without having a full understanding of the other beliefs such as total depravity, uncondtional election etc. I don't really want to get into a debate about that, but what I want to say is I can understand where the author is coming from when he (or they?) take the verses they do and apply it to a salvation that depends on us. But like Julie (YouTOme??) says --- our salvation does not depend on what we do. It's God's grace 100%. He will preserve us to the end because His promises never fail. My favourite verse for this is from Romans 8: 30 (ESV): "And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Those are past tense words. already done.
We believe (those that hold to this doctrine) that the reason believers persevere in faith and obedience, is not because of their own strength or committment, but soley through Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. As the ESV footnotes say: "John tells us that Jesus Christ is under promise to His Father (John 6:37-40) and to His people directly (John 10:28,29) to keep them so that they never perish. In His prayer for the disciples at the close of the Last Supper, Jesus asked that those whom the Father had given Him (John 17:2, 6, 9, 24) would be preserved to glory. Christ continues to intercede for His people (Rom 8:34, Heb 7: 25), and it is inconceivable that His prayer for them will go unanswered."
Further, Paul rejoices in the certainty that GOD would complete the good work that He began in the lives of believers ( Phil 1:6; cf 1 Cor 1:8, 9 ; 1 Thess 5:23,24 ; 2 Thess 3:3 ; 2 Tim 1:12 ; 4:18).
However, this doctrine does not mean that all who ever professed to be Christians will be saved. Those who try to live a Christian life in their own abilities will fall away (Matt 13: 20-22) The false profession of many who say to Jesus "Lord Lord" will not be acknowledged. Belief in the perseverance properly understood does NOT lead to careless living and arrogant presumption as we are often accused of having. For me, having the knowledge of eternal security does the exact opposite. Yes, true believers can fall into sin - but the Holy Spirit who indwells ALL believers, will convict them of their sin and compel them to repent and to be restored.
Sorry for the long comment .......but I truly felt led to respond to this article calling a doctrine I believe to be 100% Scriptural deceptive and dangerous. I find it the opposite and it does not make me lazy, but rather produces a life of fruitfulness to my Saviour Jesus Christ.
Thanks for reading! God bless you!
@YouTOme - @nicolevw - First let's consider some Scriptures that pertain to faith, works, salvation, and security.
"Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5).
Our works and righteousness do not save us.
"Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9).
Works do not save us.
"Knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
Living according to the works of the law saves no one.
"For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
The inability of works alone to save us does not deliver us from the works. In fact, faith in Jesus produces good works. If it doesn't, it must not be redeeming faith.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).
To be delivered from condemnation we must walk
after the Spirit. That is a trait of those who truly are in Christ
Jesus. And we cannot possibly walk after the Spirit without doing the
works of the Spirit.
"But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
God's people have a purpose and responsibility in their calling.
"These
shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he
is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are
called, and chosen, and faithful" (Revelation 17:14).
Faithful! It won't be enough to have been called and chosen.
"Fear
none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall
cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee
a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
It is required that we be faithful to the very end.
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
This strongly allows the
inference that some will begin who shall not endure . . . and shall not
be saved despite having been earlier redeemed.
"But
I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:27).
Paul realized that even he could reach the end of his life and discover himself among those rejected by God.
"But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Will His blood have that cleansing effect if we do not walk in the light?
"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17).
A workless faith is worthless. (See also verse 20.)
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect" (James 2:22).
Faith cannot express itself without works.
Works bring perfection to faith.
"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).
A faith not expressed by works is ineffective and will fail to bring about the completion of justification.
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26).
Faith needs works to live.
Faith and works are inseparable . . . if you want life.
Faith and works strike me as two dimensions of the same thing.
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
Following Jesus is a progression of daily events, not a single decision.
"Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world" (Matthew 25:34).
Those called to inherit the
kingdom were commended for their faithfulness in living as Jesus would
have lived. They were not given the inheritance only because of their
faith, but because of what their faith worked in them.
"Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree
of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14).
The promise is to those that do His commandments.
"According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).
We have been chosen for a
purpose. Shall we dare oblige God to keep us among His chosen even if
our lives cease to fulfill that sacred purpose?
"Ye
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it
you" (John 15:16).
There it is again: We have been chosen for a purpose.
Now I'll respond briefly to some questions.
What about "Once a son, always a son; you cannot be unborn"?
The issue isn't being unborn; the issue is
dying. As long as the believer is spiritually alive, he can rest secure
in the eternal integrity of his relationship with Christ. Despite such
a solid tie, if I die spiritually, my oneness with Christ is lost.
Contemporary Christianity reacts
with horror and condemnation at the notion of God disinheriting
someone. They point to the reality of human biological parenthood to
establish that nobody can be unborn spiritually. They overlook at least
two things -- my sonship to my parents was not my choice and it is not
dependent on my submission to them. My sonship to God is based on an
entirely different premise -- I chose to submit to Him and thus became
His son.
Even if Dad's will states me
as the recipient of a $5,000 inheritance, I cannot collect it if I die
before he does. Did I have to be "unborn" to not collect my
inheritance? No, I just had to die. So it is spiritually. If we die
spiritually, how can we expect to inherit eternal life?
So every time I sin, I'm lost?
I think not. To sin is not to die
spiritually (although sin not dealt with Biblically does pose a threat
to our spiritual life). However, if I return to a life of sin, then I am spiritually dead. Then I am lost and need to be redeemed again.
But doesn't returning to a life of sin mean someone was never saved?
No, but that's what many a
Calvinist has to say. To me that seems like real insecurity! You see,
only the presumptuous would pretend to know now that he won't
fall away in five years. If you were to fall then, are you saved now?!
Therefore, it seems to me that the Calvinist can't possibly be secure
now. It also seems the Calvinist really can't know till life's end
whether he is saved or not. Then it's too late to do anything about it.
Doesn't your position also produce insecurity?
I see my teaching as underscoring the
understanding, mercy, and grace of God. Faith without works is
intangible and fickle, terribly reliant of feelings. God knows and
understands that. Not wanting us to struggle with that kind of
insecurity, He mercifully established works as the unavoidable result
and proof of saving faith. Isn't He gracious?! We have something
tangible to assure our hearts that both we and our eternal inheritance
are secure.
Let's remember, though, that we
can no more safely separate our works from our faith than we can safely
separate our faith from our works. Neither can stand alone.
Doesn't your position mean that Christ's sacrifice was not enough?
No, it doesn't mean that at all.
The Bible's position is that
mere faith in Christ's sacrifice is not enough. The Bible teaches
clearly that saving faith produces -- and needs -- good works.
OSAS scares me, because I think there will be a lot of people who were taught false assurance of salvation and will end up not making it(I knew you not). I believe there are more verses that point towards being able to give up your rights... most of the New Testament is in present tense. Also... there is a verse that says "many have shipwrecked their faith," how can faith be shipwrecked, if the person never had salvation to begin with? We can "divorce" Christ and we can also purposely commit adultery by worshiping or putting something in our lives, higher then Jesus.
I agree with the two readers who commented above and they stated their views ( and mine!!) much more clearly and eloquently than I ever could. Let me add a scripture that says it all for me. John 10:27-29.
27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all
]="">[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
8I think the first two words here are so important...."my sheep"...I think that a lot of people who SAY they have accepted the Lord as their Savior are not really saved. They don't have that life changing relationship that is necessary. They were never "in the Fathers' hands" to begin with. But I do believe in the security of the believer...once saved always saved. If I didn't then I would be saying that God's grace is not sufficient and that it is still necessary for me to DO something in order to secure a place in heaven. ( Other than believe in the Lord and accept Him as my Savior).
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not of man, lest any man should boast
11Acts 15:10 - 11 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the
disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to
bear?
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
I believe that once we are TRULY saved, our actions will reflect that...and that God's grace and His gift of Salvation through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross is sufficient. If it weren't sufficient...then WHY would He have sent Jesus to bear that awful death? We are free from the law...Praise God!!! ( Now being free from the Law doenst mean we have the right to just do as we please...AND if we are truly saved then we are going to WANT to obey His laws and we are going to WANT to live according to His wishes for our lives. )
As I said before...I am not as eloquent or well spoken as the other two readers but I do agree with them.
God Bless You for your thought provoking posts!!
Ruth Ann
@YouTOme - @nicolevw - @Kristenmomof3 - @OsuwarInuyasha - @Redlegsix - When it seems that certain verses seem to contradict each other as they do for the purposes of this discussion, I always find it beneficial to go straight back to the source of the faith we all share: Yahshua himself. No disrespect to Paul, or John, or any of the writers of scripture, but I know that Yahshua only spoke that which was given him by the father to speak. We all know the story of the prodigal son. I think we can learn a lot from it today, especially the last few verses.
And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. (Luke 15:11-13)
Let's note that there are two sons, one of whom departs from his father's house and will. He is already a son, already in his father's will.
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. But when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants.(Luke 15:14-19)
This son, having been in his father's will, took what was his and squandered it on a life of dissipation. He doesn't go out for a good time one night, he leaves his father's house and makes sin a lifestyle. He started in his father's good graces, but forsook his position. The young man, having indulged his every desire, eventually found himself face to face with the consequences of his actions and his unwise decision to leave his father's house. Having done so, he makes a decision and a commitment to repent and return to his father in humility and repentance.
And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:20-24)
The man's father rejoices at the return of his son, in spite of the terrible lack of regard he had shown for his father's will. Note that the story begins with the father dividing the inheritance that each son would receive. The prodigal son had already been given all that was coming to him by right. When he returns, however, the father has more to give. He directs a servant to put a ring on his finger and give him not only a garment, but the best robe in the house to wear.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. But he was angry, and would not go in: and his father came out, and entreated him. But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. (Luke 15:25-32)
How beautiful! This young man, by the decisions he made and actions he took, became dead to his father, but when he returned, his father received him as one risen from the dead, and gave him of the best he had once again! It was this father's love which made the dead live again, and it is our Eternal Father's love which gives us life again if we fall, as long as we come to realize the wretched position we've put ourselves in, repent, and come back to Eternal Father with humility.
Does this teaching negate the necessity of works wrought by faith? No! The young man would have died in his sin had he not repented and returned to his father with humility! The reason he acted as he did was the faith he had in his father, his knowledge of his father's ability to sustain him when all was lost, and his belief that his father would be merciful toward him if he approached him rightly. His work of repentance was wrought by faith in his father. I would have liked very much to have been given the outcome of the story, but I think we can infer the most likely outcome from other words spoken by our loving saviour:
A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. (Luke 7:41-43, 47)
I think that son went on to love his father even more than the son who had remained in his will perfectly! Yahshua's words in the verses above lead me to that conclusion. I think he went on to serve his father with his whole heart out of gratitude and love beyond measure!
By the way... What was it that saved the prodigal son from his deserved end? His faith in his father to forgive. What did Yahshua tell the woman who had washed his feet with her tears?
And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:50)