God was and still is no nonsense about sin. He does not tolerate it – at all. God was very strict with His Israelites. He had set them aside for His purpose as His own people. We read in the Old Testament where He prescribed death for transgressions against Him. He will not allow “close enough” for entry to heaven. No sin whatever will be allowed in heaven.
I hope this brief study shows how God lovingly arranged that everyone can find salvation. Jesus did not come to judge us, He came as a perfect sacrifice in order that we may find salvation. Only in His perfection can we find salvation. We must set ourselves aside for God just as we read in the Old Testament how He set His people aside.
We read in Deuteronomy 21: 18-21 where God sets the punishment for a wayward son to be stoned to death.
18 “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, though they discipline him, will not listen to them,
19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives,
20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’
21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear. [ESV]
In Luke 15: 11-24, Jesus gives a parable where things didn’t go as most likely expected most likely. Those who knew the scriptures most likely expected that the son be stoned as God ordered in the passage from Deuteronomy quoted above.
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. [ESV – red is Jesus talking]
This is wonderful! As we read in the first passage, from the Old Testament, where death is prescribed by God for certain sins, with the coming of Jesus, things changed. Simple repentance and asking for forgiveness is all it needs to be saved. now, take note, that continued living in sin does NOT result in salvation!! We must repent (have a change of heart, one that changes how we live) in order to be forgiven. John the Baptist set the stage for Jesus as his message in preparing the way for Jesus was repentance – a change of heart, a change of the way of thinking.
The hunger of the prodigal son was physical, but he also had the same spiritual hunger that we all have. Satan had clouded the young man’s eyes just as he clouds ours in thinking that the things of the world are all we need. When a famine set in, he realized what he had left behind. The father could have easily sent him away at best, or followed the commandment God gave that we read in Deuteronomy. His father offered instant and free forgiveness, just as God does when we turn to Him changing our way of living and asking Him for forgiveness.
The entire 15th chapter of Luke is dedicated to searching for the lost and rejoicing when what was lost was found. Jesus tells of two common events in their daily living. First was one lamb out of 100 going astray. He summarizes that parable saying that there is more rejoicing over one being saved than over the 99 that did not need saving. Just as the farmer rejoiced at finding the lost sheep, all of heaven rejoices over the one soul finding repentance over the ninety-nine righteous souls that are already saved. We can rest assured that those ninety-nine souls were also rejoiced over when they set themselves aside to live for God!
(I may add to this post if I feel the need to clarify something or correct an error)