OPENING SCRIPTURE:  

¹⁹ For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, ²⁰ and through him God RECONCILED EVERYTHING TO. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of CHRIST’S BLOOD ON THE CROSS.

²¹ This includes YOU who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has RECONCILED you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into HIS OWN PRESENCE, and you are HOLY and BLAMELESS as you stand before him WITHOUT A SINGLE FAULT. (Colossians 1:21-22 NLT)

• When you are in Christ, you stand before the presence of God, Holy, Blameless, without a single fault because of the blood of Jesus.

The Story of the Prodigal Son

¹¹ Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’

So, he divided to them his livelihood. ¹³ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living (Luke 15:11-13 NKJ)

• Prodigal living means living a life without restraint, without boundaries, under no authority. Prodigal living is a lifestyle that is sinful of nature.

Sin separates us from God

Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God (Isaiah 59:2 ESV)

God has a plan to fix that separation

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17 NKJ)

A few years later, the prodigal son’s inheritance dwindled down to nothing, he hit rock bottom. No food. No home. No friends. No hope.

¹⁷ “But when HE CAME TO HIMSELF, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” (Luke 15:17-19)

#1 Be honest with yourself

²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. (James 1:23-24 NLT)

#2 Be honest with God

⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9 NLT)

The Father’s Response:

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴ FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST AND IS FOUND.’ (Luke 15:21-24 NKJ)

The connection with Colossians 1:22

As a result, he has brought you into HIS OWN PRESENCE, and you are HOLY and BLAMELESS as you stand before him WITHOUT A SINGLE FAULT. (Colossians 1:22 NLT)

CONCLUSION:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?