Self-realization of one's hopelessness apart from God is the first step toward true repentancePastor-Teacher Self-realization of one’s hopelessness apart from God is the first step toward true repentanceRepentance - metanoia - in the New Testament means a change of mind for the better. God’s plan throughout all the ages is that He might be glorified by the grace that He dispenses to undeserving creatures. the lost sheep, LUK 15:4-7, So the man in this parable represents God the Father and the sons represent believers. Therefore, this is not a gospel message; this is a doctrinal message for born-again believers. Each one had enough so that he was independently wealthy.....and that represents the doctrine of logistical grace applied to your life. The prodigal son accepted the blessings of the Father (as all men do who live on God’s earth), It was the son who moved away from the Father, not the Father moving away from the son. JAM 4:8 Having forsaken his Father who represents God, he can now find nothing but poverty, misery, and want. In this state, he “attached himself”, which is the Greek verb kollao meaning “to glue or to closely unite himself” to a citizen of that foreign country which represents the devil’s children instead of God’s. Now, times of distress often lead to self-examination and are used by God to bring about changes or repentance in people’s lives. Pigs were considered to be unclean animals and expressly forbidden in the Mosaic law, Lev 11:7; Deu 14:8. 2PE 2:22 Self-realization of the hopeless and useless predicament of the sinful life is the first step towards true repentance.
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