People tend to live in one of two ways. Some are like the prodigal son and ignore God, doing their own thing, going their own way. Others are like the older brother in that parable – doing the right thing and working hard to earn God’s favor and approval.
Most people intuitively know that the way of rebellion is a dead end since self-indulgent behaviors tend to get us into trouble. So the parable of the prodigal son is tremendously good news because it shows that God forgives rebels who repent. But the story doesn’t end with the father’s celebration of his younger son’s return. He goes out and pleads with his older son to come into the party – but the hard-working young man stubbornly refuses to come in. After all, he’s thinking, “Who is paying for this party?”
The truth is, as Tim Keller helpfully points out in Prodigal God, “some people are more lost in their morality than sinners are in their sin.” But the good news is that the gospel invites us to a third way – a totally different path. It is the downward path to the foot of the cross – the way of humility, repentance and surrender to Christ. There at the cross, Jesus forgives sinners and changes us on the inside, filling us with His Spirit and empowering us to live according to God’s will.
“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). That is the Gospel Way – down to the cross, so Jesus can lift us up into heaven.
Read more about religion v. the gospel here.
See more of the down-up nature of the gospel here.
For more on Romans 8 and the Gospel, see this post.