Breaking Out of Legalism into God's Grace

I've been reflecting lately on the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. When the Father welcomed his younger son home, he killed the fattened calf, he put a robe on his son, put a ring on his finger, and put sandals on his feet, and called for a serious party! Many of us have lived with the Father as the older brother for a long time, resentful that we have “done our duty” but haven’t been amply rewarded for all the blood, sweat and tears we’ve poured out in service. Father, please help us to shift from the slavery mentality to the sonship mentality. It will affect the way we interact with Father, and with each other, as we embrace the shift. The older brother had a serious religious mindset that prevented him, and could have prevented others, from experiencing the love, mercy and kindness of Father, because it’s all about whether we “deserve it” or not. If it was all on the basis of whether we deserve it or not, none of us would receive anything! Yes, there are laws of sowing and reaping and all that. But we need to understand that if it’s all by the sweat of our brow, and what we’ve worked hard for, we’re in big trouble. Grace will always take us far beyond anything we could work to attain or obtain. Even our ability we have to work is evidence of the grace of God in our lives. We need to get a better handle on the grace of God. It produces something in our lives. It manifests the reality of God’s kingdom and his righteousness in our lives. It’s what enables us to become what God created us to become and to do what God created us to do. “For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith; and this not from ourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:8-10) Father fully intends to demonstrate the beauty and power of who he is in this generation. That’s the grace of God at work in our lives. Do we really understand, appreciate, appropriate and release the grace of God to the people around us? Do we understand what Father has made available to us, or are we still living by the sweat of our brow? It doesn’t mean we don’t work, it’s just that we are learning to work, with God as our partner, like the Apostle Paul said: “we are co-laborers with God.” Father is more accessible than we realize. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16) “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. . .” (Ps. 46) “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8) It would be life-changing for most of us if we took some concentrated time to talk to Father about some things, like the questions below: Father, what did you create me for? What do you want me to become? What do you want me to do? Speak to me about the grace of God. Speak to me about the spirit of adoption, the spirit of sonship. Shift me from thinking of myself as a servant to thinking of myself as a son or a daughter. Shift me out of false humility, and let me embrace you, your grace and your kingdom for what they really are. Shatter my religious mindsets and bring me into the fullness of life in Christ Jesus. Father, be gracious to me! Bless me! Make your face shine on me, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations!