                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                             The Protest of an
                                Upright Man!

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By David Wilkerson
June 1, 1998
__________

          I received a letter from a brother in Christ who
          probably would claim he is a very upright man. Yet
          there was bitterness in his words to me:

          "Brother Wilkerson, what has happened to you? You used
          to preach so powerfully against sin. But I believe
          you've gone soft on sin lately. Your recent message on
          Jubilee gives people a license to sin. You're offering
          comfort to compromisers, instead of convicting them!

          "Go back to preaching holiness! I don't commit sin, and
          I have no sin in my life. No person has to commit sin."
          He went on for several paragraphs about the lack of
          reproving in my preaching.

          Please understand - if there is one thing I greatly
          fear as a preacher, it is that my sermons might condemn
          the righteous and comfort the wicked. I tremble as I
          read these words: "He that justifieth the wicked, and
          he that condemneth the just, even they both are
          abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 17:15).

          I believe any true minister of God who preaches a pure
          gospel will show people their wicked ways. He will
          point out sin in order to reveal the difference between
          the holy and the profane. Thankfully, I believe the
          Lord has helped me to do this.

          But I would be a fraud - a legalistic pharisee - if I
          did not also preach the riches of God's mercy and
          lovingkindness to all his children who struggle with
          sin!

                      -------------------------------

                          In Luke 15, We Read the
                         Protest of Another Man Who
                          Boasted He Was Upright.

                      -------------------------------

          You're probably very familiar with this story. I'm
          talking about the parable of the prodigal son - and, in
          particular, the prodigal's self-righteous older
          brother.

          In this parable, the father obviously represents God.
          Yet I also believe the two sons represent two kinds of
          children of the father. Indeed, they relate to their
          father in very different ways. And, in my opinion, most
          Christians fall into one of these two categories of
          children. (I'll explain this more as we continue.)

          The story begins when the younger son demands that his
          father give him his portion of the family inheritance.
          The father complies - and when the son gets his share,
          he takes off for "...a far country..." (Luke 15:13).

          Of course, giving up this portion of wealth didn't
          impoverish the father in the least. On the contrary,
          what he gave his son was an "earnest" - a token sum of
          all that he possessed. And I believe the son's
          inheritance represents the rich blessings we receive
          from our heavenly father - blessings of mercy, grace
          and compassion.

          Now, what I'm about to say may shock you - but I
          believe this younger son represents a whole camp of
          Christians I call the "Bless Me Club." Like the
          prodigal, they come to God claiming their rights to all
          the riches of his kingdom. They demand every blessing
          God has promised, crying, "Bless me, God - prosper me!
          Pour out all your mercy and grace on my life. I want
          everything that's coming to me!" In short, they want to
          build up a "stash" of blessings, stockpiling all they
          can.

          This is all fine - except such believers too often have
          no desire to walk closely with the Lord. All they want
          are the blessings that come with the Christian life. In
          most instances, intimacy with the Lord is not a part of
          their theology. They don't want to hear about the cost
          and sacrifice of communing with him or walking in
          obedience to his word.

          This is just what happened with the prodigal. I believe
          this young man started out with good intentions.
          Apparently he had worked hand-in-hand with his father
          for years before he decided to leave. And along the way
          he must have hoped to invest his wealth, become a
          success and make his father proud.

          Indeed, he was like many young followers of Christ.
          They rejoice in their newfound wealth of truth and
          freedom, pledging, "The Lord has done so much for me -
          and I want to always stay close to him. I'm going to be
          an overcomer!"

          Yet, as has happened so often, their hearts aren't
          wholly set on having a longstanding relationship with
          the father. Like the prodigal, a worldliness still
          grips them - a desire for the pleasures of this life.
          And, slowly, it begins to choke out all intimacy with
          the father. Finally, they go to the Lord only to demand
          blessings - so they can spend them on worldly lusts!

          The prodigal's attitude illustrates what is known as
          "easy grace." Paul writes, "What shall we say then?
          Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God
          forbid.... What then? Shall we sin, because we are not
          under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (Romans
          6:1-2,15).

          This young man tried to "stash" all the riches he
          received from his father. He convinced himself, "I'm
          secure now. I've got everything from my father I'll
          ever need." But how wrong he was!

                      -------------------------------

                           You See Multitudes of
                        Prodigals Sitting in Church
                               Each Sunday!

                      -------------------------------

          Each week, multitudes of prodigals come to church, sit
          in the pews, sing in the choir, teach Sunday school.
          They are New Testament children of God who "...have
          obtained an inheritance..." (Ephesians 1:11) and are
          "...partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
          light" (Colossians 1:12). They have received what the
          Bible calls "...the earnest of our inheritance..."
          (Ephesians 1:14).

          But what happens when, week after week, these believers
          hear messages about God's tender mercies - his free
          abundance of grace, his justification of them, his
          acceptance of them through Christ? Slowly, such
          Christians begin to heap upon themselves the earnest of
          their inheritance. And they glory in it, saying, "Isn't
          it wonderful that God loves me? He so freely forgives
          me when I fail!"

          At Times Square Church, we preach all of these things -
          God's mercy, compassion, tenderness and lovingkindness
          toward us, his justification and sanctification of us,
          his acceptance of us in his son. All of these doctrines
          center on God's grace toward us through Jesus Christ.
          But what happens to us when we try to heap up this rich
          inheritance?

          Consider what happened to the prodigal: Once he loaded
          himself down with his father's wealth, it began burning
          a hole in his pocket. And soon he decided to turn to
          the world to satisfy the lust in his heart. He said to
          himself, "My blessing is going to last a long time!"

          Beloved, I'm convinced there are many Christians who
          can't handle the blessings of grace! They glory in the
          message of God's unearned pardon - filling their minds
          with every Bible passage describing his mercy and
          compassion. They love to hear the story of the shepherd
          who goes after the lost sheep, because it brings them
          great comfort. Yet, once they stockpile all the rich,
          glorious truth about God's grace toward them, it begins
          to burn a hole in their purse of flesh. And it becomes
          to them a license to sin!

          That's how the prodigal misused his wealth. He spent
          his father's riches partying, gambling, getting drunk,
          sleeping with prostitutes. Night after night he
          squandered his blessings, falling deeper and deeper
          into sin. Yet each morning he got up, shook off all
          conviction, and consoled himself by going back to his
          stash. He told himself, "There's still plenty here for
          me. I can handle it!"

          Like the prodigal, many Christians today set off for
          some place of forbidden pleasure, looking to spend
          their riches on riotous living. Their lust carries them
          to the bed of a fornicator, to a fix of cocaine, to
          homosexuality, to pornography, to alcohol or drugs. Yet
          they continually comfort themselves in their sin,
          saying, "God's grace is more than sufficient for me!
          He's got more than I need. He'll love me no matter what
          I do in my flesh. His mercies endure forever!"

          No! God's grace was never intended to be perverted and
          squandered. In fact, it's meant to have just the
          opposite effect. Paul writes: "The grace of God that
          bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching
          us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
          should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
          present world" (Titus 2:11-12). God's grace teaches us
          godliness, righteousness, and a holy fear of the Lord!

                      -------------------------------

                         The Moment We Try to Cover
                           Up Sin by Appealing to
                          Grace, We Do Despite to
                                That Grace!

                      -------------------------------

          Whenever we squander God's grace, we end up bankrupt in
          body, soul and spirit. We no longer have the bread of
          heaven to feed on. And we find ourselves in a spiritual
          pigsty - starving, our souls gripped by famine.

          Luke writes, "When he had spent all, there arose a
          mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
          And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that
          country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
          And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks
          that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him" (Luke
          15:14-16).

          I have seen this kind of starvation among Christians.
          They once had a marvelous testimony of grace and mercy.
          But now, because of sin, they've become spiritual
          skeletons - with no life whatsoever!

          Keep in mind - the prodigal's father still had all the
          riches his son ever needed. It didn't matter how badly
          this boy wasted his inheritance; his father was
          brimming with wealth and provision. Yet, returning to
          his father - going back to enjoy once again the flow of
          spiritual riches and grace - required that he come to
          his senses. Luke writes:

          "When he came to himself, he said, How many hired
          servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare,
          and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my
          father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned
          against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy
          to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired
          servants" (verses 17-19).

          The young man had to admit, "I can't handle these
          blessings after all. I'm no match for my lusts! I've
          sinned against God and my family. I've squandered
          everything that's been given to me!"

          You must understand - repentance is more than just
          turning around and going back to God. It is a full
          surrender of self-government - a return to God with
          this confession: "Lord, I've made a mess of my life. I
          simply can't handle it. And now I come humbly to you,
          asking you to take over. Please, govern my life!"

          When the prodigal said, "Make me as one of your hired
          servants," he was confessing, "Father, I can't be my
          own boss. I'm tired of making a mess of my life! Let me
          take orders from you, as all your servants do. You
          govern my life - you tell me what to do and how to do
          it and I'll gladly obey!"

          That's when God begins to do a very special work of
          restoration. It's when the feasts begins!

          "He arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet
          a great way off, his father saw him, and had
          compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed
          him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned
          against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy
          to be called thy son.

          "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the
          best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his
          hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the
          fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry"
          (verses 20-23).

          The slain calf in this story represents the slain lamb
          of God - which means redemption, joy and rejoicing!
          When the prodigal returned, they all had a celebration
          - a wonderful, merry time of feasting around the
          glorious lamb.

          And make no mistake: When the son returned, he was
          fully restored in his father's house - not as a
          servant, but as a son! He was willing to submit to his
          father and be under his governance. Moreover, he wanted
          intimacy with his father. He'd lost all interest in the
          things of the world and was ready to do as his father
          commanded.

          What a wonderful scene of total restoration!

                      -------------------------------

                          But There Was an Upright
                             Man Looking in the
                        Window - and Protesting the
                               Whole Affair!

                      -------------------------------

          "Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and
          drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And
          he called one of the servants, and asked what these
          things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is
          come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf,
          because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was
          angry, and would not go in..." (Luke 15:25-28).

          This older brother grew angrier by the moment. After
          all, he had served his father diligently for years,
          never transgressing any commandment. He was upright
          according to the law, and he'd kept himself
          scrupulously clean.

          Yet, peering through that window, this older son saw
          the greatest vision of grace ever given to humankind:
          The father was embracing a repentant, lost son. He
          didn't ask any questions; he didn't lecture. Instead,
          he clothed his child in a new garment and restored him
          to his former status - to a position of full favor and
          blessing. And then he brought him into the feast - to a
          celebration of the lamb!

          The vision this older son saw was that any person can
          repent, no matter how low he sinks - if he simply gives
          up governing his own life and comes back to the father.
          That is true reconciliation, from the very heart of
          God.

          Yet the older brother protested it all. He refused to
          go in to the feast. Why? He wanted no part in what he
          saw as an easy grace! He told himself:

          "My brother broke all the commandments - he disgraced
          our father. He can't get off that easily! I've worked
          at obedience for years. I've toiled and sweated and
          dutifully done good works. And yet, when my sinful
          brother comes crawling out of a pigsty, he receives a
          hero's welcome. It isn't right. I'm the sinless one,
          not my brother!"

          It's typical of the legalistic mindset to protest a
          generous outpouring of grace on a returning backslider.
          Many Christians, sitting next to some drug addict or
          alcoholic in church, think, "Thank God, I never sinned
          that way. He could fall again tomorrow. I'll keep my
          distance from him until I can tell that his return is
          genuine."

          Yet scripture says this kind of pride is more deadly
          than any addiction: "...let him that thinketh he
          standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

          The truth is, when the prodigal saw his older brother
          frowning at him through the window, he probably
          thought, "Oh, brother - if you only knew how I admire
          you! You've always shown diligence, discipline,
          faithfulness. You never went out and sinned as I did.
          You have the better testimony. And all my life I'll
          have to live with the memory of bringing shame on our
          family's good name.

          "I know I don't deserve any of this. In fact, you
          should be here in my place. How I wish I could have
          fellowship with you!"

          That is the cry of a truly repentant and humbled heart!

                      -------------------------------

                          The Younger Son Misused
                         Grace - and the Older Son
                           Misunderstood Grace!

                      -------------------------------

          Both brothers were equally sinful. To misuse grace - to
          squander, pervert and do despite to it - is wrong. And
          to misunderstand grace - to not appreciate it or to
          deny it to others - is equally wrong.

          The younger son hadn't understood the purpose of grace
          - which is to grow into the maturity of holiness. But
          the older, protesting son had never known his father's
          heart. He had always sought to earn his father's love
          by obeying and doing. He couldn't accept that his dad
          had always loved him unconditionally, apart from his
          good works. The truth was, his father loved him simply
          because he was born of him - bone of his bone, flesh of
          his flesh.

          "...therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
          And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many
          years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any
          time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a
          kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as
          soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy
          living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the
          fatted calf" (Luke 15:28-30).

          The older son told his father, "I don't feel like
          feasting - I don't feel happy like you - because I'm
          under a burden! All these years I've worked so hard to
          please you, yet you've never shown me this kind of
          love. I don't feel your love for me, Father!"

          This sums up the root problem of the protesting son: He
          thought he had earned, through good works, what his
          younger brother had received through free grace!

          Every legalist has a difficult time setting aside the
          works of his flesh. Why? Our flesh wants to perform for
          God! We want to be able to say, "I've earned my peace
          in the Lord. I've fasted, prayed, done everything to
          get the victory. I've worked hard - and now I've
          finally made it!"

          If we're honest, we'll see that our flesh always
          protests against dependence on the Lord. We don't want
          to rely on his mercy and grace, or to believe that if
          we simply come to him in repentance and faith, he'll
          wipe our slate clean. We don't want to acknowledge that
          only he can give us the power, wisdom and authority to
          live as overcomers.

          God forbid that I should ever love my children on the
          basis of the things they do for me. And God forbid that
          they should ever compete for my love by doing things to
          please me. I say, as any parent would, "I love all my
          children equally - simply because they're my flesh and
          blood!"

          All obedience becomes as filthy rags - putrid sin -
          whenever we trust in it to merit God's acceptance.
          Whenever it supplants grace, it's worthless!

          Yet the protest, heard then and now, is: "You're too
          easy on sin! Where is the piercing denunciation against
          this man's sin? Where is the holding up of the law to
          show him his wrongdoing? He could easily take another
          fall. Make him prove his repentance! He hasn't had time
          to learn holiness, to obey God's commands, to
          sacrifice."

          Some of the most bitter, judgmental people I know are
          Christians who say these very things. A few years ago,
          our church hosted a Russian pastor who'd spent a number
          of years in jail for his faith. As I watched him during
          our worship service, he was always frowning.

          After the service I asked him, "What's wrong?" He said,
          "I don't understand how you people have the right to
          clap and be happy. You haven't been to prison. You
          haven't paid a price. The only way to come to victory
          is through that kind of suffering.

          No - that is not scriptural! We come into the joy of
          the Lord through his unmerited grace. Anything less is
          a cheapening of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross!

          We have to be careful not to make the protest of the
          older brother, the upright man. It is a protest of
          human uprightness - and it is a stench in God's
          nostrils!

          In closing, let me sum up the point of this whole
          passage:

                      -------------------------------

                        Grace Is Freely Bestowed on
                        Those Who Have Died to Self-
                           Worth and Acknowledged
                              Their Lostness!

                      -------------------------------

          "(The father) said unto him, Son, thou art ever with
          me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we
          should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother
          was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is
          found" (Luke 15:31-32).

          The younger son - mired in a muck of loneliness brought
          on by sin - was dead to his own will. And in his
          wretchedness, he experienced something beyond his pain:
          He experienced his lostness!

          As he thought of his father, he wanted to go back to
          him - to surrender himself completely! He knew he could
          never repay his father or please him by any good works.
          He saw that he was wholly dependent on his father's
          grace and love for any kind of restoration.

          But the older son never had a sense of his lostness -
          of how hopeless it was to try to bridge the gulf
          between himself and God. And so he never faced his need
          to die to self.

          Beloved, that chasm can never be bridged by works,
          promises or self-effort. Our acceptance in the love of
          the father comes only through the blood of Jesus
          Christ. There is no other plea. The cross alone bridges
          the gulf.

          You may protest everything I've written here. You may
          say, "Brother Wilkerson, you're telling sinners that if
          they'll just repent, everything will suddenly be okay -
          that God will wipe out their past and immediately bring
          them into his favor and blessing."

          Yes, that is exactly what I'm preaching - because that
          is just what Jesus is saying in this parable! Whenever
          a sinner turns to the Lord in utter repentance,
          brokenness and humility, he is immediately brought into
          the loving arms of his shepherd. Hallelujah!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.

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