Don't turn out to be a perfect disaster!

You know those perfect, prim and proper Christians? They aren't all that perfect, neither prim nor proper. Under all that white cover of packaging, the inner 'real' person is lost, bitter and raging. It's true, and we see a couple of perfect examples in scripture.

Let's look at one - the perfect elder brother.

Why am I calling him perfect? It's because when we read the story in Luke 15:11-32, almost the entire story is about this son who does everything his father wants. He really does, serving and doing all that his father wants. Anyone today would call him a perfect son. But who he is really gets revealed when his younger, rebellious and wasteful brother returns.

We know the story, let me get straight to the truth. Here are 10 evil natures we see in him from his reaction to his brother's return.

1. No love for his brother. He showed no mercy or forgiveness to his brother, unlike his father who welcomed the younger one with love and mercy.
2. No peace in him. He got troubled as soon as he heard about his brother's return party.
3. Lost the joy of living. Unlike his father, he could not understand the joy of restoration and salvation from the world and its traps.
4. He was hopeless. He thought he would lose a part of his portion now that his brother was back.
5. Lived according to the flesh. He loved money more than God. He believed in his own efforts of hard work and doing right.
6. He did not know his father. He did not have the character of his father, who expressed love, kindness, mercy and grace for the return of his son. He could not reciprocate the same way.
7. He rebelled against his father. His anger against his brother is reflected in his response to his father. Questioning his actions for how he was treating a disobedient son.
8. He remained stubborn. He never went to the party and remained in his selfish, idol mindset.
9. Lived a ritualistic lifestyle. He lived a hypocritical lifestyle. Proud of his faithfulness to his father in earthly matters.
10. Lacked the vision of eternal life. He failed to realise that all he loved was temporary and would be destroyed. His lack of vision failed to help him grow in the character of Christ.

Are you hoity-toity Christian? One who does everything externally to prove to the world rather than prove to God?

How to break away from this state of mindset and lifestyle? Let your obedience grow in love. Let all you do be unto God, in word and in deed.

Maranatha, Praise God, and Amen.

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