Lost Identity. Found Identity — Part 3 of 4

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Luke 15:20 NKJV.

We’ve looked at the prodigal son, now let’s look at the father as we consider the huge issue of identity, lost and found.

We can spend a lifetime trying to discover and establish a sense of identity. But where do we get our identity messages from?

A. Achievements.

Someone may have been the fastest person on earth, but who are they when someone beats them? Their trophies on their mantle pieces may tell what they did and who they were, but who are they now?

B. Behaviour.

People today may say of themselves, I’m an alcoholic. They don’t say, I have a drinking problem. There’s a big difference. The problem with this, saying things like I’m an alcoholic, is that they go beyond describing human behaviour, they define human beings.

C.  Approval.  (Or disapproval).

Imagine life one minute getting approval, and the next losing it. Anyone who looks to the approval of others for their identity will soon become confused. Ask any rugby team.

D. Appearance.

Will how we look give us a better identity? While most of us want to look our best, for some there’s more at stake. They think the better they look, the more attention they’ll get and the more approval they’ll receive, and the better they’ll feel about themselves.

How about you? Is it your work, something you’re good at, something you’ve achieved? Have important people let you down, disapproved of you? Have you accepted some part of your being you can’t change? Do you dress up to cover up?

Now, here’s some great things about the prodigal’s father, and note how he reinstated the identity of his son.

i. Saw him.

The prodigal’s father saw him when he was a great way off. God our Father sees us when we too are a great way off, from Salvation, from fellowship with Him, and from our identity, from answering the call.

There’s no road too long, there’s no place too far away, there’s no sin too deep,

there’s no dysfunction too advanced, that stops God the Father seeing us, right into where we are. O yes, the Father has eyes, that see, and they are trained down the road on which we must walk our way back to Him.

ii. And had compassion.

This prodigal had spent, or misused the resources of his father, he had wasted and thrown away precious resources given to him by his father. We might think, as we would in a worldly way, that this behaviour is unacceptable, unforgiveable.

God the Father still has compassion, He still loves us, and He has been looking down the road for some time, hoping, waiting, yearning, for His beloved son to come home, and discover who he really is.

iii. And ran.

The father’s love and compassion was so overflowing that he ran toward his son. This is just not done by a man of his position in that society. But he did. This gesture would be a huge sign to the son, that his father really does love him if he will break with protocols and run toward him.

God the Father does a similar thing. The Cross of Jesus Christ is God running down from Heaven, toward us, running to rescue us. No father would put his son on a cross but God the Father did. That’s exactly what He did to show us the lengths He’s prepared to go to, to reach us with His compassion.

iv. And fell on his neck.

This is a common expression of love, shown especially when they had been apart for some time. Jacob fell on Joseph’s neck. (Genesis 46:29).

v. And kissed him.

A kiss is a great expression of love and affection. This father wasn’t ashamed, or embarrassed to show to the world his love and feelings for this son.

God the Father is also just like that. That’s why He is able to give us identity.

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ^[f]‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:21-24 NKJV.

Notice that the son, doesn’t get to deliver all of his rehearsed speech. The father allows him to say things which are true. I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. That was true.

But the father does not allow his son to speak the next bit, Make me like one of your hired servants.

That’s because this son was always the son of his father, he was never a hired servant. He was his father’s son not a servant.

The same is true for us. We too have sinned against heaven and against God, and we are not worthy to be called His son or daughter. Those two things are true.

But the next part, is where we need a revelation. We should never speak and confess what we are not, and who we are not. If God the Father could, I think He would, stop us speaking out of an identity we just do not have.

The father knows, the father knows, that this son of his is not a seasonal worker. He is his son! He has place and position, he has his father’s DNA in him, he is destined for life in the father’s house.

So too, God does not challenge what we say about our sin, and our unworthiness to be a son of God, because that’s all true. We have sinned against heaven and before the Father, we are unworthy. But we have Christ, who qualifies us to stand before God totally forgiven, totally righteous, totally acceptable to God the Father. So too, our Heavenly Father will not let us confess, or at the least is grieved when we say stuff that is not consistent with our true identity.

The father shows and demonstrates his full acceptance of his son back into his true identity, by giving (maybe giving back to the son), a robe – covering, forgiveness, place; a ring – authority to function in the father’s house; sandals – equipment to go (servants had no sandals but sons did); and the fatted calf – party! What could be wrong with that! (Luke 15:22-24).

Identity reinstated.

Hallelujah! But wait. There’s more. Yes there is. In the next Brief Word we’ll look at what having a God-given identity means.

What a Father He is. Just, righteous, compassionate and full of love. Our identity comes from God our Father, no-one or nowhere else.