Introduction : ○ Jesus´ Parable
    1) The Pharisees considered themselves righteous
        (1) They boasted about their own merits    (Lk 18:12)
        (2) They boasted about their work    (Lk 18:11)
        - Pride and our own idolization are the sins that God detests most (a righteous sinner)
    2) A tax collector confessed that he was a sinner (Lk 18:13).
        (1) He confessed that he didn´t have any merits
        (2) He confessed that he had committed sin
            - He was humble and broken, and only asked for the mercy of God
                (an unrighteous sinner)
            - An unrighteous sinner who asked to be forgiven, humbling himself, confessing
               his sin, and becoming broken, was considered more righteous than a righteous
               sinner who was proud and idolized himself (Mt 9:13).


○ The parable of the prodigal son
1. The second son (an unrighteous sinner)
    1) He wanted to be his own master, independent of his father (Lk 15:11-12).
    2) He set off for a distant country and lived a wild life.
    3) There was a severe famine, and he began to be in need.
    4) He fed the pigs - incapable independence and tragedy of being a master.
    5) Repenting and returning to his home - he was broken, surrendered, and completely
        depended on his father (Lk15:18-19, Ps 34:18, Isa55:6-7).
    6) The absolute, unconditional love of the father
        - He never asked about or rebuked his son for his past but granted him grace and
           had a feast (Lk 15:20, Ps 103:12-13, Isa 49:15).

2. The first son (a righteous sinner)
    1) Why was he righteous? (Lk 15:25,29)
        (1) He didn´t leave his father
        (2) He obeyed his father´s commands faithfully
        (3) He didn´t live a wild life but a right life.
    2) Why was he a sinner?
        (1) He was captive to his own merits
        (2) He was captive to his own boasting
        (3) He criticized his younger brother and was hostile to him
            (Lk 15:28.30, Ro 3:20, Isa 64:6, Jas 4:6)
        (4) He resented and resisted his father (Lk 15:29, Jas 3:16,18).
            - Finally, the father loved an unrighteous sinner, his second son, who was broken,
               repented, and returned to obey him, more than his first son who was proud of his
               own boasting and merits, criticized, was hostile to his younger brother, and
               resented and resisted his father (Mt 7:11).

3. The way for us to live
    - We must not be proud, thinking that we are righteous and have merits. Otherwise, we
       would be righteous sinners like the first son and rejected by God. We should confess
       that we are unrighteous sinners, become broken, and surrender to God completely.
       (1Jn 1:8-9, 1 Pe 5:5-6)
    ○ What we should depend on
    1) The unconditional love of God (Jn 3:16, Ro 5:8)
    2) The endless grace of Jesus (Eph 2:8-9, Ro 8:3-4, 2 Co 9:8)
    3) The justifying work of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-26, Tit 3:5, 1 Co 1:30)


Conclusion : We must not be rejected by God, by acting like our old selves, a false god, idolizing, boasting, and exalting ourselves, but we must confess that we are sinners and powerless, crucify our old selves on the Cross, surrender ourselves, and trust and obey God. We must live a very thankful life, impressed by the love of God, the grace of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit.