Me: You look like a postcard prodigal!

Prodigal: God’s beauty is amazing!

This is from the book Bold Love by Dr. Dan Allender & Dr. Tremper Longman III

A commitment to beauty–that is, to doing everything we can to birth good and destroy evil–is the heartbeat of biblical revenge. The person who does harm must pay for his sin, now and perhaps later. Without payment, arrogance—like a weed–will grow, and a disregard of God–like a thicket-will become thicker and more impenetrable. Punishment, in the form of legal consequences, church discipline, biblical rebuke, or supernatural discipline, is both a warning and an opportunity for repentance, as much for the believer as for the unbeliever.

Bearing the stripes of discipline will either increase arrogance (“I will not be broken”) or deepen humility (“I will not pursue death”). If repayment leads to repentance, the relationship can be restored and beauty is enhanced. If it leads to arrogance, greater crimes will undoubtedly be committed and more repayment will be required.

Given the state of a person’s hardness (measured in part by the crime), the payment may need to be very severe to give the best opportunity for hardness to be dissolved. The goal, nevertheless, remains restoration and a return to beauty.

James 2:13

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org