A cry for forgiveness has come up before the throne of grace, and it shall not go unheard. You have asked pardon for yourselves, and well you may, for there is none righteous, no, not one. Yet this is the message of the Gospel to every contrite heart: There is forgiveness! Not a scanty measure for small offenses, but a boundless, fathomless sea of mercy in the heart of God. He who says, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake,” will not cast out those who come to Him by Jesus Christ. You have confessed your failings; now believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Let that word sink in: There is forgiveness, present, perfect, eternal. It is not a matter of hope alone, but of divine certainty. Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.
And what God has done for you, you must do toward one another. You, the father of these children, have sought wisdom and a heart to forgive. Then study well the father of the prodigal. When the returning rebel was yet a great way off, the father saw him and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him with the kisses of much forgiveness. O that word “much”! It means full restoration, an obliteration of the past, a sealing of love before the confession was well begun. Do you stand upon your dignity, waiting for your eldest daughter to merit your affection? Put off that spirit at once! If you have been angry, accusatory, blaming, if the bitterness of your own heart has driven her away, then run now in prayer, run in your spirit, run in your actions, and meet her with the embrace of grace. How dare you, a sinner forgiven by God, refuse forgiveness to your own flesh and blood? Some professing Christians have said, “She shall never darken my door again.” And are you a Christian? Such a word is a denial of Christ’s own rule: Forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. It is a joint-stock business of mutual forgiveness, and you must take large shares in it, for you have had much forgiven.
The Spirit’s abiding presence is the secret of this new life. When your mind is stayed on Him, trusting wholly in Jesus, you shall be kept in perfect peace, peace, peace! Not the armistice of a truce, but the deep, profound calm which the world cannot give. The blood of Jesus whispers peace within. That peace will heal your home, and it will draw your wandering child back, not to a house of storms and reproaches, but to a Bethel where grace reigns. Far away she may be, yet in Jesus’ keeping you are safe, and she, commit her to Him! If you truly desire to start again in the Lord, then live as those who are themselves forgiven daily. He not only forgave us at the first, but He continues daily to forgive, and so must we.
Then what of the father’s leadership? Let him seek wisdom from on high, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated. Let his rule be soaked in the tenderness of Christ. He must know that there is forgiveness with God, and therefore he can freely forgive. There is reason to make that remark, for how many a father’s temper has become a stumbling-block to his children! Lay aside the hammer of accusation, and take up the balm of love. He who trusts in God shall find Him a very present help in this matter; He takes the big hammer of His omnipotence to break our chains, but He rests in His love when He saves. So let your home be ruled by that restful, forgiving love.
Finally, look for the day when earth’s struggles cease, and Jesus calls us to Heaven’s perfect peace. Until then, believe that He who has begun a good work in your family will perform it. The eldest daughter shall yet return, for the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord, and the hearts of all men. Only walk in the Spirit, keep short accounts with God and with one another, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. There is forgiveness, take it, live it, proclaim it. Amen.