Two Sons and the Repentance That Changes Everything

A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard." The first son answered, "I will not"—yet afterward he repented and went. His brother said, "I go, sir," but went not.

Christian sonship furnishes the best possible motives for Christian service. It supplies the best facilities for obedience. It makes service imperative—not optional.

Observe the tragedy of broken promises. Some reject Elohim's kingdom openly and completely. Others promise repentance in sickness, in seasons of religious awakening, yet abandon their vows when comfort returns. But determined sinners have repented. John Bunyan swore with oaths so horrid the abandoned people of the street rebuked him—yet he dreamed of heaven so sweet that Christendom has been enchanted by The Pilgrim's Progress. Mr. Madden went to mock John Wesley's sermon; the text "Prepare to meet thy God" converted him instead. In New York City, a man trampled the Bible in rage; within weeks, he held it upon his lap with tearful eyes, reading its glorious promises. Six young scoffers entered the Academy of Music to jeer at worship. During the sermon they bowed their heads. At the close, all six rose with tears, begging the prayers of God's people.

What does Adonai look for in all of us? Work—inward and outward. The danger of a fallacious promise exceeds the danger of a hasty refusal. Repentance, when genuine, transforms the heart completely.