Rich Young Ruler story and the Prodigal Son are the two most understood and misused stories in the scripture. They are so badly mutilated and changed that Jesus would not recognize them.
These stories cannot be used today in the modern corrupted gospel, now preached.
I challenge anyone to use these stories as they are to preach the Gospel and not change them. Jesus went town to town preaching the Gospel. These stories are the Gospel according to Jesus.
Use these stories without changing them, use these stories as the Gospel without adding to or taking from them. Use these stories as Jesus the Messiah of God used them. If Jesus is your Messiah, you will teach what He taught and be able to use His teachings in preaching the Gospel.
(Blog entry below)

http://www.christiandoctrinediscussi...ler-story.html
http://www.christiandoctrinediscussi...he-gospel.html
http://www.christiandoctrinediscussi...ed-people.html

1. When or at what point was he forgiven by his father?
2. What did he have to do in order to receive salvation?
3. What was he receiving Salvation (deliverance) from?
   

AKJV
Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided to them his living.
Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luke 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave to him.
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you,
Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants.
Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luke 15:21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.
Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luke 15:23 And bring here the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Luke 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
Luke 15:27 And he said to him, Your brother is come; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.
Luke 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
Luke 15:29 And he answering said to his father, See, these many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment: and yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Luke 15:30 But as soon as this your son was come, which has devoured your living with harlots, you have killed for him the fatted calf.
Luke 15:31 And he said to him, Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours.
Luke 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

1. Did the young man have Salvation according to Jesus?
2. Jesus was adding another level to the young mans Salvation, what was it?

WMTH
Mark 10:17 As He went out to resume His journey, there came a man running up to Him, who knelt at His feet and asked, »Good Rabbi, what am I to do in order to inherit the Life of the Ages?«
Mark 10:18 »Why do you call me good?« asked Jesus in reply; »there is no one truly good except One–that is, God.
Mark 10:19 You know the Commandments–[`Do not murder;' `Do not commit adultery;' `Do not steal;' `Do not lie in giving evidence;' `Do not defraud;' `Honour thy father and thy mother.'«]
Mark 10:20 »Rabbi,« he replied, »all these Commandments I have carefully obeyed from my youth.«
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said, »One thing is lacking in you: go, sell all you possess and give the proceeds to the poor, and you shall have riches in Heaven; and come and be a follower of mine.«
Mark 10:22 At these words his brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth.
Mark 10:23 Then looking round on His disciples Jesus said, »With how hard a struggle will the possessors of riches enter the Kingdom of God!«
Mark 10:24 The disciples were amazed at His words. Jesus, however, said again, »Children, how hard a struggle is it for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God!
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.«
Mark 10:26 They were astonished beyond measure, and said to one another, »Who then can be saved?«
Mark 10:27 Jesus looking on them said, »With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God.«
Mark 10:28 »Remember,« said Peter to Him, »that we forsook everything and have become your followers.«
Mark 10:29 »In solemn truth I tell you,« replied Jesus, »that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,
Mark 10:30 but will receive a hundred times as much now in this present life –houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands– and persecution with them–and in the coming age the Life of the Ages.

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"

1) He was forgiven before he even left the home.
He was forgiven before he come to his senses.
He was forgiven before he repented.
He was forgiven before he was seen walking down the road.
Forgiveness from God has nothing to do with our sense of sin or repentance.
It is a Free Gift and Freely Given without expecting a return.

(Matt 10:8 [AKJV])
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.
(Rom 5:15-16 [AKJV])
But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded to many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses to justification.

2) To be forgiven, Nothing! To enter back into his fathers house, Repent!
The scriptural definition of repentance is to turn back toward God. The focus is, coming back to God, who originally is our Father. If you look at the story closely you will notice the son does not turn away from his life of debauchery as the focus. He turns back toward his father and house and the goodness at his fathers house. The focus is not sin but the Father and His mercy.

3) He was being delivered (Saved) from the destruction of his life.
Sin devastates our life here and now. If we continue in sinning (being sinners) we recommit the sin we were forgiven of. :ie the sin unto death. This is the Sin which devastates our life in the here after.
Sins lead to the Sin unto death, the original sin of Adam.

1) Yes! Jesus was willing to leave the conversation at "continue to do the commandments and you will have fullness of life". Jesus had no problem with that. He didn't have to give the cheap sound byte "You need to be saved".
2) He wanted the young man to step into the fullness of Salvation which is in the spirit. The young man had the physical down, now he needed the spiritual upgrade. The young man was no less forgiven and saved, he just did not have the fullness the Holy Spirit was going to offer.

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"

The passege about the prodigal son isn't about salvation but about the backslider comming back to God.

Where does Jesus say "Backslider"?????
The harlots and thugs He was hanging out with were backsliders???
Really!? Or were they sinners?
Read the story without putting words in Jesus mouth.
Read it as though you were standing there listening to the story.
Read it as though you were of that time period as a Jew.
What does the story communicate?

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"

Please note, The prodigal son was already in the family with his Father.
Please note, He left his home, Father and his family
Please note, He came back to his home, Father and family
You tell me where a unsaved sinner belongs to God and to the family of God.
You show me where a unsaved sinner comes back to God and to the family of God.

No.. No.. No.. This isn't talking about an unbelieving unsaved person, It is talking about a man who came back to God, his family and his home.

So you want to add to the story????
Jesus is such a buffoon He can't tell a story straight???
Jesus needs for you to straighten out His stories and what they REALLY mean?????
How about just reading it as is.
I'm just reading the story as Jesus told it and who He was telling it too.
Jesus the Messiah of God, who spoke the Word of God, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, does not have YOUR definitions in His story.
You have to prove there is "Saved and Unsaved and sinners in the Story".
You have to prove how wrong He is in how He told the story!

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"

Mankind is the family of God. His creation. Children of God.
The Gospel is about reconciliation of mankind to their creator,Father..
Adam left home and took everyone with him. Men have wondered from their home and their Father.
The Call of the Gospel is for people to return to their Father and home. This is why Jesus told the story. He was informing people to return to God their Father.
All were created in the image of God. All are called back. That's what the story is saying. Nothing about backsliding, nothing about sinners, nothing about a special group of people. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about Good News. All who return to their Father will not be turned away. The Father (God) is waiting for men to return. He is waiting and looking for them to come back down the road they walked away on. He is joyous when men return to Him. He has forgiven men their past even before they repented. The Lamb of God has taken away the Sin of mankind (the world). Its all in the story.

Repent according to scripture is to do a 180" turn, an about face. Since man is heading away from God they are heading away from their original starting point, God. To make a 180" turn means to go back the same way you came back to your original starting point. All men are called to return to their origin, home, Father, Creator.
There is nothing anyone can do about changing it.
Its to late God has already accomplished it, through Jesus Christ death on the Cross.

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"

[1] Wrong..wrong.. wrong. Not everyone belongs to the household of God, Only the born again Christian, Rom 8: 9--16.
1 Cor 1: 1--3, please note, God is only the Father of the Saints, [V3].
Galatians 4: 4--7.
Eph 2: 8--19.
1 Jn 3: 1-2.

[2] How can a unberlieving sinner return to God, when he was never with God in the first place.

[3] The sinner is told to come to God in repentance,

There is an Adoption as well. If we are Adopted by God then we can be Adopted by satan.
I have a feeling that the word adoption is more than just what we think it is. I have to look it up. Since scripture cannot contradict its self we cannot have two meanings. Either we are already in a family or we are adopted into a family or the word adoption has a different meaning. The Spirit of God tells me it is a different meaning than the one we use. I will have to study it. Until then, the story of Jesus stands as is and you can't change it. Sinners (not the righteous) are called to repentance and called to come back home. Those who were dead but now alive because of repentance. (Its in the story, just read it. Don't resist it!)
If somebody has the scriptural definition of "Adoption" I'd be glad to hear it.

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"

You know how I can tell that not the truth? God says He does not change.
If only christians is the case then Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and etc are all left out. Their not and the statement "Only the born again Christian" is a lie.
We need to Stop resisting the Gospel just believe it.
The same Gospel that was preached to them, is also preached to us.
(Heb 4:2 [KJV])
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: ....

So! If people don't know the Gospel, they will say things like, "Not everyone belongs to the household of God, Only the born again Christian".
Since the definition of the Gospel is incorrect then the definitions of the scripture you supplied are incorrect as well. Your definitions are made to support your view. If we stick with the scripture definitions then there is no contradictions and we can believe every Word Jesus spoke.

__________________
Pastor Russell

Acts 28:31 KJV) "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ," with all confidence, ....

"Healing those hurt by the church's false doctrine"