God answered the second son and said, "It is true that you did not choose to serve Me with your whole heart. Although I yearned over you with a father's love you refused to accept correction. Change is difficult for every person. You simply were unwilling to make the effort.

"You wasted the greater part of your time. When you desired something you went ahead and obtained it, even though it harmed your relationship to Me and injured other people. You rebelled against My will, following instead your own impulses. You were afraid if you did obey My will you would be harmed and deprived of things of value. In this manner you continually revealed your distrust of My intentions toward you.

"You refused to take up your cross, choosing instead the path of pleasure. You did not follow Jesus at all. You called Him Lord but you did not do what He said. Indeed, you did live your own life and attempted to use the Name of Christ to further your own interests and pleasures. You were not a good and faithful servant.

"You seldom made an effort to pray or to read the Bible. There is no love of your Christian brothers and sisters in you, only bitterness and suspicion.

"You divorced your wife because of your lust. If you had asked Me, I would have saved your marriage. You left your children at an impressionable age. Your son is a drunkard because you had nothing further to do with him. Your daughter is living in fornication instead of marriage because her mother grew to hate you and put in your daughter a distrust of all men. You married a self-willed, rebellious woman and the both of you have been living in adultery ever since.

"The man whom you hate is not as bad as you think he is. But in any case, I cannot forgive you while you are full of hatred toward him.

"You have abilities dwelling in you that would have been very helpful to a certain assembling of saints that gathers in your town. So that those saints would not suffer loss I have given to another man what was to have been your inheritance. Do you see that galaxy of stars over there? That is the man who took your place in the assembling.

"Your self-centeredness and disobedience have caused some people to suffer irreparable spiritual injury. Among these victims are your wife, your son, and your daughter. I know what they could have been had you followed Christ. Now it can never be. When they come up before Me in judgment I will take into consideration what they have suffered at your hands.

"I am the merciful God. In My boundless mercy I found you when you were a Gentile without hope, in the guilt of your sins, in the filthiness and pride of your self-centeredness and self-love. I said to you, ‘Live!' and you came to life in My Presence.

"I forgave your many sins. I taught you to take up your cross so you would have the opportunity to overcome your self-centeredness. I gave you the gift of My Son and put My Spirit in you. I watched over you night and day and guided you with My eye. Many times I forgave your ignorance and foolishness. All these things I did for you so that I would be your God and you would be My son.

"In return, you chose to follow Satan, the world, and the lusts of your flesh. You professed belief in Christ but by your works you denied Him. You did not choose to be filled with My Spirit, you chose instead to be filled with death and Hell.

"Like Esau, you have sold your inheritance that your belly may be satisfied.

"I cannot bless you.

"You have not chosen Me to be your God.

"I am not choosing you to be My son.

"Depart from Me into outer darkness."

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30)