@Doug Brents
Doug, you might not be reading something into the scripture in Luke 15, but you certainly
are not rightly dividing the scripture by giving them the proper sense
that would flow with all scriptures.
The word dead is not limited to being dead spiritually speaking which you are doing with Luke 15:24.
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.”
Please notice" "For this my son was dead, and is alive
again". One is
not born again, or made alive, and
then lose that life and must be born
once again, etc. But, one can be a child of God and sin and
end up among the congregation of the dead, without the evidence of true spiritual life and just go through the motion of being a son of God, yet their heart is not right with God and need to repent and do their first work. Example would be a great help.
Proverbs 21:16
“The man that
wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.”
James 5:20
“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall
save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
God's children
at times wander out of the way of understanding, we
all have been there to certain degrees,
none are exempt from doing this.
When we sin and depart from the straight and narrow way and some good brother is sent from God to convert us back into the way, we should walk in, and when we are converted, then KNOW that a brother, (a sinning brother) has been saved (practically speaking) from living in a state, or among the congregation of the dead, not enjoying God's best for his children~I have been there, have you?
Do not answer, I know most have, if they are honest with themselves and before others.