Many of us may have had a good Father – child relationship. According to statistics, when a child is secure in a Father’s love, they grow up into healthy adults. They are secure and build healthy relationships. So now what? What are we deriving at? We have a greater parent. We have God the father. It’s like calling ourself the children of a king. Imagine if the Ambanis came one day to your house and said you are our son. I am writing my property in your name. What’s the feeling like? Definitely, you feel grateful for your earthly parents, but you also have a proud moment that, my father is no ordinary person but, he’s so rich and popular. It’s the same feeling. And then what if your parents said that they knew this all along and they were nurturing you under this rich man’s guidance. Wow!! You’d say why didn’t you tell me before. So today I am telling you that this is how our story is. We have a perfect dad. No blemish in him. He is wonderful.
A father and son went fishing one day. After a couple hours out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, “How does this boat float?” The father thought for a moment, then replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”
The boy returned to his contemplation, then turned back to his father, “How do fish breath underwater?” Once again the father replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”
A little later the boy asked his father, “Why is the sky blue?” Again, the father replied. “Don’t rightly know, son.”
Worried he was going to annoy his father, he says, “Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?” “Of course not son. If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never learn anything!”
But our Heavenly Father has all the answers to all our questions, complains, doubts and agony.
He calls us His children. He loves us.
Abba!
Jesus showed us that the Almighty God is our Abba Father! Our dear Papa! (Mark 14:36). The Holy Spirit lives in the heart of all of us who follow Jesus and he intercedes for us from deep within, crying out, “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 6:4).
Our image (concept) of God is the most important thing about us. It determines our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. Many people we talk with need healing in their image of God. Do you? Your answer to this question will tell you: Can you look back over your whole life and say, “My Father God has always been good to me.”? If not, your heart is hurting and your image of God needs healing.
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, `Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15)
“I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18 & 2 Samuel 7:14)
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation
that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
1. We Are Called His Children
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)
1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Distorted Image of Fathers, it grieves God. He says come to me, look at me and I will show you what a real dad does. We bear the surname of God. Imagine if we had the surname of a very prominent figure, how would we carry ourselves? Eg. Gates, kapoors, etc. We are His inheritance. We have his name in us. This has greater responsibility on ourselves, on our conduct and our character. This guides us as to how we need to project ourself.
“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
“For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Verse Concepts
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Verse Concepts
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Imagine what you’re life would be like if you completely trusted God as your loving Father.
“[The Father] guarded him as the apple of his eye.” (Deuteronomy 32:10)
“A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.” (Psalm 68:5-6)
“O Lord you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hands.” (Isaiah 64:8)
“Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8)
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)
“Your Father in heaven is not willing that any one of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18:14)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him… But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:20b, 22-24)
2. His Love Is Sacrificial
A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to bee stings he became petrified. His father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again as it buzzed by the little boy. The father sensed his son’s terror. Once again he reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to this hand. There, stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. “You see this?” he asked. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve taken the sting for you.” The Christian does not need to be afraid of death because Christ has taken the sting out of death and sin.
1 Corinthians 15:55-56: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
“He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us…. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his [children].” (Ephesians 1:3-5)
“Through [Christ] we… have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18)
“[God is] the Father from whom all fatherhood derives its name.” (Ephesians 3:15)
3. He Leaves The 99
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14
Our Heavenly Father loves each of us like there is only one of us. This is probably the hardest concept to grasp when we first come to Christ. It’s hard to believe that with so many Christians in the world, God could have so much love for just one of us.
There are about 2.2 billion people in this world who identify as Christians that’s nearly one-third of the earth’s population! Now whether or not all of these people really know Jesus as their personal Savior is a whole other discussion but still, the Father loves us so much that He is willing to leave the entire flock in order to bring one of us back to Him!
4. He Gives Us Good Gifts
Making God my father is the greatest and most crucial decision. We may not get what we desire many times, or what we think is good for me, for God knows what is good for me. I remember, the times when I have complained and grumbled that God didn’t do this for me or I am not this way. But when I look at others, I feel God has done the best for me, even better than all my friends. God the father, shows me a picture of an ideal father. Earthly father has been very harsh. They can be wicked and many times distort the image of a father. When we listen to him, OBEY him. At times we feel that, what we are doing is the right thing and we don’t listen to his voice and end up in a mess. Then we blame God, questioning him and doubting his love for us.
“Now to [the Father] who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
5. He Knows Before We Ask
Then why doesn’t he give it to us? Precisely because he knows what is good for us. Many times we hold a grudge and say that God doesn’t understand what I am going through. However, we would never know what he has protected us from for years together. It is not only physical danger that he protects us from but also spiritual danger. He cleanses us. Cleansing is not easy. It takes time effort. He renews our character.
“The Father will give you whatever you ask in [Jesus’] name.” (John 15:16)
6. He Gives Us His Spirit
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor
[or Comforter]
to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth.” (John 14:16)
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
7. His Spirit Testifies To Our Spirit
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:15-16
“Jesus answered, `I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:6,9)
God’s fatherly relationship with Jesus implies four things.
First it implies authority. The father commands and disposes; the initiative which he calls his Son to exercise in resolute obedience to his Father’s will.
Second, it implies affection;
third, fellowship;
fourth, honour: God wills to exalt his Son.
All this extends to God’s adopted children. In, through, and under Jesus Christ their Lord, they are ruled, loved, accompanied, and honoured by their heavenly Father.
As Jesus obeyed God, so must they (1 John 5:1, 3). As God loved his only-begotten Son, so he loves his adopted sons (John 16:27). As God had fellowship with Jesus, so he does with us (1 John 1:3). As God exalted Jesus, so he exalts Jesus’ followers, as brothers and sisters in one family (John 12:32; 17:24).
In these terms the Bible teaches us to understand the shape and substance of the parent-child relationship which binds together the Father of Jesus and the servant of Jesus.
Our only responsibility or the way we reciprocate is to obey him. It shows that I trust him and have immense love.
Let’s pray.
Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
0 Comment