The Lord Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:9, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed [Holy] be Your name." We easily understand the physical concept of procreation of a child through their biological mother and father. It is an amazing and complex process from egg to birth and a natural intimate bond is developed between child and parent within the context of family. Taken to the creation level, everything was created by our all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God, physically and biologically. Psalm 139:13-14 tells us, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Therefore, God is our heavenly Father.
In John 3:5 Jesus declared, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. The “Fall of Man” by sin in the Garden of Eden caused a hellbound separation as our spiritual connection was broken. But, in God’s restoration Plan of Salvation called “born-again”, He made a way for redemption in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ to pay the redemption price through His atoning death on the cross in our place, if we repented of our sin, believed God and accept Him as Savior and Lord.
John 1:10-14 proclaims, “He [Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Therefore, Christians are brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Galatians 4:4-7 explain that “when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son [Jesus] into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. The term “Abba” was the most enduring Hebrew way to address a father. The modern equivalent would be the word “Daddy”. Pastor Frances Chan asks us to let the significance of this hit you and sink in. It is incredible enough that we can call almighty God our Father. But, then He sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts to dwell and prompts us to cry out to Him, “Daddy”!
Romans 8:10-16 confirms that “if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 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. God is our heavenly Father.
In Christ, Brian
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