04/20/2020
Do we pray to God as if He were a benevolent stranger, an official, a judge, or maybe even a powerful acquaintance? Do we come before Him as though we were confessing our problems to a psychiatrist, visiting a banker for a loan, or sitting in a doctor’s office? Well, He is all of these and yet none of them; He acts in each of these capacities by simply being “Abba! Father!”. We should pray to Him as our Loving Father.
“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!””
Galatians 4:6 ESV
God is omnipotent, and omnipresent; He knows all things, and is wise beyond our ability to comprehend, so it is no wonder that we might feel a sense of awe, and extreme reverence when we approach Him. It is natural that we might feel presumptuous in approaching Him with a attitude of familiarity, as a friend, or to call him Father, but that is exactly what we are told to do, and Jesus has earned that title as Child of God for us.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:12-13 ESV
I hear sermons preached about how we are adopted sons and daughters of God, but we are much more than earthly children that He has taken into His house, and made, by His love, to be His sons and daughters. We are reborn of the blood of Jesus, His blood is our blood, His flesh is our flesh, and our Holy Father’s will and character is ours as well. This confusion comes From a similar verse in Romans to today’s opening verse from Galatians, in both we are told to call God Abba, but in one we are referred to as adopted sons, while in the other we are simply called sons. In one we are told of our legal transformation, but in the other we are told of our biological transformation.
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!””
Romans 8:15 ESV
This is hard to understand... it is a miraculous transformation that isn’t known naturally to us as earthly beings. We legally adopt children that we did not beget, doing so out of an amazing love, and we treat our adopted children as our own in every way, but we can’t give them our blood, our flesh, nor our inbred character and looks, yet through Jesus Christ that is exactly what happens to us in faith... we become the begotten children of God just as Jesus is.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
1 John 3:1-3 ESV
It is so hard for us to envision ourselves transformed. We know the perfection of God, and likewise we know our own pitiful struggles against temptation and sin. So how is it that we, as this sinful person, could ever be the flesh and blood of God... pure as He is pure? Yet, He calls us, transforms us through the blood of Christ, and tells us we are heirs, and joint heirs with Jesus.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
1 John 3:1-3 ESV
When we pray we should know that while we are praying to God in all of His many offices, and forms, we are praying, more than any other, to Abba, Father! As our Father He loves us like no other, and sees past the child in us that stumbles and falls repeatedly; He sees the fully transformed, and pure, brother of Jesus Christ... one blood, one flesh, one spiritual character. We pray now to Abba as a child, but the day is coming when we shall be like Him, and pray as Jesus prayed when He called out.. “Father forgive them.”
Prayer:
Father, we thank you for adopting us as your sons and daughters, but more than this we thank you for transforming us into your children in every sense, by making us to be the flesh, blood, and character of Jesus. We know your love, and love you in return. You call us your children, and we call out to you... Abba, Father! Teach us Father, correct us when we need correction, comfort us when we are hurting, and give us understanding through your Holy Spirit that we not only know your character and will, but become it. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our Heavenly Father, whose eyes see us as His children in every way. Praised be your name for adopting us, and then beginning our transformation into complete sons and daughters, even as Jesus is. Great are you who calls us heirs and joint heirs to Christ, and loved us enough to have sacrificed Jesus on the cross for us. Hear our prayers Father, and know the love they contain is more than our desire, each word, and every prayer is brought forth with the love of your child. We worship you now, and forevermore, and long for that day when we will live in your house forever.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:6 ESV
Rich Forbes