Our Father
1 John 3:1-3,
Last Sunday night we talked about the change or the transition that takes place from old covenant to new covenant in terms of prayer. I mentioned the big change that takes place is that we now have the privilege to approach God in a much more intimate way, or you could say in terms of a filial relationship. The key word that is mentioned in the Bible more than any other word with regard to prayer is the word father, ‘Abba Father’. So we now have the spirit of adoption and we are now belonging to a spiritual family, and we are God’s children. Now the Old Testament saints (we ought to be careful here), they did enjoy a deep intimacy with God. We don't want to suggest they didn’t. Abraham was called a friend of God; Moses, we are told, spoke to God as a friend. Isaiah the prophet even picks up the word father, God is our father. I think it's used three times in the Old Testament in terms of the relationship between God's people.
In the Old Testament, the concept of God as father was like a mustard seed; very small, it was like a seed. But in the New Testament, the fatherhood of God is like a mustard tree, it just blooms, it blossoms, and Jesus, more than anybody else puts it on display. He refers to the Father about 170 times, he talks to the Father 25 times. So he talks about the Father, but he also talks to the Father 25 times in the gospels; at his baptism and when he chose the 12, his high priestly prayer, he referenced the father several times there; in Gethsemane and then on the cross. And you can understand why: Jesus loved and delighted in his father.
And so when we think of our Heavenly Father, one great thing we should keep in mind, perhaps the most important thing, is to remember how much he loves us. 1 John 3, “What manner of love that we should be called the sons of God.” And the NIV gives us this translation, “See what great love he has lavished upon us.” Hebrews chapter 12 talks about the Father’s love. It talks also about his chastening hand. He loves us, that's why he often chastens us. If you are a father who loves your son, you love your daughter, you will chasten them. But God always chastens us for good reasons or the best of reasons, but oh, how he loves us. We think of the deep, deep love of Jesus, well we should also think of the deep, deep love of the Father. And John Owen said this,
“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.”
Last Sunday night we talked about the change or the transition that takes place from old covenant to new covenant in terms of prayer. I mentioned the big change that takes place is that we now have the privilege to approach God in a much more intimate way, or you could say in terms of a filial relationship. The key word that is mentioned in the Bible more than any other word with regard to prayer is the word father, ‘Abba Father’. So we now have the spirit of adoption and we are now belonging to a spiritual family, and we are God’s children. Now the Old Testament saints (we ought to be careful here), they did enjoy a deep intimacy with God. We don't want to suggest they didn’t. Abraham was called a friend of God; Moses, we are told, spoke to God as a friend. Isaiah the prophet even picks up the word father, God is our father. I think it's used three times in the Old Testament in terms of the relationship between God's people.
In the Old Testament, the concept of God as father was like a mustard seed; very small, it was like a seed. But in the New Testament, the fatherhood of God is like a mustard tree, it just blooms, it blossoms, and Jesus, more than anybody else puts it on display. He refers to the Father about 170 times, he talks to the Father 25 times. So he talks about the Father, but he also talks to the Father 25 times in the gospels; at his baptism and when he chose the 12, his high priestly prayer, he referenced the father several times there; in Gethsemane and then on the cross. And you can understand why: Jesus loved and delighted in his father.
And so when we think of our Heavenly Father, one great thing we should keep in mind, perhaps the most important thing, is to remember how much he loves us. 1 John 3, “What manner of love that we should be called the sons of God.” And the NIV gives us this translation, “See what great love he has lavished upon us.” Hebrews chapter 12 talks about the Father’s love. It talks also about his chastening hand. He loves us, that's why he often chastens us. If you are a father who loves your son, you love your daughter, you will chasten them. But God always chastens us for good reasons or the best of reasons, but oh, how he loves us. We think of the deep, deep love of Jesus, well we should also think of the deep, deep love of the Father. And John Owen said this,
"If the love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what will?"
The fact that he loves you so much should excite your love for him. It's not a one-way street. He loves us, but we are to love him. And if you love him, you will talk a lot about him and you will talk to him. Makes sense. Someone you love you talk about them and you talk to them. Listen to what Dr. J. I. Packer said,
"If you want to understand how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child and having God as his father."
What a wonderful thought, brethren. When you come to prayer is there any more blessed thought than this? God is my father, I am his son, I am his daughter, and we are going to a loving, caring Heavenly Father. We can go to him anytime, anyplace and bring any care to our Heavenly Father.
Posted in Pastor Devotional