Hello, trust God you’ve been blessed with the words through this blog. As our focus is to ignite passion for the lost in the hearts of men and to see them grow in Him. Today we will be considering a topic which is a mystery that Christ came to reveal to us all, “Jesus introduced God to us as his Father and our Father.” This is to make us understand the fatherhood of God toward us and how we became His children.
God’s intention from the beginning was to have a family through which He will bestow all power and authority. In Genesis we see that after God created man, he instructed him on what to do and gave man power and dominion over all He had created. His intent was that He will have a family that will exist on earth to carry out his divine intention of creation. However, sin deprived man of that privilege. God however was pleased to establish this relationship with Israelites in preference to other nations, but that lack of understanding didn’t make them see God as their father.
Our forefathers in the Old Testament related with Him as God, still, none of them had an experience of His fatherhood. Though God related with the Israelite as a father, they didn’t see him as one, and till the time of John the Baptist they all had an experience of God as God and not as a father. Though King David had a revelation of how God fathers the fatherless, his revelation however couldn’t match what Christ came to reveal.
When Jesus came, he called God His father and many times the Jewish Leaders wondered what manner of man he was that he could say such statements and often times He declared that He and the Father are one. The Jewish leaders wondered how a man like themselves could be bold enough to call God his father, but they didn’t understand what Christ’s mission was on earth and the power that was at work in Him.
“John 10:30-33 (KJV) I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, for a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
The Bible passage above tells us of the dialog Jesus had with the Jewish leaders. They asked him if he was the Messiah and His response as usual was that “I am.” They were surprised Jesus claimed equality with God and called himself the Son of God. From time past, the Jews believed that the only way to be made right with God is through obeying the law and that after doing what the law says, the best you get from it is the favor of God. Even Moses didn’t tell the Israelites about the fatherhood of God.
On hearing Jesus refer to God as His father, they were astonished that a man like themselves could call God His father and the next action from them was to stone him to death saying he blasphemed.
All what God wanted from man was this family relationship and ever since he created man, he wanted them to relate together as a family, but sin deprived man of that, however, Jesus came to set things right.
HOW DO WE GET TO CALL HIM OUR FATHER?
Having God as your father is simply possible by embracing the works of Christ on the cross. The gospel of John 1:12 made us understand that;
“John 1:12 (KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
Those that have the power (Exousia – the sign of a legal authority or right) are those that have received (through faith) Christs redemptive work on the cross. The verse can be read like this: “but as many as received him by faith, to them gave he the sign of a legal right/authority to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
Therefore, the sons of God are not those who only believe in the existence of God but rather in his provision for Sonship which can only be found in Christ. Those that have the power and boldness to call God their father are only those who have received Him. (through their belief and confession. Rom10:9-10)
We become part of the family of God by faith in Christ Jesus. At salvation, we’re been translated from the kingdom of darkness to Gods kingdom.
“Colossians 1:13 (KJV) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
This happened because God’s ultimate plan was that man will become part of His family through salvation, hence, a need arose for changing his spiritual location. We were translated to the household of God and can relate with God as our Father.
We get to call Him Father because the Spirit that dwells in Christ Jesus dwells within us also. It is because of this Spirit that dwelled in Christ that made him say “I and the father are one” and we by receiving Christ receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“Romans 8:15-16 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
Hallelujah. When we receive Christ, we receive the Spirit of Adoption which in the Greek text is rendered UIHOTHESIA meaning the nature and condition of the true disciples in Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become sons of God”. He adopted us with a price which is the blood of Christ and He placed a seal on ownership on us. Because we are adopted, we are no longer free to ourselves or in slavery to any man, but we are free in Him and slave to Him.
This Spirit of adoption makes us cry Abba Father (watch out for the Abba Father of God) and this same Spirit bears witness with our spirit that God is our Father. You will notice from the 2 texts that He became our Father because we believed Christs redemptive work and his Spirit in us bears witness with our spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot be overemphasized in the life of a believer, because His presence in the life of a believer is a seal of ownership that God has placed on him. That seal makes him a part of God’s household and a heir along with Christ, so he has all authority/power that the Father has bestowed on Christ dwelling in him.
Jesus teaching disciple how to pray made them understand that when they pray, they should believe that the Father hears them and will give until them what they request. Let’s read
“Luke 11: 11-13 (KJV) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.”
You see, he called God “your heavenly father” will give you the Holy Spirit. So we see Jesus call God as our heavenly Father. All that God is to Jesus Christ, He is also to all that come to believe in His redemptive work. In conclusion, you cannot experience the fatherhood of God outside Christ. The bible says “the bread of the children cannot be cast to dogs”, meaning what belongs to the children of God cannot be handed over those who are not his children. You can only experience His Fatherhood when you accept the gift of righteousness that is in Jesus Christ and you do this by faith in him.
Thanks for reading. Kindly share with your friends and family.
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