November 18, 2013
Romans 8:14-17
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
In Friday’s blog we started to explore Snuggling Up To God, a concept that is hard to grasp for many Christians who see the Father as high, holy and removed. How can we Snuggle Up To God who is so other! But God invites us to come close through His Son Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to save us. How close? It says in Romans 8:14-17:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you
did not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit
of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, then
heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with Him,
that we may also be glorified together.
We are invited to be so close to God that we may call Him “Abba, Father.” And abba in Aramaic – the common Hebrew language of Jesus’ day – can mean “papa” or even “daddy”.
We also began to look at scriptures where God shows His loving care for His children, almost like a tender-hearted mother rather than a distant father. We saw how Jesus invites us close to Himself, and so to the Father through Himself. The scripture references we looked at in the previous blog are Isaiah 40:10, 11; 46:3, 4; 49:15, 16; Matthew 11:28-30 and Luke 13:34.
Let’s continue:
• Psalm 23:5-6 – You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
• Psalm 103:4 – The Lord…crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies….
• Psalm 103:13 (Living Bible) – He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence Him.
• Mark 10:14-16 – …Jesus…said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.
• Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it….
• I John 3:1 – Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
• I John 4:9-11 – In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
I hope this begins to show you how much God loves us, with a tender love that draws us to Himself – even as a little child is drawn to his or her “daddy”, and is invited to climb up into his lap.
I do not think that such intimacy with the God of the universe is blasphemous, especially since He has initiated this closeness by His own Son dying in our place, paying for our sins. Just as God had intimate communion with Adam and Eve at the first, so He desires the same with His children now – redeemed by the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. (See I Corinthians 15:45 through 49).
In the next blog, I will share a scripture with you that has given me a whole new perspective concerning the Father when I think about Him.