We call Him Father

Late yesterday afternoon, my dear friend Randy Becton and I were meeting with a friend who has been going through a major crisis in his life. Near the end of our hour and a half together, listening and talking and praying with this dear friend, Randy talked about experiencing intimacy with God. And he asked our friend how close to the Lord he felt in the midst of this crisis. Then Randy referred to one of his favorite books, a classic really, Knowing God by J.I. Packer.

As Randy referred to his favorite chapter in this book, about being sons of God and knowing God as our Father, I glanced up at my book shelf and there was the book. I felt this urge to take it off the shelf, turn to that chapter and read an excerpt. Which I did. But I read it to our friend almost as a prayer -- urging him to claim his sonship in Christ. Here's what I read:

"the aspect of His character on which God laid most stress in the Old Testament was His holiness. When God is declared to be 'holy,' the thought is of all that separates Him and sets Him apart and makes Him different from His creatures: His greatness, and His purity...Again and again it was stressed that man must keep his place, and his distance, in the presence of a holy God. This emphasis overshadowed everything else.

But in the new Testament we find that things have changed. God and religion are not less than they were; the Old Testament revelation of the holiness of God, and its demand for humility in man, is presupposed throughout. But something has been added. New Testament believer deal with God as their Father. 'Father' has now become His covenant name -- for the covenant which binds Him to His people now stands revealed as a family covenant. Christians are His children, His own sons and heirs. And the stress of the New Testament is not on the difficulty and danger of drawing near to the holy God, but on the boldness and confidence with which believers may approach Him: a boldness that springs directly from faith in Christ and from the knowledge of His saving work.

"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." -- Eph. 3:12

"since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith..." -- Heb. 10:19-22

To those who are Christ's, the holy God is a loving Father; they belong to His family; they may approach Him without fear, and always be sure of His fatherly concern and care. This is the heart of the New Testament message. (pp. 183-184,emphasis mine)

Tell me now --when we think of God as our Father, secured for us through the sacrifice of His one and only Son, how does that change the way you and I can relate to Him?

Adopted as His son,

Jim