When I was younger in working in college ministry I often came in contact with young people who had lived their lives without their biological parents. They had either lived in group homes or foster homes, or had been adopted by families who loved them and helped them build lives of purpose. In every instance there was a need, a desire to discover who they were based on where they came from.
They always wanted to discover their past because if they could only know who their parents were, they could discover who they themselves were or would become.
Our parents, upbringing, and our emergence into this world all play a vital role in who we become. Our past always has a way of demonstrating itself in our present lives and futures.
It is for this reason that I always direct myself and others to these very few words in the book of Matthew the apostle, “this then is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven…”. Jesus explains the principles of prayer by starting with how we are to address God. Jesus says we are to begin our time with the creator of the universe by demonstrating who we are in relationship to Him. We are His children because as Jesus communicates, God in heaven is our Father.
In service we discussed three realities of what this means for us: security, discipline, and love and grace. If you haven’t reviewed this information, I would encourage you to take this link and watch.
In addition to these three, the reality of God as Father has several other implications for us.
We are now in relationship with Him. He is not someone or something that is other worldly and without context or relation. We have a relationship with the sovereign God of the universe. He is our Father, our dad. He has, in the process of creating us and saving us, designed a way for us to become intimately connected with him in a perfect and pure way. We can discover God, our creator, as we investigate the deep and consistent ways that he parents us from purpose to loving discipline.
There is a responsibility that we hold in the household of God. Just like when we were children, we had responsibilities, so now as His children, we have responsibilities. We have things to accomplish around the house. No, we aren’t talking about laundry and dishes (but you should get these done!), we are talking about eternal responsibilities. There is the responsibility of sharing the gospel with those around us, taking time to be present in God’s word and in prayer to maintain and grow in relationship with God, and
As His children we have rights and privileges. We have rights and privileges that are eternal, undeserving and infinitely greater than our minds can comprehend. We have life eternal, we have relationship with him, we have forgiveness of sin, we have the gifts that he gives us in this temporal life like those mentioned already: security, discipline, love and grace, along with other real and wonderful things like fellowship, friendships, the Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit and the opportunity to serve Him. Our rights as heirs are almost entirely untouched in this life, our privileges are areas of this life and the next that we have such incredible freedom to unearth, enjoy and share with others.
As His children we are given the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been given to His children as a guide, a comforter and counsellor and helper. He is God in us. He rests with us and supports us. He directs us and corrects us. He is the great gift and wonderful blessing that Jesus promised his people.
We are God’s children and are heirs with Christ Jesus himself. This is an absolutely incredible truth that has eternal and mind-blowing ramifications. To be an heir to a kingdom like God’s is to be given everything. It is like being given a key to a Narnia without limits or ends – a world with unfathomable opportunities and blessings.
There is an incredible blessing in knowing who we are in light of our relationship with God. When we come to hear his voice and rest in the salvation that he extends we find our place, our family, our eternal and heavenly Father. In knowing him we discover where we have come from and because of that we discover where we belong and the brilliant, loving future ahead of us.
