-No mere legal transaction, this. Having paid the ransom and filed the necessary documents, our (new) Father in heaven went one MASSIVE step further. He didn’t just bring us into His house or hook us up with some new clothes or give us a decent meal for the first time in forever. No - His actual Son came to live inside our hearts, to be not only with us but IN us forever (cf John 14.7-8). He came to where WE live. He made a home in OUR hearts, by His Spirit (the ‘Spirit of His Son’ - the Spirit of Christ). And this Spirit inside cries out, ‘Abba, Father’. God's own Son said this exact thing in the garden (Mark 14.36). Which means that WE cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ (Romans 8.15). Daddy. It is a term of endearment. And this brave new reality holds true for every new believer in Christ. Calling out to our Father in heaven becomes instinctive, the new native impulse of the one thus indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. One day, God is some unknown distant deity Whom we barely and rarely address, and the next we have this new innate sense, a reprogrammed familial compass if you will, which assures us that we not only now know God personally but that we are permanently and vitally connected to Him and He really is our Father.
-Let us not undersestimate the significance on this development. Dad (in the best case scenario, which this of course is) means safety. Security. Protection. Provision. But in this case He is no mere provider. There is real relationship here. Personal connectedness. Closeness. Intimacy. There is wisdom and understanding and grace and kindness. An at-the-ready listening ear, a big lap to sit in, and a swallowing embrace to cry in. There is support and enthusiasm, and daddy pride! And presence. He will never ever miss one of your games. Or performances. He is always there, always present, always looking on. And cheering (Zephaniah 3.17)! Beaming. So proud. You are the apple of His eye! "And when I run, I feel His pleasure..." (Eric Liddell) Do you feel His pleasure? Do I? Are you and I aware of how happy He is that we are His child forever? How glad He is just to be our Dad?
-Deep down even the most hardened among us, the manliest man or the toughest woman, wants a daddy like this. Our daddy wounds may conspire to convince us otherwise, but we all want and need that umbrella of safety and support and wisdom, that reassurance and encouragement which only dad can give, even when we’re older, even when dad is gone. Especially since for far too many their earthly dad was gone way too soon. IF he was ever around to begin with. And then even when he was around he was most likely distant, tired, unengaged. Or angry, dragging around his own daddy-wound. Surely all dads, even the best ones, invariably fall short. Just like the rest of us. But that’s why the Good News is such good news, that thru Christ now we are (re)united with the One Dad we were always meant to have, the best most loving most awesome Dad on the planet - in the entire universe! Our dads here on earth generally do the best they can for a season, but we were always meant to be sons and daughters of Abba Father, children of our Perfect Heavenly Father. We need to (learn to) run to Him, relate to Him, connect to Him every day, throughout our days. He is with us (always), He is for us (always), and He will never disappoint us, and He will never ever, ever leave us. Welcome home, son. Welcome home, daughter. Come to Papa...
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