Our Father in Heaven

Our Father in Heaven

With Father's Day approaching let's reflect on our most precious father-son relationship;

the relationship with God Himself as our Father in Heaven.

In the New Testament the expression "Abba father" appears three different times. Search for Abba in Glo to find these three passages. "Abba" first appears when Jesus is praying in Gethsemane in anticipation of His passion:

"Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." -Mark 14:36

"Abba" is an expression that implies intimacy and was only used by sons and daughters of a household, never to be used by the servants. The use of Abba by Jesus speaks of His intimacy with God the Father.

It appears again twice being used by Paul to explain our new relationship with God as our father in the New Covenant:

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" -Romans 8:15

"And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

-Galatians 4:6,7

In these two passages Paul talks about how through Jesus we become adopted sons of God and receive His Spirit, establishing an intimate father-son relationship with God.

In both passages we have the adoption described as an act of our triune God, with the participation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is similar to the baptism of Jesus in the Gospels where all three persons of the trinity also participate.

Are we living it?

Are we living this precious relationship with God as our Father in our daily lives? Do we have intimacy with God in our prayers? Are we taking for granted this gift and inheritance we have from God Himself?

If you want to go deeper in your understanding of God's Love for us as His children we recommend the reading plan "Why Does God Love Me", which takes you on a journey through the Bible on the subject of God's Love for us.