Romans 8:15 (Amp) says, "For the Spirit which you have now received is not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption (the Spirit of son-ship), in the bliss of which we cry, Abba, Father, Father."
We are given names and titles that we go by, when we're birthed into this natural realm. We become a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a friend, a preacher, pastor, neighbor, co-worker, boss, and many other names. We receive a surname from our parents, but in my life and hopefully yours too, there is one Name that ranks above all others.
My name is James Larry Hayes, but not one of my children call me "Jim" or "Mister Hayes." They all call me, "Dad." This name is reserved for for only a few who have the right and place in my life. This title is more intimate and precious than any of the other titles I've acquired in this life. It's a name that only my children have a right and place to use. I hold the endearment and love by which they use this name, to be very precious. It signifies the respect, love, trust, acceptance, honor and privilege they have for me.
God's Word uses many names for many nations and people, but we alone have the privilege of calling Him, "Father" and "Abba," which means "Daddy or Dad" in Hebrew. Using this title for God makes us a unique class of people. We're privileged to be part of God's family and use the loving term of "Father." Only those who are born of God through faith in Jesus Christ, can call Him this. Contrary to common belief, we're not all God's children, but only become this upon being born-again.
We've somehow lost the understanding of what a privilege it is to call God "Father" and be in His family, so we call Him what others call Him. Although He is the "Almighty God," I never call Him this Name, unless I'm witnessing to someone. I'm a son of God and have my own relationship Him, whereby I refer to Him as "Father." I doubt that President Trump's children call him, "Mr. President," unless they're speaking to others about him. The title of "President" is one of honor, but it's not the title his children use to show their love and respect for him.
Many who call God "Father," still see Him the way the Old Testament people did. He is still God but now this Awesome God has become my Father. The relationship I have with the Father has changed from being one where I feared His Power, to being one I'm confident in, because of His Power. I know the Truth that His Awesome Power is always there to protect, care for and provide for me, because He Loves me as His son.
I have confidence that, "No evil shall befall me and no plague come nigh my dwelling," because my Heavenly Father watches over me and gives me Rest. Many though, see Him as the God of the Old Testament, Who is out to get them. They quote Hebrews 12:6, which says, "God corrects and chastens His own." I respond by telling them that God is a Spirit and uses Spiritual things to deal with His children of the Spirit. Ephesians 4 says that, "God uses His Word and the Holy Spirit to teach us." We won't read that God uses sickness, disease, poverty, hardship or even Covid-19 to teach us. God wants us to trust Him to deliver us from all these things.
Although God is the Same God of the Old Testament, our relationship with Him isn't the same as the old covenant saints had with Him. If you don't know this, then you don't know your Heavenly Father like you should. Can God still deal with people like He did in the old covenant? Yes, but not with His own kids, as Father. Only a terrible, awful father would deal with his own children with sickness, disease, and other such afflictions. Would you put a cancer on your baby girl, in order to teach her how to behave? Of course not. Are you then, a better father than our Father in Heaven? We don't believe that a Father Who loved us enough to die in our place, would do these terrible things to see what we would do, unless the adversary has deceived us and caused us to believe that "God uses these things to teach us, out of His Love for us."
Jesus prayed in John 17:23 (Amp), saying, "That You have loved them even as You have loved Me." Jesus bore all the things He endured on Calvary's cross, so that we wouldn't have to. It would be a miscarriage of justice, if our Heavenly Father placed them on us now. It would make the cross of no avail, if He did so now. James 1:16-18 (Amp) says, "Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect (large, free, full) gift is from Above; it comes down down from the Father of all that gives Light, in the shining of Whom there can be no variation (rising or setting or shadow cast by His turning as in an eclipse). And it was of His Own free will that He gave us birth as sons by His Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures, a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself."
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