By Jason S (Connecting to Impact)
I wanted to do this particular attribute last because it's such an exciting and amazing topic.
How can you not help but marvel at a God who has infinite power and wisdom, is present everywhere at once, Creator, Provider, Sustainer, Self-existent, and on and on–yet He also reveals Himself as "Father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5).
He refuses to allow anyone to be orphaned, but this mentality pervades our culture and even our churches. We don't truly understand what it means to be called a son, but we really need to get it.
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:14-15)
If we are sons, we carry a different mentality and authority. We go through testing and trials, but we don't have to doubt His love or our position. Our service and devotion flows from knowing Him and His knowing us fully.
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28)
Our faith connects us through Jesus to the Father. There is no barrier of culture, gender, or anything else. The Father loves us so much that He made the way and paid the highest price to have us back, not as orphans but sons.
I wish I could remember where I heard it, but this quote sums things up nicely: Jesus became an orphan on the cross so that we'd never have to spend another day as one.
The sad truth is that many believers call God their Father, but have no understanding or experience of this incredible truth. The grisly atonement through the blood of Jesus and His consequent triumphal resurrection wasn't for show, it was the depth of love required to bring "many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10).
With so many fathers abandoning their posts in today's culture, we can forget what an important function it has. Screw-ups and failures from our earthly fathers can also cause us to wrongly attribute similar flaws to God. The reality couldn't be further from those weaknesses and frailties though.
My prayer for each one reading this is that we will experience a new depth of God's fathering and the release of freedom that this brings.
Do you really know God as Father? Is it beyond a concept, a true experience for you? How have you know this expression of God's heart?
Jason is a guy who loves Jesus, his wife, and his kids. He's also the pastor of Breakthrough Church in Juneau, AK. You can check out his blog at EndlessImpact.com where the goal is to connect with others in a conversation about life, service, and faith while connecting to God who is true Impact.