Abba, Father

When we believed in Jesus, God poured out His great blessings on us.

Ephesians 1:3

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”

"Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing." This speaks of the blessings pouring out on all who believe in Jesus as their Savior from their sins. Moreover, it is written in the complete form as "blessed". Do we know and enjoy that blessing? Today I would like to focus on one of those blessings. It is a blessing that has already been given to us who believe.

That is why we call God our Heavenly Father. It is a blessing to call Him our father. It is a blessing that God has become our father and we have become children of God.

Galatians 4:6

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

Blessing

Here it is written, "Because you are children." If you believe in Jesus as your Savior from your sins, all your sins are forgiven, you are given eternal life, and you have already been made a child of God. Everyone who believes is a child of God. We don’t become His children when we believe and do good deeds to some extent, or when we can live according to the teachings of Christianity to some extent. When you believe, you have become a child. Therefore, we who believe are already children of God.

All who believe in Christ become children of God “by grace,” that is, as a gift, not at any sacrifice or price. Some may think that if it is free and given just by believing it is not a big deal. But that is a big misunderstanding. What if someone gave you an expensive Lamborghini sports car as a gift for free? I don't think you can say that it's not a big deal. You get it for free, but you know that the person who gave it to you paid a lot of money. Also, we know roughly how big the market value of the car is. I know it's worth more than I can afford. I'm surprised that you would give me such an expensive gift. So is the gift that we are saved and made children of God. We have received that blessing by grace through faith. But God has gifted us with blessings that we will never get no matter how hard we try. For that reason, God paid a sacrifice of great love. God sacrificed His only Son, the Lord Jesus, in our place. And the Lord Jesus offered his sinless, holy body as a payment for our sins. A holy person who never needs to be judged or suffer has suffered for our salvation. And if anyone believes in the Lord Jesus and accepts him, he has opened the way for us to be forgiven and become children of God. So, if you know its value and cost, it's no big deal, and you'll be overwhelmed by the value of the gift.

What great blessing is being made a child of God?

"What kind of person is God?" He is the omniscient, omnipotent God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them out of nothing. He is the one for whom nothing is impossible. He is capable of anything as long as it is not contrary to his nature. He is also a man of endless love and mercy. He never abandons us and loves us with unchanging love that never abandons us. I am also a father and I make many mistakes and failures. I have many shortcomings. I can also misjudge what is best for my children. But God is all-knowing and all-powerful. His wisdom is immeasurable. He knows what is best and is capable of doing it. And you are the one who can give the best. For all things belong to God. What a great blessing it is that God has become our Father.

Parents and children are a special relationship

Parents and children have a special relationship. My father was suddenly summoned just the other day. Of course it's not perfect. There are also drawbacks. But my father was a good father who loved me and supported me.

Example) When I was little, my father always gave me 100 yen. He doesn't attend church, but my father took me to church on rainy days. As a father-in-law, he is a very good father to my wife Hae-young (he even came to America to prepare meals for us).

Unfortunately, there are people in this world who don't know their fathers, who lost their fathers when they were young, or who don't know their fathers for various reasons.

But today's passage of scripture contains a wonderful blessing.

Those who believe in the Lord Jesus are made children of God. It means that God will be your father.

The relationship between father and son, the relationship between parent and child is a special relationship. If you have children of your own, that doesn't mean you don't care about other children, but your children are special.

God loves everyone, but he loves those who believe in Jesus in a special way. He loves you as a true child.

As a Father, God always gives us what we need.

Matthew 7:11

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

This is what the Lord Jesus teaches about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. We human parents want to give good things to our children, so He is teaching us that our Heavenly Father will surely give us what we ask for. It is also very encouraging that the Lord Jesus said, "Who is your Father who is in heaven?" that's right. God has become our father. And with His omnipotent power and wisdom who knows what is best, He will always give us what we need and what is best.

We who believed have such a wonderful person as our father. And because God wants us to have a close relationship, I understand that God wants us to come before our Heavenly Father in prayer and tell them about our needs, just like in these words. For it is written, "To those who ask."

Furthermore, if you look at Hebrews chapter 12, it says that God loves us as his true children. That is why He also “disciplines” us with love so that we may become pure. It's not because He doesn’t love us, but because He loves us as His children. Moreover, we are given only the tough love that we really need. We human parents sometimes apply unnecessary or unfair discipline, but undeserved punishment will never be given by our Heavenly Father. He gives us the right amount of tough love that we need to get us back on track, to purify us, for our benefit. Because he loves us as his children.

Are you using or enjoying your privileges?

Finally, are we enjoying the blessing of being made children of God? Are you using that right?

John 1:12

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

"He" is the Lord Jesus. Those who believed in the Lord Jesus were given the privilege of becoming children of God. It's a special right. And rights can be used or not used. Are we using this privilege of being a child of God?

And what is the number one right given to us as children?

It is access to God the Father.

You can always approach God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, as a child. What a blessing this is!

In old Japan, appealing directly to the shogun or feudal lord without going through formal procedures was severely punished.

In Japan, it is very difficult to meet the Prime Minister personally, and in the United States, it is very difficult to meet the President directly. We can't meet in person unless it's some special occasion.

But their children will be able to meet soon. Their families can meet soon.

We can always approach the God who made the heavens and earth. What a blessing it is to be able to call you Heavenly Father!

Hebrew4:16

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

We can always meet with God the Father for timely help. Because God is everywhere. It teaches in this context that we are always closer through faith in Jesus. You can talk to them directly. By prayer. This is a great privilege. No reservation required. Every child can meet God the Heavenly Father in prayer at any time. At home, at work, at school, anywhere. Morning, night, anywhere. And unlike human parents, they never want their children to do it later because they are too busy or too tired to do so tomorrow. At any time, if we turn our hearts and pray, he is the one who listens earnestly. With your omnipotence and boundless wisdom, He will answer you in the best possible way. There is no field that God is not good at or that he does not understand. Of course he doesn't always give us what we want. Because we often want what is not in our best interests, what is not the best. But Heavenly Father is the one who always gives us what we need and what is best. He also sees and knows all that we cannot see and guides us to the best.

We have the right to approach such a person in prayer at any time. Let's not waste it. Heavenly Father is always waiting for us to come closer.

summary

Today, I have confirmed the wonderful blessing that all of us who believe have already been made children of God. This is a privilege given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus. This is a blessing.

I think there are still some people who do not know exactly who the Lord Jesus is. Please consider that the blessings of being a child today are the blessings prepared for you as well. Please remember that the Lord Jesus loved you and died on the cross to pay for our sins so that you could be made a child of God.

Already Christians, let us always remember the blessing of being made into this child. and use the privilege of being a child of God.

Let's put it into practice now. Come before God in prayer. And remember the words of Hebrews 4:16 and this Philippian promise.

Philippians 4:6-7

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”