If God is our Father, what does that make us? Who are we?
Luke 15 verses 21 – 24
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
- The son thought he would come back and work for his father as an employee, a slave. “At least I’d have food and shelter”, he thought to himself.
- The father immediately re-instated him, not as a servant, but as a son
- Human way of thinking: slave
- God’s way: son
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” ― A.W. Tozer
If we think of God as a harsh, vindictive, and vengeful God than we will live with a “slave mentality” – the mindset the prodigal son had when he was returning home.
If we think of God as the loving, generous, and patient Father that Jesus teaches us he is, we will learn to live with a “son mentality”
(side note: this doesn’t mean that God the Father is a big push over….)
“Slave mentality” versus “Son mentality”
Galatians 4:4-7
- What are some key words?
- What’s the Main theme: In Christ, no longer slaves, but sons
As a Christian, we have been adopted into God’s family and have been made one of his sons or daughters.
Understanding that God is our Father and that our core identity is as one of his sons/daughters is foundational to how we will live our life.
The Temptation of Jesus – Matthew 4:1-3
- “If you are the Son of God”
- This was Satan’s first and second attack at Jesus.
- He was attacking Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.
- Why do you think he did that?
- Do you think that Satan still attacks us in that way?
But, God says that we are sons/daughters and it is out of that truth that we must learn to live.
Romans 8:15
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
- What does Paul say that we are no longer? slaves
- What does Paul say that we are now? Sons
- How then should we live? not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. slaves fear, sons love.
Augustine: “The fear of slaves, although it renders belief to the Master, contains no love of righteousness but only the fear of damnation.”
As God’s children, how can we now approach God?
- Abba, Father – Aramaic term used by Jesus to address his Father.
- An intimate term used by children to their father – not formal and stiff, a term of love, trust, and affection
- We can now come to the Father the same way Jesus did!
How this should impact our life:
- If our life does not live up to our voice that calls God “Abba, Father” then we end up insulting God
- As if the prodigal son, after being welcomed home, decided to go back out and do the same things we was doing
- It would be like taking the love of the Father and throwing it back in his face
- God, our Abba Father, wants to transform us by his love so that we live as adopted sons fully devoted to him in our love
God our Father, out of his extravagant generosity, invites us to come to him not as slaves, but as adopted and loved sons/daughters!
It’s not by anything that we have done, it’s purely the love of the Father.
It’s an invitation we can accept of reject. But, God wants us in his family and at his table to feast and fellowship with the whole Trinity and with all of our new brothers and sisters.
Topic for next week:
Who is God? God the Son, Jesus Christ.
Scripture for next week:
- Philippians 2:5-11
- Hebrew 1:1-4
