Are you following Jesus? #23

As we follow Jesus there is a very important part of our faith we must understand and that part is knowing God as our Father. Read what J.I. Packer says in his book "Knowing God":



What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father....If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.



Wow, that is an awesome insight to our faith. Remember how Jesus taught us to pray?



Matthew 6:9-10



9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.10 Your kingdom come.Your will be doneOn earth as it is in heaven.



Our Father! God is our Father as well as Jesus! Absorb that in, think on it! Give God some praise and glory for taking us in! You may have been disappointed in your earthly father or you may have had a great earthly Father but no matter our heavenly Father can not be matched! Ever!



So how did God become our Father? We were adopted! Full fledged adopted! And we have all rights of a natural child! God holds nothing back from us and He wants us to call Him Father!!!! Look at this verse:



Romans 8:15



For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”



When we become children, we know it and we have a longing in our hearts through the Holy Spirit for God or Father....look at this verse:



Galatians 4:6



And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”



In an earthly sense have you ever needed daddy? Well how much more should we need our father and cry out to him in need and in praise! Our Father in heaven wants whats best for us...look here in scripture:



Matthew 7:11



11 If you then, being 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!



James 1:17



17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.



God gives perfect gifts to His children and the best perfect gift is Jesus! God had done everything possible to bring us to himself, have you come to the Father? Do you see God as your Father? Or is He just somebody you see that you have to serve? It makes all the difference in the world in how you view God!



A servant many times feels forced to follow his master. The tasks at hand are not joyful. Burdens are placed upon the servant.



A child on the other hand feels the love of the Father, wants to please the Father, it is a joy to serve the Father because the Father has already bestowed upon the child more than he could ever ask for...grace, mercy, forgiveness, and eternity!



You see why it matters so much on how we view God? It is a must for the follower of Jesus to view God in the proper way! Think about this today!



Tom