GOD IS A FAMILY MAN
Family Comes First
God is a family man. Out of all the things he is involved with in this world: the detailed organization of the stars and the planets, the earthquakes and the tornados and the other acts of nature on this earth, the changing of the seasons, the preservation of what he has created, war, the economy, politics… Out of everything God occupies himself with on a day to day basis, his family comes first. He calls himself the “Father” after all and the second person of the Triune God is referred to as his “Son.” And when this Father created the first two human beings, Adam and Eve, he made them “in his own image” Scripture says. Not physically, of course, but spiritually and psychologically this first married couple was similar to the God who created them. But he not only created them, he crafted this world for them and came down and talked to them on a regular basis and doted over them because they were his family and he wanted to share his love. Even after Adam and Eve disobeyed the Father and had to be sent away from that Garden, the Lord still loved them. He punished them but he also promised to send them a Savior that would rescue them from the ultimate effects of their sin. And over the years and throughout the millennia The Father made sure that everything in this world and every event in this life worked toward that end. He wanted every one of his family members, from Adam and Eve on, to join him again in the Paradise that had once been thrown away. That was his number one concern. That still is his number one concern. Because God’s family comes first.
An Unlikely Adoption
Realize, of course, that not everyone is part of God’s family. Those who do not believe in him are not included in that very special group. Which means that every one of us here was automatically outside of God’s family from the very beginning because we did not start as believers. No one is naturally born with that distinction. No one is biologically blessed as a child of God from birth. Not anymore. Not since Adam and Eve passed their contaminated sinful nature down to their children and from their children to their children and down through the generations. And so just like every other person that has ever existed on this earth, we did not now God as our Father at first, we did not believe that God could be our Father, and we did not care. We were filled up to the brim with sin to the point of overflowing. We were actually enemies of God because of that sinful nature - and nothing more.
And so the fact that we are now children of God is incredible! The fact that we are sitting here this morning in God’s house as a part of his family is almost inconceivable! Because how could that possibly happen? How could it be that we went from enemies of God by our very nature to children of God beyond a doubt? Well, what is the only way a child can become a member of a family without being born into that family? The only way is through adoption. And that is exactly what happened to us. The apostle Paul describes for us the spiritual adoption process that our Lord went through to make you one of his own.
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Family Comes First
God is a family man. Out of all the things he is involved with in this world: the detailed organization of the stars and the planets, the earthquakes and the tornados and the other acts of nature on this earth, the changing of the seasons, the preservation of what he has created, war, the economy, politics… Out of everything God occupies himself with on a day to day basis, his family comes first. He calls himself the “Father” after all and the second person of the Triune God is referred to as his “Son.” And when this Father created the first two human beings, Adam and Eve, he made them “in his own image” Scripture says. Not physically, of course, but spiritually and psychologically this first married couple was similar to the God who created them. But he not only created them, he crafted this world for them and came down and talked to them on a regular basis and doted over them because they were his family and he wanted to share his love. Even after Adam and Eve disobeyed the Father and had to be sent away from that Garden, the Lord still loved them. He punished them but he also promised to send them a Savior that would rescue them from the ultimate effects of their sin. And over the years and throughout the millennia The Father made sure that everything in this world and every event in this life worked toward that end. He wanted every one of his family members, from Adam and Eve on, to join him again in the Paradise that had once been thrown away. That was his number one concern. That still is his number one concern. Because God’s family comes first.
An Unlikely Adoption
Realize, of course, that not everyone is part of God’s family. Those who do not believe in him are not included in that very special group. Which means that every one of us here was automatically outside of God’s family from the very beginning because we did not start as believers. No one is naturally born with that distinction. No one is biologically blessed as a child of God from birth. Not anymore. Not since Adam and Eve passed their contaminated sinful nature down to their children and from their children to their children and down through the generations. And so just like every other person that has ever existed on this earth, we did not now God as our Father at first, we did not believe that God could be our Father, and we did not care. We were filled up to the brim with sin to the point of overflowing. We were actually enemies of God because of that sinful nature - and nothing more.
And so the fact that we are now children of God is incredible! The fact that we are sitting here this morning in God’s house as a part of his family is almost inconceivable! Because how could that possibly happen? How could it be that we went from enemies of God by our very nature to children of God beyond a doubt? Well, what is the only way a child can become a member of a family without being born into that family? The only way is through adoption. And that is exactly what happened to us. The apostle Paul describes for us the spiritual adoption process that our Lord went through to make you one of his own.
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
In order for you to be adopted you received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Whether the Spirit worked through the gospel at your baptism or the Spirit worked through the gospel when you read or heard the words of the Bible, God sent the Holy Spirit into your heart, convinced you that he paid for your sins when he sacrificed his Son on a cross, and officially adopted you into his family through faith. And now, because of what Jesus did for us when he took our place and what the Holy Spirit did for us when he worked faith in our hearts, we can boldly cry out, “Abba, Father” in complete confidence that God truly is our Father and that we are his grateful children. We can be proud and honored that we are now members of his family - especially when there was a time when we were anything but. But… as his children, sometimes we end up acting more like children than we should.
Ungrateful and Disobedient Children
Because children sometimes take their parents for granted, don’t they? They are used to receiving constant care and attention; they are accustomed to getting food and clothing and the basic necessities of life from their parents, but children don’t often thank their parents or show any gratitude for what they do. Children might not truly appreciate their parents until they are parents themselves and can look back at all of the things their parents actually did for them over the years. And on top of all that, children can act very ungrateful as well. They oftentimes ignore their parents, disobey their parents, and even blatantly disregard what their parents want and say. And so not only do children fail to recognize how much their parents sacrifice for them, they even disrespect their parents by their actions and their words.
Whether you have children living in your house right now or not and no matter how young or old you might be at the moment, every one of us is or once was at one time a child of a parent. And if I asked you to write down the most unruly and disappointing things you did as a child to your parents, that list might be a long one for most of us and probably not too flattering. Some of our words and some of our actions as children were not commendable at all and we’d be embarrassed if other people were aware of what we did and said.
But if I asked you to write down the most unruly and disappointing things that you have done as a child against your heavenly Father, would that list be any better? Not a chance! It’d be longer and darker and even more appalling! What we have done and what we have said against our heavenly Father throughout our lives is disgusting. We have ignored his Word at times; we have disobeyed his commands more than we’d like to admit; and we have blatantly disregarded what he wanted on numerous occasions. We have been very ungrateful of what he has done for us, haven’t we? We have been very unappreciative of what he has sacrificed for us. We may very well be his children, but we should be a little embarrassed about what kind of children we have been to the Father who has worked so hard and has done so much for us.
A Father’s Forgiveness
But he is still our Father. And that’s important. Because that means that God is not our boss and he is not our employer; he is not our supervisor and he is not our governing authority. He is not an unapproachable holy God whom we cannot possibly address with our pleas and our needs and our confessions; he truly is our dear Father. He cares for us; he longs for us; and, most importantly, he forgives us. Because that’s what a father does: a father forgives. And so whenever we let him down we can come to him and cry out, “Abba, Father” in full confidence knowing that he not only hears us but he forgives us as well and holds us again in his arms.
“Abba” is simply the Aramaic word for “father.” It’s not really a special word or a term that refers to something other than the word we use for “dad” or “father,” but it is something special because of who used that word in Scripture. In the Garden of Gethsemane, just moments before Judas Iscariot led the chief priests’ posse to the place where Jesus and his disciples had gathered, the Son of God prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Jesus himself used the Aramaic word and the Greek word for “father” as he addressed his heavenly Father on that night before his crucifixion. And now here, in the book of Romans, the Lord says that we are able to address the Almighty God in the exact same way, “Abba, Father, you are the one I can turn to when I need help. You are the one I can go to when I am lost. You are the one I can count on to love me and forgive me and be there for me when I have not really loved you.” And he will. Our “Abba,” our “Father” will love us and forgive us and be there for us even when we have not exactly loved him as we should. Because he knew we would be this way!
He knew what he was getting when he signed those adoption papers at our baptism. He fully understood that we were saturated with sin and prone to rebellion and overrun with spiritual diseases and disorders that would affect us for the rest of our lives. And he realized how we would act even after we were brought into his family. He foresaw the problems and he was aware of the difficulties that we would cause for him and bring upon ourselves down the road. But he adopted us anyway. He wanted us to be his children no matter what we had done or what we were going to do. And so now whenever we ignore him or disobey him or blatantly disregard what he wants, he forgives us. Because he knows that he’s going to have to! And he wants to. He wants to keep us as his children. He wants us to stay in the family. He wants to show us his love. And whether we deserve it or not: in the end he’s going to give his children his inheritance.
The Inheritance
Because “If we are children,” Paul writes, “then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” The children receive the inheritance. Not the neighbors, not the employees, not even the friends, but the children of the Father receive the inheritance. Why? What have the children done to gain that inheritance? What have the children accomplished to earn that inheritance? What have the children proven to win that inheritance? Nothing, right? The children receive the inheritance simply because they are his children. There are no requirements to meet other than being a child of the one who has something left to give. And our Father certainly has something left to give! He has a celebration waiting us that we only get a hint of at an Easter Sunday worship service. He has a feast prepared for us that we only get a taste of as we stand in front of his altar at the Lord’s Supper. He has a life of glory and majesty and perfection all ready for us that we only get a glimmer of at baptism. Our Father has heaven in store for us, an eternity of Paradise that is incomparable and never ending. And that incredible inheritance is waiting for us not because we are good people or faithful followers or loyal servants who honestly try hard and do our best, but simply because we are his children. Good or bad, trustworthy or disobedient, long time children or adopted late in life, since we are members of his family through faith, his inheritance is ours.
There is an extreme comfort there, of course. Because in this world parents pass away and spouses don’t always stick around; children aren’t that reliable and family members of various degrees can’t always be counted on. But you will always remain a child of God; and he will always be your Father. You are just as precious to him today as you were on the day he adopted you. And nothing will make him happier than the day on which he takes you home. Your Father is looking forward to that family reunion. I know I am. And I can’t wait to meet you there.
Amen.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” - Psalm 33:12
Ungrateful and Disobedient Children
Because children sometimes take their parents for granted, don’t they? They are used to receiving constant care and attention; they are accustomed to getting food and clothing and the basic necessities of life from their parents, but children don’t often thank their parents or show any gratitude for what they do. Children might not truly appreciate their parents until they are parents themselves and can look back at all of the things their parents actually did for them over the years. And on top of all that, children can act very ungrateful as well. They oftentimes ignore their parents, disobey their parents, and even blatantly disregard what their parents want and say. And so not only do children fail to recognize how much their parents sacrifice for them, they even disrespect their parents by their actions and their words.
Whether you have children living in your house right now or not and no matter how young or old you might be at the moment, every one of us is or once was at one time a child of a parent. And if I asked you to write down the most unruly and disappointing things you did as a child to your parents, that list might be a long one for most of us and probably not too flattering. Some of our words and some of our actions as children were not commendable at all and we’d be embarrassed if other people were aware of what we did and said.
But if I asked you to write down the most unruly and disappointing things that you have done as a child against your heavenly Father, would that list be any better? Not a chance! It’d be longer and darker and even more appalling! What we have done and what we have said against our heavenly Father throughout our lives is disgusting. We have ignored his Word at times; we have disobeyed his commands more than we’d like to admit; and we have blatantly disregarded what he wanted on numerous occasions. We have been very ungrateful of what he has done for us, haven’t we? We have been very unappreciative of what he has sacrificed for us. We may very well be his children, but we should be a little embarrassed about what kind of children we have been to the Father who has worked so hard and has done so much for us.
A Father’s Forgiveness
But he is still our Father. And that’s important. Because that means that God is not our boss and he is not our employer; he is not our supervisor and he is not our governing authority. He is not an unapproachable holy God whom we cannot possibly address with our pleas and our needs and our confessions; he truly is our dear Father. He cares for us; he longs for us; and, most importantly, he forgives us. Because that’s what a father does: a father forgives. And so whenever we let him down we can come to him and cry out, “Abba, Father” in full confidence knowing that he not only hears us but he forgives us as well and holds us again in his arms.
“Abba” is simply the Aramaic word for “father.” It’s not really a special word or a term that refers to something other than the word we use for “dad” or “father,” but it is something special because of who used that word in Scripture. In the Garden of Gethsemane, just moments before Judas Iscariot led the chief priests’ posse to the place where Jesus and his disciples had gathered, the Son of God prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Jesus himself used the Aramaic word and the Greek word for “father” as he addressed his heavenly Father on that night before his crucifixion. And now here, in the book of Romans, the Lord says that we are able to address the Almighty God in the exact same way, “Abba, Father, you are the one I can turn to when I need help. You are the one I can go to when I am lost. You are the one I can count on to love me and forgive me and be there for me when I have not really loved you.” And he will. Our “Abba,” our “Father” will love us and forgive us and be there for us even when we have not exactly loved him as we should. Because he knew we would be this way!
He knew what he was getting when he signed those adoption papers at our baptism. He fully understood that we were saturated with sin and prone to rebellion and overrun with spiritual diseases and disorders that would affect us for the rest of our lives. And he realized how we would act even after we were brought into his family. He foresaw the problems and he was aware of the difficulties that we would cause for him and bring upon ourselves down the road. But he adopted us anyway. He wanted us to be his children no matter what we had done or what we were going to do. And so now whenever we ignore him or disobey him or blatantly disregard what he wants, he forgives us. Because he knows that he’s going to have to! And he wants to. He wants to keep us as his children. He wants us to stay in the family. He wants to show us his love. And whether we deserve it or not: in the end he’s going to give his children his inheritance.
The Inheritance
Because “If we are children,” Paul writes, “then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” The children receive the inheritance. Not the neighbors, not the employees, not even the friends, but the children of the Father receive the inheritance. Why? What have the children done to gain that inheritance? What have the children accomplished to earn that inheritance? What have the children proven to win that inheritance? Nothing, right? The children receive the inheritance simply because they are his children. There are no requirements to meet other than being a child of the one who has something left to give. And our Father certainly has something left to give! He has a celebration waiting us that we only get a hint of at an Easter Sunday worship service. He has a feast prepared for us that we only get a taste of as we stand in front of his altar at the Lord’s Supper. He has a life of glory and majesty and perfection all ready for us that we only get a glimmer of at baptism. Our Father has heaven in store for us, an eternity of Paradise that is incomparable and never ending. And that incredible inheritance is waiting for us not because we are good people or faithful followers or loyal servants who honestly try hard and do our best, but simply because we are his children. Good or bad, trustworthy or disobedient, long time children or adopted late in life, since we are members of his family through faith, his inheritance is ours.
There is an extreme comfort there, of course. Because in this world parents pass away and spouses don’t always stick around; children aren’t that reliable and family members of various degrees can’t always be counted on. But you will always remain a child of God; and he will always be your Father. You are just as precious to him today as you were on the day he adopted you. And nothing will make him happier than the day on which he takes you home. Your Father is looking forward to that family reunion. I know I am. And I can’t wait to meet you there.
Amen.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” - Psalm 33:12
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