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KNOWING THE FATHER
We are not much interested in the “universal fatherhood” of God and “universal brotherhood” of man: ideas spread so thin as to be mere nothingness having no real effect upon anyone. We are not interested in such things because the Bible reveals a much closer relationship with God than that of creation-Creator. In fact, if you only know God as your Creator you have missed knowing Him as your Savior. In Romans 8:15-16 it is written: “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” There is a religion often wrongly named Christianity which is nothing more than a fearful bondage and servile trembling. This is a religion of works and legalistic slavery as to a cruel taskmaster. But in these verses Paul writes of another higher and quite different religion – nay! Not a mere religion: but a relationship between a sinner and his Deliverer: between a dearly loved Father and His child. This relationship of which Paul writes is not something to which an individual may attain. It is not something for which the sinner must strive and achieve. Rather, it is clearly stated to be something “received” by the individual. It is called “the Spirit of adoption.” It is something foreign to the natural man: a gift. Adam and his descendants know nothing of this by virtue of their natural generation. It is something bestowed by God's grace in dealing with His people as are all the gifts of God. It is written: “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). In the light of these Bible verses, who will dare to think or say that he has received anything from God because of his own goodness or achievement? Has God put a difference between you and others? Have you a brother or a sister who continues to willfully reject Christ? How is it that you cry “Abba” to the Father when your loved ones do not? (“Abba” is an old Syriac or Aramaic word of endearment spoken by a little child to its father.) And so we are brought once again to the matter of grace as we always are throughout the Bible. For in the matter of salvation and all that term entails, we read, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The works-loving mind of the natural man is confronted once again with the brick wall of God's grace! Why will you not surrender to God's Word? Why do you dare to think that God recognizes you as special because of something you have done or not done or desire to do?
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