THE RELATION OF THOSE IN CHRIST TO THE FATHER

"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" (Rom. 8:15). "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6).

Devotion 1 of 11

Significance of the Father #1

Implicit reliance on the Father is the consistent initial result of the new birth. God receives no one who does not rely upon Him, and He rejects no one that does. The difficulty is that we are in an estranged world, surrounded by alienating influences, and pursued by a fierce adversary. Under such conditions, how can we be constant in this matter? The Holy Spirit is heaven's Administrator in our salvation and sanctification. He has been given to us to facilitate our reliance upon the Lord. You have every reason to be confident!

INTRODUCTION

The status of the sons of God is not generally appreciated--at least not to the degree available to us. One of the penalties of a legalistic religion is that those embracing it are robbed of an awareness of their position in Christ. A highly regimented religion may appear to wise, but its benefits are very few, if any at all. The Spirit makes this point in Colossians 2:20-23.

THE PROMINENCE OF THE FATHER

Blessings come from the Father. It is God Himself "who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Somehow, God has been left out of much of contemporary preaching. Jesus, however, placed a consistent emphasis upon "the Father" (Matt 11:27; 28:19; Mk 13:32; John 1:14,18; 4:21,23; 5:19-23,26,30,36,37,45; 27,37,44-46,57; 8:18,27,29 . . . etc.). Seventy-two times Jesus referred to "THE FATHER." Personalizing it, in relation to Himself, He referred to "MY Father" 47 times (i.e., Matt 7:21; 10:32-33; Matt 11:27; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10,19 . . . etc.).

Jesus Raised by the Father's Glory

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). Remember, the Spirit is noted for speaking "expressly," or specifically. When addressing subjects like the resurrection of Christ, the foundation upon which our hope rests, He does not employ ambiguous speech. In this case, "the glory of the Father" includes the glory Jesus had with Him in the beginning, when He was known as "the Word" (John 17:5). That is what brought our Savior from the regions of the dead. The magnificent Divine nature brought our Lord back! Here it is called "the glory of the Father." Because of this glory, Peter referred to the Davidic prophesy that it was was not possible for death to hold Jesus (Acts 2:24; Psa 16:8-10).

We are in Him

"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him" (1 Cor. 8:6). What a marvelous thought! After all, the chief work of Jesus is to "bring us to God" (1 Pet 3:18). He declared, "No man comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6). The relationship of believers to the Father is not a distant one! We in Him, and He is in us. As Jesus Himself said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him . . . Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:21,23).

The kingdom will go back to Him

"Then cometh the end, when He (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power" (1 Cor. 15:24). Suffice it to say, the Spirit proclaims that the Father, Who gave all power in heaven and on earth to the Son, will receive it back again. With the Apostle, let us bow our "knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 3:14). PRAYER POINT: Father, how gracuoius of You to send Jesus to take away our sins, and bring us to Yourself. We find great delight in your presence, and fulness of joy.

-- TOMORROW: SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FATHER, #2 --