ABBA FATHER -- Tomorrow:
"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).
One of the great benefits of salvation is that of our elevation from the status of mere servants, or slaves, to that of friends and sons. It ought to be clear that "Abba, Father" is not a servile expression. While it is true that we are "servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:18) and "servants to God" (Rom. 6:22), there also is a sense in which we are no longer servants.
During preparation for the transition to the new covenant, Jesus revealed the nature of our new relationship to God and Himself. While the words were spoken to the disciples, they are applicable to all within the new covenant. They describe a condition accomplished by salvation. "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15).
The idea is that those in Christ are privy to the "good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2). They are working for the Lord, but not in the dark. They serve the Lord, but not in ignorance. In the strictest sense, those in Christ are workers together with God" (1 Cor 3:9). They are working in the light, and with an awareness of what the Lord is doing.
This is a privilege not afforded to those serving a law principle. The Holy Spirit emphasizes this in the fourth chapter of Galatians. "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:4-6).
Those who labor under the mandate of law, even though they may be in Christ and technically sons, are nevertheless deprived of many benefits. They work with the same compulsion as those who are not sons at all. They endeavor to please the Lord as though they were not even in His house, with all the rights and privileges of sons. It is not until they grow up into Christ that they become aware of the birthrights connected with sonship.
Note the conclusion of the Holy Spirit on the above situation. It is staggering to the flesh, but comforting to the spirit. "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:7). Our inheritance, therefore, is immediately related to our sonship! Let the saints rejoice in their status as sons!
Our appointed destiny in Jesus is that of an heir of "all things" (Rev. 21:7). Until that time, we have been given the Spirit of adoption, and cry "Abba, Father" -- a privilege not afforded a mere servant. Unlike a servant, we have been adopted as sons, and partake of the benefits of the household. "Abba, Father" is an expression denoting this marvelous status. It reveals the longing of the believer's heart, and the purposes of the Father as well. It conveys the fervency of the heart of the son, and the eagerness of the Father to bless. It is the Holy Spirit who provokes this cry, thereby bringing the child of God into accord with the purpose of the Father's toward him.
PRAYER POINT: Father, thanking You for making me Your son seems too small of a response. In the name of Your only begotten Son, I ask for grace to walk as a beloved child, bringing pleasure to Your own heart.