Abba, Father

Father.

Have you ever thought about or felt the weight of that one word?

What does the name “father” mean for you? Does this name remind you of a man in your life that is strong, loving, brave, protective, and kind? or does this one word sting + remind you of painful wounds in your life?

As a child, have you ever felt the strong arms of your father? His strong, powerful, protective arms that have made you feel safe, loved, and cared for. If not, have you seen or experienced watching another child in response to their father? Maybe the baby falls off the playground and the father is immediately there to graciously comfort the crying child. I know for some, perhaps you never got to meet your father, or your father was not one to carry the responsibility of loving his children well. Maybe you long for the safety and comfort of a loving parent that does make you feel safe, protected, and cared for.

The name of God, “Abba” in Aramaic means, “Father.” He is the God of Gods, the Self Existent One, The God who Sees, The Lord that is There, The God Most High, The Creator, the God Almighty. Not only is God all of those names and titles we have studied so far and more, but God is our FATHER. Without this name and this fatherly characteristic of Him, the whole point of the gospel would be missed.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.” Galatians 4:4-6

Adopted.

What does this truly mean for us?

This passage in Galatians holds so much weight and hope. In other words, before the foundation of the world, God knew He would sacrifice His only Son. When the time arrived, He sent His precious Son as a baby, to be born into this world and to experience the humanity + sin of man. He came not only as a baby, but a Redeemer. He came as a Savior, for the purpose of bridging the gap between us and God, and making a way for us to be physically and spiritually adopted into His Covenantal family. As believers of Christ and this promise, we are sons and daughters of Him, we are heirs of the Kingdom.

So with this incredible truth in mind, how should we view God? Unbelievers cannot look to God and call Him their heavenly Father. Yes, He created them, but not until we have trusted in the the saving work of Christ and His atonement for our sins can we look to Him as our true Father, nor can He look to as us His adopted children. No matter your upbringing or how your earthly parents treat you now, as believers, we have a gracious Father and we should view Him as such. He sovereignly mapped our lives out before the creation of the world, and from the beginning of time, like a gracious, good Father, He has known what is best for each of us. In Him, we find our true comfort, love, protection, and safety. May this truth lead us to awe and worship of Him. As simple as this truth may seem to those that have heard it so many times, may we still be like little children and run to our Father. I pray these truths saturate our lives inside and out, and may it transform the way we view Him. He should be our home, resting place, and firm ground.

Praise God for His gracious kindness in adopting us. He is our Abba, the Father we have longed for and waited for.