Creator, Father, King #268

Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

IN THE APOSTLE PAUL’s day, ancient Roman culture was rife with slavery. Some historians estimate that fifty percent of the Roman Empire’s population were slaves of some sort.

So Paul—always on the lookout for a good metaphor—used the slavery motif to illustrate a vital Christian doctrine: God’s adoption of believers into his spiritual family. Look at the full text of today’s verse, Romans 8:15: “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’”

Here’s Paul’s point: God is both holy (utterly set apart and transcendent from his creation) and personal. When we become part of God’s spiritual family through faith in Christ, we don’t have to approach him in fear, like a slave cowering before his master. We can approach God like what he truly is: a loving heavenly Father.

What’s It Mean?

What comes to mind when you hear the word father? A loving dad who showered you with time and affection? A godly patriarch who led your family well in “the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)? That’s certainly the ideal!

But perhaps your family situation isn’t that picturesque. Maybe you come from a broken home—or worse, an abusive one. Please understand that divorce and any form of abuse is ultimately the result of sin, which grieves God’s heart. That wasn’t part of his original family design.

But take heart: regardless of the merits of your earthly father, God is a perfect heavenly Father. Because he is holy and just, he will always do what is right. He is completely trustworthy.

God cares for his children with a love that’s incomprehensible (Psalm 103:11-12). He knows the most intimate details about you, such as the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30), the unspoken words in your mind (Psalm 139:4), and every detail of your future (Psalm 139:16).

God’s love for you far exceeds that of even the most wonderful human father. He counts all your tears (Psalm 56:8), provides for all your physical and spiritual needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19), and most importantly, he sacrificed his own Son so that he could adopt you into his spiritual family forever (John 3:16).

What a wonderful Father! What a God! What a Savior!

Now What?

You can pray to your heavenly Father at any time, as Jesus encouraged us to do in Matthew 6:9-13.

Did You Know?

In Aramaic, the word Abba means “father.” Jesus used this term while praying to God in Gethsemane before his impending crucifixion (Mark 14:36).