04 Jul Do You Relate to God as Master or Father?
Galatians 4:6-7 – 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.
It seems like we’ve largely forgotten God the Father. If you go to most any evangelical church, you will hear a lot about God the Son. If you go to most any Pentecostal or charismatic church, you will hear a lot about God the Spirit. But, rarely do you hear much about God the Father.
If you want to hear a lot about the Father, listen to Jesus. No less than 165 times in the first three gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) Jesus refers to God as Father. Father is Jesus’ favorite title for God, and there is no indication that the word Abba was used before Jesus Christ to speak about God. The word Abba was one used by both young children, and adult children to speak warmly and respectfully to and about their dad. This helps explain why Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father”.
Jesus Christ lived from His identity as the Son of God. As Jesus came up from out of the baptismal waters, Luke 3:22 says, “a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’”. Satan’s entire attack on Jesus centered on His identity as the Son of God as Luke 4:3,9 reports Satan saying, “If you are the Son of God”.
Jesus fully believed and trusted in His identity as the Son of God. And, Jesus wants you to believe and trust fully in your identity as a son of God now adopted into the divine Family through Jesus Christ. Tragically, many people do not see God as a Father, but rather a Master. Rather than seeing God as a relational, involved, lovingly helpful blessing they instead see God as a distant, aloof, demanding and overbearing burden giver. People with a view of God as master view every day as just needing to take your beating, do your job, and not upset your Boss. God does not relate to His people as a Master. God does relate to His people as a Father. Here’s the difference:
God as Master VS God as Father
A master uses you VS A father blesses you
You serve them VS They serve you
Motivate you by fear VS Motivate you by love
Beats you down VS Builds you up
No inheritance VS Full inheritance starting with the down payment of the Holy Spirit
Honestly, do you view God more as Master or Father?
