God our Father!

(1Corinthians 13:11)  “When I was a child…”

When I was a child I spoke as a child, but there was an amazing amount of loyalty attached to my childlike mind. I can clearly remember how I use to blow my father’s trumpet and I was not alone. Amongst many of the boys at school there seem to be an on-going competition of who had the greatest father. Whenever we were in a corner, just a recollection or the mention of our dads would save the day, comments like my dad is stronger than your dad, or he can run faster than your dad etc. Comments made without any factual backing whatsoever and yet we believed it with all our hearts. A trust of such magnitude that the facts played a secondary role to what we actually perceived.

As my mind wonders down memory lane I am reminded that some of the dads were far more committed to their children then others. But that never seem to faze the resilient child, not on the surface anyway. As I looked around at the other fathers as glee shone across their faces, as they watched their sons play cricket and although my father’s face was absent, that didn’t matter, he was still my hero and I couldn’t wait to tell him how well we had done.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. (1Corinthians 13:11) 

We see this rebuke from Paul to the Corinthian church as a time to move on in our understanding and become men, but let us slow down as we unpack this. How many apparent men have still not learnt to boast about their Father? The only true living God, the final authority of the God head, God the Father, the One who sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for our sins, Him who knew no sin became sin for us so that we may now live; now adopted into His family, and with the privilege to cry “Abba Father”. Wow, what an honour!

Just maybe it’s time for us to take a step backwards and to think on our childish manner and learn once again to boast in our standing as children of God. Not that the boast is in us but rather it is about our magnificent heavenly Father, Praise His wonderful name and again I say praise it all you children of the earth! Have we forgotten who we are in Him? We are children of the living God! Why then do we always start our prayers like, “O wretched man that I am”? We once where vile and full of sin, and although sin looks to rob us of our victory in Him, we are no longer justified in own standing, in fact we never where, I don’t know why we even give place to this thought, no doubt the lure of the devil. But we have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, praise His name! We are the children of God. He is my Father, He is our Father! Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33) – What a great God we serve! Or have we forgotten from where we were saved? O my great Father help your children shout from the rooftops and proclaim your great love. Thank you Lord Jesus for the work of Calvary, we do indeed love you!   

When I was a child no evidence was needed for me to praise my earthly father’s, how much more so we should now glorify our heavenly Fathers name, not only is He the ruler supreme of the entire universe as a unfounded thought, but it true, He is RULER SUPREME and we are His children. Why then do we approach His throne as cowering children as if to think our Holy Heavenly Father stand with a rod in hand looking to thrash us for our disobedience! If this was the case we would need constant thrashing for doubting our standing in Him. NO! He so loves us that while we were yet sinners He sent his Son to die for us, how much more then, will we be saved by His life. This truth must begin to sink in as it captivates our entire being. We must find the confidence to approach Him with boldness. WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD!

Let us be reminded of who has ushered this work into our lives. Was it not God who chose us before the foundation of this world? “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6)  - Let us therefore begin to believe and walk in our Saviour’s finished work. We know we have an enemy who goes around like a roaring lion looking to trip us up, do not believe his lies, believe only in the finished work of Calvary.

“Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience, that Satan hinders us. From all points of the compass, all along the line of battle, in the vanguard and in the rear, at the dawn of day and in the midnight hour, Satan hinders us. If we toil in the field, he seeks to break the ploughshare; if we build the wall, he labours to cast down the stones; if we would serve God in suffering or in conflict-everywhere Satan hinders us. He hinders us when we are first coming to Jesus Christ. Fierce conflicts we had with Satan when we first looked to the cross and lived. Now that we are saved, he endeavours to hinder the completeness of our personal character. You may be congratulating yourself, “I have hitherto walked consistently; no man can challenge my integrity.” Beware of boasting, for your virtue will yet be tried; Satan will direct his engines against that very virtue for which you are the most famous. If you have been hitherto a firm believer, your faith will ere long be attacked; if you have been meek as Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips. The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines. Satan is sure to hinder us when we are earnest in prayer. He checks our importunity, and weakens our faith in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing. Nor is Satan less vigilant in obstructing Christian effort. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah begin to labour, Sanballat and Tobiah are stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord’s side, and are doing the Lord’s work, and in his strength we shall win the victory, and triumph over our adversary.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17)

Come what may, remember that we are the Children of God and God help us to honour Him as our Father, Amen!

“Singing off”

Tyrone