S2E14 - God is Father

Mike Wagner
3-Minute Theologian
God is Father | S2:E14
10 / 7 / 2024
Welcome to the 3-Minute Theologian. A theology podcast about what we believe, written by the pastors at Waukee Community Church. I’m your host, Mike Wagner, and today we’re discussing what it means for God to be called, our Father.
How would you describe your dad? Was he hard-working, loving, wise? Was he fun to be with? Was he involved in your life? Or was your dad absent, harsh, maybe even foolish? Do you have mixed feelings about your dad?
No matter what your dad was like, and no matter if he is still alive today, we all need a father. And while no dad is perfect, if you are a Christian, then you have a better Father --a heavenly Father --and what you think about him is really important.
J.I. Packer once said:
If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity,
find out how much he makes of…having God as his Father.
What kind of Father is God, and what kind of Father is he to you? The Bible describe God as our Father in two significant ways:
First, God is our Heavenly Father.
One of the most famous verses in all the Bible is the Lord’s Prayer. And it starts with these words, “Our father, who art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).
God has invited us to address him in an incredibly personal way. Praying to a heavenly Father means that God is approachable, and it means that he cares for us. We don’t need to go through any other father to get to him. And no matter who you are, or what you’ve done, if you reach out to him in faith, he will never turn you away. God is the most loving Father, and he invites you to directly approach his throne in heaven.
Second, God is our Abba Father.
On earth when Jesus prayed to God, he called him, Abba --which means, dad. Abba was a word that blended familiarity with respect. It spoke to a tender, enduring connection between father and child. As a kid, you probably called your father, “daddy” or “da-da.” But it was not uncommon for people to address their dad as “abba” throughout their entire lives.
As Christians, you and I have the privilege of calling our God, Abba --just like our Savior. But what gives us the right to call God this? Paul tells us how in Galatians 4:4-7,
Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit …into [y]our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son.
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is also your dad because he has adopted you into his divine family! You are not merely a servant but a son or daughter of God! You have a Father who loves you, and through the work of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, you have special bond with him.
Calling someone “dad” or “mom” implies a special relationship. And in a much greater way,
those who have been adopted into God’s family can call him their heavenly Father.
No matter what your earthly father was like, you have a better Father in God. In fact, he is the best Father! He loves you and calls you “my child, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). Marvel at this: You and I get to call God, “Lord.” But we also get to call him, “Father.”