Think about this: Who else in this world dares to call God “Father” except Christians? No one else!
How has this been made possible? One, it is the right given to those who believe in Jesus to be called children of God (John 1:12, 1 John 3:1). But that is only the first half of the story.
The second half is told in Romans 8:15: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (NIV). And again in Galatians 4:6: “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father” (NIV).
Added to this, we read, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16 NIV).
What a great privilege this is! You are God’s child. The Spirit of God has been sent into your heart to testify that you are God’s child. This is the love that God the Father has lavished on you (1 John 3;1 NIV)!
No logical reasoning can make this relationship real to you unless the Spirit of God testifies in your heart that you are God’s child. And for that reason God has sent into your heart the Spirit of God.
The same Spirit helps you to call God Father. Here the Aramaic term “Abba” is used. It was the language that Jesus spoke and He addressed God as Abba (Ref. Mark 14:36 NIV). It is said that it is a very intimate term. It cannot be properly translated. It can mean dearest daddy or has even more intimacy attached to it.
And God has poured out His Spirit into your hearts to enable you to call Him “Abba, Father” with great intimacy! He has not only poured out the Spirit of God into your hearts generously ( Ref. Titus 3:6), but also poured out His love into your hearts by the Holy Spirit (Ref. Romans 5:5). This has been done to give you the freedom to enjoy a lovely, intimate relationship with God the Father!
Another important aspect of this relationship is freedom from fear. The Spirit of God is not a spirit bringing fear into your hearts. But the Spirit of God drives out fear to help you enjoy God’s love towards you for you are now a child of God.
What meaning is there in being a child of God if you are not able to call Him, “Father”? But God has gone one step further. He has send His Spirit into your heart to enable you to cry out to Him, “Abba, Father!”
This becomes a continuing reality in your lives when you are free from fear. And that happens when you realize God’s amazing love towards you in Jesus Christ. That is why it is written: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18 NIV).
As you come to know God’s love more and more, the Spirit of God will help you cry out to God, “Abba, Father” more and more. For you need not fear punishment anymore if you are God’s child because the Bible says that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” and again, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ref. Romans 8:1; and Romans 5:1 NIV).
Think about this: God has send His Spirit into your heart only because He has accepted you as His child in Jesus Christ. Again, He has poured out “the Spirit of his Son” into your heart to enable you to call Him, “Abba, Father.”
So, God has demonstrated His willingness and longing to hear you call Him “Abba, Father.” Therefore cry out to Him. The Spirit of God has been sent to help you do that. The cry of “Abba” from your heart shall be heard and listened to with great attention.
But there is an obligation on your part too. The Bible says that you are the temple of the living God and your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit whom you have received from God (Ref. 2 Cor. 6:16 and 1 Cor. 6:19). So, God wants you to be separate from evil and sin. If you do so, He says, “… And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters” (2 Cor. 6:17z,18 NIV).
What a privilege it is be His son or daughter!
Table of Contents
Meet the Holy Spirit: An Introduction
1. You Are Not Alone
2. Our Teacher
3. Our Helper in Prayer
4. Our Guide
5. A New Relationship
6. The Promise
7. The Spirit of God in the Life of Jesus