Do you identify with a particular family member -- a mother, a father,
an uncle or aunt, or perhaps some other great ancestor? Our family name
is one of the strongest identities we have. Abraham Venable was born
in Devonshire, Chester, England in January of 1661 and came to Virginia
as a young man and married Elizabeth in 1699 at Prince Edward, Virginia.
His children had children and those children have scattered the Venable
name all across the United States.
The beginning of Chemistry at The University of North Carolina Chapel
Hill dates back to 1818. The central person in the history of the department
was Francis P. Venable, who came to Chapel Hill in 1880. Following the
Civil War Charles Scott Venable became a math professor at the University
of Virginia in 1865 and served there for thirty-one years. The Venables
have been farmers, laborers, ministers, and educators. I’m glad to be
a Venable!
But I have another identity which is far more meaningful to me because
I was adopted into a new family when I was a young man.
Eph 1:5-6
5 (Our Heavenly Father) predestined us to adoption as sons (and daughters)
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted
in the Beloved.
My Father is the most creative Person of the universe! He is the wisest
and most intelligent Person ever known! My Father has all power and authority!
The whole creation belongs to Him! And He has welcomed me – and all those
who have placed their faith in Christ – into His family! Isn’t that awesome!
When Jesus used those words – “My Father …” it created quite a stir!
John 5:17-18
17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working
until now, and I have been working."
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not
only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making
Himself equal with God.
The legalistic religious leaders of Jesus’ day recognized the authority
which Jesus claimed by identifying Himself as God’s Son. Up to this point
NO ONE ever called God by the name -- FATHER! To them it was strident
blasphemy! They were ready to kill him!
But in addition to calling God His Father … Jesus taught His disciples
to pray by addressing God as OUR FATHER! These farmers and fishermen
who had gazed at the wonder of the stars at night and wondered at the
majesty of their God and Creator are now given permission to call Him
Father! Can you imagine their surprise as they came trembling before
Jehovah God and He received them as they call upon Him as Father?
Those who know Christ as their Savior have all been adopted into the
family of God! God is your Father! You are welcome in the family! That
is why we call each other “brother” and “sister!” They are!
So what does that mean to you and to me?
Gal 4:1-7
1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ
at all from a slave, though he is master of all,
2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the
father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements
of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of
His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then
an heir of God through Christ.
Without a relationship with Jesus we lived the Law of God and the judgments
of that Law. We now live under the law of liberty! Yet some Christians
serve God out of fear and their relationship with God is still like that
of a slave under the Law! God speaks – and you must obey – not out of
love but out of duty! If that has been your relationship with God I want
to help set you free! The Bible says that you are no under bondage as
a slave to the commandments of God – you are adopted into the family
– you are God’s child!
Notice this: In verse one God’s design for you as His child is that
you become the master of the whole estate! “… he is master of all …”
Being adopted into the family has given you authority over the things
which Our Father gives into our hands. You and I have authority to pray
and see God do the works He has said He would do.
In verse six the Bible declares that God’s Holy Spirit now lives in
our hearts and He is crying out, “Abba, Father!” Paul first used this
term of family endearment in Romans 8:
Rom 8:15-17
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba,
Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children
of God,
17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
None of the slaves of the household would dare call the master of the
house … Abba … or Father … but the children would! It was a term of endearment.
Abba … in a Greek household this was a familiar name for your earthly
father … Daddy. Did you know that you can come to the God of Creation
as your Daddy? He has adopted you into His family and welcomed you as
His child. You can crawl up on His lap and snuggle there for a while
every day!
We were not adopted into the family of God to have a terrifying fear
of God. Respect, yes! Reverence, yes! Awe, yes, but not cold, clammy
fear. We have not been given a spirit of fear but a spirit of adoption
whereby we call God “our Father.” John spole this to us …
1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because
fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in
love.
Let the fear of coming close to God be replaced by the warm comforting
love of a Heavenly Father. He will not abuse you nor mistreat you. He
will not speak to you in an unkind manner nor treat you rudely. He will
not embarrass you nor cause you shame! He loves you with an everlasting
love! He wants to be a Father to you!
And in addition … we become partakers of all the blessings which belong
to Chrsit!
Romans 8:17
… if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
…
The nation of Israel was promised a land – the Promised Land – but
the children of God are promised their portion in God! This is not an
earthly portion or even a heavenly portion …but God is our portion! He
is our inheritance! All that He is now belongs to His children! We now
own – as joint heir with Christ – all the Presence of God! Nothing less
than God’s very own presence will be sufficient as the prize of our inheritance!
We often get taken up with miracles and healings – and too often wanting
possessions and recognition – when we have more than any of these! We
have the Father! We have all of those things and more! We have been adopted
into His family and we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus!
He is our family! He is our inheritance! He is the champion of our
faith! He is our Father and Jesus is our elder brother! We have a family
to be proud of! He is our God!
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