God's Fatherly Love

Status
Not open for further replies.

LeeJUk

Puritan Board Junior
I had a great revelation today in my reading of "Knowing God" by J . I . Packer
and by the way if you haven't read it already you need to buy it!

So I was reading through some of the chapters he has on the gospel. So I had good grasp on propitiation and all of that. However, I had always thought on adoption as a bit of a thing where it was like "yeah...ok cool I'm God's child now" that's the matter settled. I have only met my human father a handful of times so I was somewhat in the dark when it came to God as a Father.

I was always quite understanding of the side of propitiation, the holiness of God, our duty, our obedience but intimacy with God as Father was hard for me.

So I read the chapter on propitiation, wonderfully done but then Packer, moves on to God as Father and it just blew me away. A large part of the cross was about this great fact it's not just a legal settlement with God we have!

It's changed everything. Some Parts that affected me most were

Just like Christ we relate to God in his

  • Authority over us
  • Affection for us (which he later states, God loves us even as he loves Christ)
  • Fellowship (as Christ had)
  • Honor (We honor the Father and he honors us just like Christ)

Also it kind of took away this problem I've had when Packer said:

We do things in imitation of God, to Glorify God and to PLEASE God. Just like Christ.

the problem I had was I was often reading the epistles and with all of these things that Paul was telling the people to do and I was like how on earth am I to remember half of these instructions.


Just a blessed day all round. I should be studying for college exams I have on friday but It seems this has captivated me.

Praise God!
 
VG.

We are God's children by adoption and the younger brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was God's Son in a special sense from all eternity.

We inherit everything through Him (I Corinthians 3:21-23).
 
Interesting that you're focusing on God as Father.

I've been reading through 1 John, and the Fatherhood of God has been sticking out like a sore thumb...more so than I can remember. John relishes in our being children of God as His Fatherhood of us through Christ gives us justification...and also the power to overcome our own sin.

1 John 3:1-3
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top