Intimacy With Our Heavenly Father

John 1:12-13

12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. RSV https://www.biblegateway.com

  From the very beginning, God intended to have an intimate, loving relationship with His children. What evidence do we have that this is His desire?

   His Son. One reason that Jesus Christ came to earth is for us to know and relate to God the Father. The Bible tells us that Jesus is His exact representation; His words and works were the same as God's (John 5:19; 12:50). Therefore, when we look at the Son, we are seeing the character of our heavenly Father.

   Invitation. Through the Scriptures, God invites us to join His family. He took care of all the arrangements; the only thing we have to do is say yes (3:16).

   Adoption. The closest tie we can have with one another is family. At salvation, we are adopted into the Lord's family. This relationship with our heavenly Father lasts for an eternity and provides us with support, encouragement, and love.

   Friendship. By calling His disciples "friends" (15:15), the Lord revealed a new aspect to their relationship, which applied to future followers as well. Jesus is a forever friend - one who will never desert or turn away from us.

   His Presence. From the moment of our salvation, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is even closer to us than any earthly kin can be.

   The heavenly Father invites us to join His family through faith in Jesus. This is our highest calling - to believe in Christ and to live for Him all of our days (20:31). Once we become God's children, His Spirit will work in us to make our family resemblance stronger in thought, word, and deed.

Stanley, Charles F., In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. March 2016. Atlanta. page 48.