“Kingdom Kids”
“Loving Father” Part 2
John clearly intended us to contemplate our intimate relationship with God as a Father and child. The image runs all through his gospel and especially his letter.
I. The Likeness Factor
A. The fact of likeness
God created man in His image at the beginning. Man sinned and a chilling perpetual birth defect passed on to subsequent generations. God is determined to restore a community that reflects His image. The Bible contains the unfolding of that plan. Scripture describes it as an event, a process and a destiny.
1. EVENT
a) CREATION IMAGE
Over and over the Bible speaks of God’s creative power. He is the Creator of all things in heaven and earth, seen and unseen. Man is his special creation. God spoke and it happened.
God created man by His powerful. This same image and words related to the original creation are applied to those who become “new creatures in Christ.” Christianity is much more than a set of particular beliefs and behaviors. Becoming a Christian is more than adhering to the “club” rules. It goes beyond joining an organization. You become a Christian or a believer or a child of God by God’s supernatural creative work!
b) BIRH IMAGE
Scripture also employs the image of human birth to explain God’s supernatural work. There is a genetic connection. He shared His divine DNA with us! We share (koinonos) of God’s nature.
Jesus called it “born again”. Scripture calls it “new birth”. Our first birth was into Adam’s race bearing Adam’s image, sharing Adam’s DNA. Our second birth is into Christ’s (the second Adam) race, bearing Christ’s image, sharing Christ’s actual DNA.
c) ADOPTION IMAGE
We are also God’s special chosen children by adoption.
2. PROCESS
John acknowledged that even though we have been made God’s kids, we don’t always act like God’s kids and we do not perfectly reflect our true nature. For now, we only get a glimpse of what we shall be. Yet God continues to fan the flames of our new nature. Jesus continues to cleanse us and prepare us as His bride (another endearing image).
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
3. DESTINY
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:3-4
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 1 John 3:2
II. Unconditional love and acceptance factor
A. Love demonstrated before restoration
God demonstrated His love even before we became his children. The term “foreknew” refers to something beyond “knowing beforehand”. Since God knows everything He knew everyone beforehand. The term “foreknew” indicates the decision to enter into an intimate relationship.
God chose us before we were even born. WE were not only in His mind but in His heart.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:6-8
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7
The Greek word translated “love” expresses the results of a decision to relate to another in a sacrificial way based on the passion of the one loving. God so loved the world that He was willing to sacrifice His own son. This love goes beyond sacrifice however. This love also involves an acceptance and desire to enter into intimate relationship. Paul talked about those willing to speak, give, sacrifice and even die but without real love. (1 Cor 13)
You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. God so loved, that He gave.
God’s love is a massive subject. The might river of God’s love flows all through the Scriptures.
B. Love demonstrated after salvation
The Father’s love only intensifies after we become His children.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. Psalms 103:12-14
How passionately does the Father love us?
I(Jesus) in them and You(the Father) in Me, that they(believers) may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:23
God loves us with the same intensity as He loves the Father. We share His DNA. We are His children.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. 1 John 3:1a
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know (perfect tense) and have believed (perf tense) the love which God has (present tense) for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected (perfect tense) with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:15-18
"The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17
"Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you (people of Jerusalem). "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Isaiah 49:15-16
Along with unconditional love comes unconditional acceptance.
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. Romans 15:7
The word “acceptance” means to “receive unto one’s self”. We go to great lengths to avoid rejection. The desire to be loved lies at the core of every person. I think our greatest struggle when it comes to God is the feeling we get when we sin. We all grew up with a good sized dose of conditional acceptance. “Be good and I’ll…” “Be good or else…”
We have the image of a cross-armed father standing over us with a furrowed brow and angry countenance. Fear, shame, alienation, disappointment, judgment, coldness, rejection effectively block any move toward intimacy. How does God feel when we fail? What is His attitude toward His children?
1. The Father’s love Illustrated by a parable of Jesus
Jesus told three parables to illustrate the love that God has for sinners.
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." Lu 15:1-2
I have always interpreted these parables as relating to the unbeliever and salvation. It doesn’t’ say that. Jesus illustrates the Father’s interaction with those who sin. The parable illustrates the very response Jesus had already demonstrated that stirred up the grumbling. “receives” = look for, wait for, cherish, welcome, He also ate with them a sigh of intimate fellowship.
We need a new picture for ourselves and for those around us.
We have all, at times, adopted the attitude of the Pharisees.
We have all, at times, felt like a “tax-collector”.
The common elements
1. Something valuable or cherished once possessed became separated from the rest
• Lost sheep wandered off
• Coin became lost in the hustle and bustle of life
• The two sons separated themselves by choice.
2. The lost was found and restored
3. The community was invited to celebrate the restoration
In all of these stories the “lost” is…
• Restored to the owner and his protection
• Restored to usefulness
• Restored to the community (100 sheep, 10 coins, family)
The action of the owner in each story illustrates a different aspect of the restoration process.
• Lost sheep illustrates love’s focused priority
• Lost coin illustrates love’s patient persistence
• Lost sons illustrates love’s deep passion
Keeping us connected to the family is God’s loving priority.
Restoring us to the family is God’s loving persistence.
Waiting for our return is God’s loving passion.
Get a feel for the deep compassion of the Father through the eyes of the kids.
Feel the drama of the story of the prodigal sons in Luke 15.
These parables illustrate where many of us have been.
• Broken relationship from wandering off.
• Broken fellowship because of the hectic pace of life and distractions.
• Broken fellowship because we chose to do our own thing.
• Broken relationships and alienation because of anger and selfishness.
None of these things diminish God’s love for us. His love makes our restoration a priority and comes looking for us. His love causes him to persevere until it happens as he employs every resource to bring us back. His love patiently but passionately watches for our return so that He can embrace us as His dearly loved child and restore again us to all the privileges of son we so easily ignored. No folded arms. No scowl. Only patient waiting, looking, seeking, restoration, fellowship, celebration.
Our heavenly father passionately seeks restoration with us whatever the cause of separation
When it happens, all of heaven parties.
2. The Father’s love declared by Scripture
Following the great declaration of God’s work in those He foreknew and predestined to be like His son and called and justified and glorified, Paul raised a string of questions.
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?
God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
But (in spite of it all) in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced (perfect tense) that
neither death, (the process of the fact)
nor life, (whatever things in this life may throw at us)
nor angels, nor principalities, (no demonic force can deter God’s love)
nor things present,(what I am face right now)
nor things to come, (what I will face tomorrow)
nor powers, (no earthly power human or otherwise)
nor height, (the highest of prominence)
nor depth,(the lowest of earthly recognition)
nor any other created thing, (in case we missed something)
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39
We cannot be separated from His love because of Christ or our destiny determined by God.
We look to our father for protection in a hostile environment.
III. Protection and Security Factor
’Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9
who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. "I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25
Action Points
1. Realize the depths of His love
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19
2. Receive His love
3. Respond to His love
4. Reciprocate His love
