Prayer’s Address: Seeing God as Father
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
5/22/2016 AM
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Text:
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Matthew 6;
Lord's Day 46
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Psalters: |
182, 428, 278, 434 |
- Gracious cause.
- What right do we have to address God as father, when we are naturally spiritual children of the devil (John 8:44; I John 3:10).
- This right is given by Him who is already “Father” – both within the Trinity and in relationship to His only begotten Son.
- The majestic and perfectly Holy Triune God gives this right only to some (John 1:12; Eph. 1:5).
- How is God’s Fatherhood to us realized? In six steps.
- He is “OUR Father.”
- Fatherhood has wonderful meaning.
- Three things about the fact of fatherhood.
- God’s Fatherhood has relationship characteristics. We point out eight of them.
- That almighty God is our Father has good implications.
- We can and must speak to Him directly, without anyone else mediating.
- We can trust Him when we do not yet understand Him.
- And this means that we may and ought to love Him, for His is not a relationship of fear and bondage, but of love and trust.
- That our Father is “in heaven” has implications.
- “In heaven” indicates our Father’s indescribable and infinite glory and majesty and perfection as a Father, not His location.
- This means that we must not limit our understanding of our heavenly Father by what we learn from our earthly fathers.
- This makes us approach the heavenly Father with humility.
- We may have confidence and assurance that His way is the right way.