God as our Father — Jason Wahls

Now, again, as in the past meetings, before we open God's Word, we'll speak to God in prayer, asking for His help and giving thanks for what we've already heard and enjoyed in the conference. Father, we do come before Thee and acknowledge Thee once again, not only as the Most High God and the Almighty God, the Great I Am, but as our Father, and what a privilege it is to call Thee Father, to speak to Thee as one of Thy sons, and to know the security that we have in Thee as our Father, and to be able to thank Thee for all Thy blessings bestowed upon us.

We're thankful for this weekend and for gathering with other sons of Thine, like believers, to not only enjoy fellowship and communion one with another, and to speak to one another about Thy Son, and to enjoy company, but to hear Thy Word.

We're thankful for what Thou hast done in Garneville, in the assembly here, and in every assembly represented, and we're thankful for blessing and time together. We've been reminded of needs that various sisters have for Shirley, for Linda Goff, and for Jill Frazier, others that are suffering illnesses, and we do pray for them and their variety of needs, and for the doctors, and for their encouragement, and for their testimonies, and for the family members, perhaps family members that are not saved that might be spoken to.

We're thankful for the gospel that was preached here last night, and for the gospel that will be preached again tonight in Thy will, that there might be blessing, that there might be those that would be born again, and born into the family of God, and that we'd be saved.

We need Thy help now, and every session to follow, and we ask Thy blessing and Thy help in this meeting, and that the Savior would be exalted, and that we might learn more of Thee. Give help, we pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus, amen.

God as Father and the Three Passages on Sonship

I'd like to read three scriptures with you, the first one in the book of Galatians, in chapter 4, the book of Galatians, and chapter 4. I would like to continue the theme, although it might seem a bit of a deviation, I hope not, but continue the theme that I've been trying to take up during this conference weekend of examining some of the different titles or names of God.

We've looked at Abraham and the different titles that are related to us, and the history of Abraham's life, titles of God that is, and in the life of Moses, the name Jehovah, the Great I Am, and in the book of Isaiah, the Holy One of Israel.

Today, I would like to speak about God as our Father. Perhaps a little bit, we might focus a little bit more on sonship, and being sons of God, but hopefully through that we can see what it is that God is our Father, and what that means to us as His sons.

So, I'd like to read three scriptures to start with, and then to look in more detail at each of those three passages. The first one here in Galatians, chapter 4, and verse 1. Now, I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

We'll leave that reading in Galatians and go on to Hebrews chapter 12. If you would like to leave your finger here, that would be perfectly acceptable. We're going to begin with the passage in Galatians, so it might be of help to have your Bible open to that particular passage.

But next, I'd like to read in Hebrews and the 12th chapter, please. Hebrews and chapter 12 and verse number 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore, all are partakers, then ye are illegitimate sons and not sons.

Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.

But he for our prophet, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet. And we'll break the reading off there, and now turn to Romans chapter 8, please, Romans chapter 8.

Obviously, there are other passages that would reference God as Father and speak of His fatherhood, but I've just selected these three passages, and I would like to look at them in a little greater detail.

Romans chapter 8, and we're going to break into this chapter at verse number 14, Romans 8 and verse number 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, and heirs of God, and join heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves awaiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? That is as it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long.

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We trust that the Lord will bless his word and give us the help we need to try to speak about these particular passages. As mentioned I would like to begin in Galatians so it might be of help to have your Bible opened to Galatians chapter 4.

The Fatherhood of God Throughout Scripture

The fatherhood of God is seen as far back as the Old Testament. In the book of Isaiah yesterday we read that he said he had raised up children that had rebelled against him. Even further back he would through Moses speak to Pharaoh and call Israel his firstborn son.

But when we come to the New Testament we would see that the Lord Jesus again and again would refer to God as father. Not only his father but when he was speaking he would often refer to God as your father.

You would recall in the Sermon on the Mount that the Lord Jesus time and time again would say your father which is in heaven. He would warn against the action of trying to do your righteous acts or your righteous works before men to be seen of men and that would thus be your reward.

And he would say if that is your motive then you already have your reward and your father in heaven will not reward thee. But he would counsel, he would teach that to do those things before the father so that your father in heaven which seeth will reward thee openly.

So again and again in the Sermon on the Mount he speaks of your father and throughout the Gospel of John he is making references to your father and to my father. And so the concept of God as father is not a new concept in the scripture it's throughout the Bible.

But it is more prominent perhaps in the New Testament. We have read three passages and in those passages this is what I would like to see and by seeing this or examining the passages in consequence I would like to see the fatherhood of God.

In Galatians chapter 4 we read of the placing of sons or the positioning as sons in the family of God. And in Hebrews chapter 12 we read about the proof of sonship. How that God disciplines his sons, how God educates and fosters and tries to stimulate growth and holiness in his sons.

And then in Romans chapter 8 where we will finish we see the purpose of God for his sons. What is the purpose of God for his sons? What does God have planned for his sons? We that are fathers sometimes make plans for our children and have ideas and things that we would like to see them accomplish in their lives or characteristics, traits that we would like to see molded into their lives.

What is God's purpose for you and I who are sons of his? That's what we are going to try to see in Romans chapter 8. But to begin notice here in Galatians chapter 4 what we have and again this is the placing of sons.

Sonship as Adoption and Placement in God's Family

I should just mention before we get into this particular passage, John chapter 1 would teach that we are born into the family of God when we are born again. The Lord Jesus came unto his own and his own received him not but unto them which received him that believed upon his name.

To them he gave the power to be called the sons of God. But here in Romans chapter 4 scholars would make a difference and they are talking about the placing of sons. Not being born again as a child of God but how that God would place sons into his family.

And the first two verses are an illustration. If you have your Bible open and you can look at the first two verses again, there the Apostle Paul is going to give us an illustration of what he is just about to unfold in the following verses.

He says in verse number 1 that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant. Though he be Lord of all, that is the child, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

That is an illustration that the Apostle Paul is using to illustrate sonship in the family of God. And there is a little bit of debate about whether he is referring to maybe Roman culture or Jewish culture or if he is kind of combining the two or just giving an illustration.

But let me just show you what he is saying. If you weren't able to follow what he is saying, he is saying this, that in particular families it might be that there is a child born, there is a couple and they have a child, and that child, if it is a wealthy family, in that family that child is placed under teachers and tutors and servants that are going to guide that child in its growth.

And even though that child is the heir of the parents, is the rightful heir, really he is no different than a slave or a servant in that household. Until there becomes a day, an appointed time, when the father of the household with his authority is going to indicate that this child has now reached a point where he is an adult and he is the heir.

He is then placed as a son in the family. Others have tried to explain it this way and I don't know, I have read this, heard this, I can't verify it, but they would illustrate it the following way, that occasionally there were wealthy couples that even if they had their own children, they would adopt a son and place that son as the heir, an adult son.

And so the idea here is the child is becoming an adult, he is being placed into the family of God, positioned, if you will, as a son. And with that position, with that status, he now is an heir, he has all the rights of the heir, of the inheritance.

So that is the illustration he is using to try to illustrate how God works in sonship. In verse number three, he begins to unfold this and to teach us and he says, even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

But when the fullness of time was come, if you have your Bible open, notice verse two and notice verse four, if you take one finger upon each verse, notice that in verse two in the illustration, he mentions that the father appoints a time in the illustration, that that father would indicate a particular moment in time when that son would no longer be treated as a servant or seen as a servant in the household, but now had come to be placed as a son at a specific time.

Notice verse four, when the fullness of time was come, now he is speaking about God, but what follows is rather remarkable. He does not say, when the fullness of time was come, God appointed us as sons or God placed us as sons in his family, but rather he said God sent forth his son.

We see there the price of sonship. God wanted to place individuals as sons in his family, to position them as heirs of his, but in order to do that, he had to send forth his own son. In that statement, we see the deity of Christ, the son of God, made of a woman, the humanity of Christ, truly God, but yet truly human, made under the law, the nationality, the law given to the Jews, born under the law, the nationality of the Lord Jesus.

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption or the placing of sons in the family of God. So now you have the illustration and the application or the explanation of what God has done.

God sent forth his son at the appointed time. In that illustration in the first two verses, there might have been some sort of celebration. When the day came, when the father was to appoint that child that had been born as now an official son in the family, there may have been some sort of celebration, something that was organized, but look at verse number four.

God sent forth his son to redeem them, to purchase, to buy. Christ had to die. There was no celebration. There was a crucifixion. There was the death of Christ. To be able for God to place us as sons in his family.

Verse number six, and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. You'll notice in verse number six that the title given to the Holy Spirit is the spirit of his son.

That would be another study in its entirety, the different names of the Holy Spirit throughout the scriptures, the spirit of his son, the Holy Spirit, and other titles that we would find. But it is a reference to the Holy Spirit, and it indicates a divine link with the Father.

Because ye are sons. I don't know that I have to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway, that there is no believer that does not have or is not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Romans chapter eight, we didn't read that verse, but that verse would indicate that, that he that hath not the spirit is none of his.

Or in other words, has no connection, no relation with God if he does not have the spirit. Every person born again is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Because you're sons. It's the spirit of his son that God has sent forth into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Abba is an Aramaic word, a term of endearment, that perhaps a young child would use in speaking to their father. I think it is Mr. Vine that comments and says that no servant, because you'd understand that sometimes the households were very large in a wealthy home, and they would have servants in the household, and I believe it is Mr. Vine that comments and says that no servant in that household was permitted to speak to the father of the home using this term of endearment, Abba.

But the children could. The sons that were in that home. And the word father would be more of a word from adult vocabulary, the way an adult son would speak to his father. And so he says, God has sent the spirit of his son.

God has placed us as sons in his family through the death of his own son. He has placed us, those that have trusted in Christ, as sons in his family. He is our father. And as our father, he has sent into our hearts the spirit of his son, and that spirit would teach us to address God as our father.

What a great privilege, how remarkable. And I don't really want to think too much about ourselves, but if you think of what we were before we were saved, what a remarkable privilege to be now called the sons of God.

No wonder John wrote, and we sang it already, behold, what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, or the children of God. Incredible. But not only that, not only the great privilege of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in his teaching us to speak to God and to address him as father, but in verse number seven he says this, wherefore thou art no more a servant.

You see in the illustration, the child before he had been placed as a son, he was just a servant in that home, even though he was the legal heir of everything, he was treated as a servant until the appointed time, and then he became a son, and he says, wherefore thou art no more a servant.

Not a servant, but a son. And then he continues, he says, if you're a son, then an heir. An heir of God through Christ. Romans, chapter 8, says that we are joint heirs with Christ, and I have tried to investigate and tried to find different comments and teaching on what that all includes, being an heir of God, a joint heir with Christ, and the best I can come up with is the comment that if we are joint heirs with Christ, if we are sons of God placed in his family as joint heirs with Christ, then we will share in all that pertains to Christ.

And you say that's not fair, that's not right. It certainly doesn't seem fair or just or right, or it's definitely not what we deserve, but it is what God's heart desire is as father, that he should place sons in his family and give them his spirit and give us this position of being heirs of his, that he might bestow his riches upon us through Christ Jesus.

So that is the placing of sons in the family of God or the adoption of sons. Very briefly, that is our position as sons of God. But in Hebrews chapter 12, we read about what we have labeled the proof of sonship.

Discipline as the Proof of Sonship

Hebrews chapter 12 speaks of discipline. Verse number 6 says, Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourges every son whom he receiveth. And verse number 7 says, What son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Those of us that are fathers would know that there are times when we need to discipline our children, right? Those of us that were children, that were sons or daughters, all of us, would know that there were times that our fathers needed to discipline us.

It was necessary. There are a few things that you will notice as you read through this passage. Number one, that every son, every genuine son of God is subject to discipline, will be disciplined. In fact, he says it in such a manner that he says, if you've never received discipline or chastening from the Lord, that is actually a proof that you are not even a son, right?

God only disciplines or chastens in the context of this definition of discipline, his sons. It has to do with educating, with guiding, with directing, with correction, with development in the child. And you can see that God is obviously very interested as a father in the development and the growth of his sons and the lives that they are leading.

And it says that God disciplines out of love. Verse number six, for whom the Lord loveth. You would realize, those of us again that are parents, that when we would discipline our children, that we are doing it, we should be doing it out of love.

We have desires for that child. We don't want to cultivate bad behaviors or to cultivate negative characteristics. For example, we would like to cultivate honesty, and so for lying there would be discipline, there would be correction.

God loves his children. He is a father that loves his children, and he desires that we would grow and that we would be partakers, as this passage says, of his holiness. The writer here says that our earthly fathers, they would discipline us, and he said according to their pleasure.

I would take it that he is alluding to the fact that we as fathers, when we disciplined our children, we often make mistakes, right? I think every father would be pretty willing to raise their hand and say, yep, I've made a lot of mistakes in disciplining my children.

Afterwards, I thought, why did I do that? What was the point of that? Or maybe there were times when discipline wasn't enacted, and later you think, I should have done something. But the discipline that God enacts upon his children is perfect, is needful, it's out of love, it's for our blessing and for our profit, he says in verse number 10, for our growth, that it might yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

So, as sons of God, we are subject to God's discipline. As a father, he disciplines his sons, his children. I would like to get to Romans chapter 8, because that's really the chapter that's been upon my heart, and that is the purpose that God has for his sons.

The Spirit's Guidance and the Father's Purpose

So, Galatians chapter 4, the Father God placing sons into his family. Hebrews chapter 12, God the Father chastening, disciplining his children for their profit, that they might be partakers in his holiness, that we might produce fruits of righteousness.

But, what are God's plans, and what is his purpose for his sons? I think this is one of the main themes of Romans chapter 8. I understand that Romans chapter 8 deals primarily with the Spirit of God. That in order to live a consecrated life, it is not a matter of living according to the laws in chapter 7, but being led and filled with the Spirit.

And you would notice, those of you that have studied this chapter, that time and time again, the Spirit of God is mentioned in Romans chapter 8. The Spirit of God is one of the, if not the main theme, one of the main themes of Romans chapter 8.

But we also see sonship. We see God as the Father. And verse number 14 says that, for as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. The Father desires to guide his sons. Just as I mentioned in my opening comments, those of us that are fathers, when our children are small, and as they grow, we have the desire to guide them, to discipline them, to mold their lives, and to try to focus the direction of their lives as much as we can.

Well, God as Father desires to do that in our lives. He has given us His Spirit, and His Spirit is to lead us, is to guide us. We need to be willing to be led by the Spirit. We need to be willing to look for the guidance of God.

And I would ask ourselves, how often do we look for God's guidance? Are we willing to accept His guidance and His leading? He is Father. No earthly father, no earthly good father, I should rephrase that, no earthly father that has good desires, pure motives, would desire to lead his children into a wrong path.

Saying that, it comes to mind that Brother Shad Kember and I recently visited with a mother in the small community, her daughter who's 14 or 15 is coming to the gospel meetings and would rather come to meeting than go to the dances in the community, but the mother would rather take her to the dances.

She flat out told Shad and I that. I want to take her there so she can know and experience those things. I hope there are no fathers or mothers like that here that are actually guiding their children in paths that are taking them away from God.

God gives His Spirit and as Father He is seeking to guide His children in paths of righteousness, seeking to guide us. Then He says, we've touched on this in verse 15, the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Now, let's perhaps jump over a few verses here. The idea is not to try to give an exposition of this entire chapter, but there is a particular part of this chapter that thrills my soul. And I kind of feel like a little child up here just now because sometimes you see a little child get so excited about something and they want to tell you about it and they have difficulty expressing it, and I think that's likely what's about to happen.

I've really been thrilled by this passage and excited about it and hope that I can communicate what I've enjoyed to you. Jump down with me to verse 28. Now, let's get to what is God's purpose for His sons?

Conformity to the Image of Christ

What does He have planned for us? Well, verse number 28 says, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Verse 29 is the key.

For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. So there we have it. God's plan or God's purpose for His sons is that every son would be conformed to the image of His well-begotten Son, the image of Christ.

That is His purpose. And that Christ might be the firstborn or that Christ might be the preeminent one amongst many brethren, amongst many sons. So God's purpose, God's desire, His plan is to form sons, to make sons, place sons in His family and to form sons that are just like His Son, conformed to His image.

Now, look at verse 29 again. The word there is whom He did foreknow, not just knowledge prior to, but intimate knowledge of, knowing a person. He also did predestinate. Now we're starting to get into deep waters and we're not going to be able to expound predestination and election, but we're going to simply enjoy what is here in this verse.

Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate. You would see that in the word predestinate, there is a compound word, or has a prefix, pre-, and the word destiny, destiny. We think of, sometimes we would say, my destiny is to become this or to become that, right?

We would use the two roads chart and talk about the two destinies. A destiny would be an end point, a final place at which we are going to arrive. That is a destiny. To predestinate is to determine beforehand that destiny, to select that destiny.

In the context of this verse, the predestination has to do with being conformed to the image of God's Son. In other words, just as I've already been saying, God has predetermined, He has decided, He has decreed that all of His sons will be conformed to the image of Christ, His only Son.

For whom He did foreknow, also He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. I would take that to mean morally, sinlessly. Our brethren have been speaking about some of the characteristics of Christ, His compassion, His love, His meekness, His humility, and many of His characteristics.

And we are far from being conformed to His image. Yes, God is disciplining us as our Father, and He has placed us as sons, and He is disciplining us in our lifetime and working on us. But His endgame, if you will, His final goal, is that each and every one of us will be conformed predestinated.

He has determined that, that this is our destiny, and this is what I am trying to encourage you with, and this is what has so thrilled my soul, that our destiny is fixed, it's sealed. God has determined it.

He has decreed, this is what my sons will be like. And He will ensure that we arrive, that we get there. Look at what He has done. Notice that this all depends upon God. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called.

Now scholars would perhaps differ, but some would say that that calling refers to eternity past. I'll leave that with you to study. And whom He called, them He also justified. Justified is to account righteous, to acquit, declare innocent, but account righteous is probably the most accurate term and the best term.

And whom He justified, them He also glorified. He views it as in past tense, that God has already accomplished it, that it is already done. Do you think there's any possibility that the Father's plan will fail?

If God has predestinated, if He has decreed and declared that this, He's placed us as sons, here we are in our lifetime, and He has decreed that this is the end point, this is the destiny of His sons, do you think there's anything that can interrupt that plan, that can change that plan, that can alter God's plan?

Well, it's exactly what He deals with in the following verses. Verse number 31, He says, there's no opposition to God. If God be for us, who can be against us? Nobody can oppose God's plan. The Father has determined that we will be conformed to the image of His Son.

Verse number 33, maybe there's somebody that can bring up an accusation against the elect, against God's children, against God's sons. The hymn number 93 in our book says, I hear the accuser roar of ills that I have done.

I know them well, and thousands more, Jehovah findeth none. Verse number 33 says, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who? God, it is God that justifies. Ah, but maybe there's somebody that can condemn us.

Verse 34, who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. Verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing. You see, there's no opposition to God's plan.

There is no accusation that will ever be accepted before God. There's no condemnation that will ever be meted out by God against His sons, those of us that are saved, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate us from Him.

The Manifestation and Future Glory of God's Sons

Do you not see what God has planned for His sons? We skipped over the verse that talks about the manifestation of the sons of God. Verse number 19, it says, the earnest expectation of the creation, or the creature, in other words, the creation, the entire creation that is groaning under the burden and the bondage of sin is longing for that deliverance, longing for that day, but not only that, longing for the manifestation of the sons of God, when we will be conformed to the image of His Son eternally and God will be able to unveil and to manifest His sons.

You know what thrills my soul, is that Christ is going to have the preeminent place, as He should. Imagine all of us and thousands and millions more conformed to the image of Christ, moral perfection just as Christ, glorified and transformed bodies, and there is Christ in all His preeminence, in all His glory, in all His honor, and God is unveiling all of His sons, all due to the work of God.