14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:14-17 ESV – bold and italics mine).
As we come into this season of Advent and reflect on the blessings of the incarnation, let us give praise to God for how, through Jesus’ incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, we who have believed in Him, can now call God “Abba! Father!.” And while “Abba” means “Father,” the Apostle Paul uses this Aramaic term for father to communicate the deep sense of intimacy we now have with God because we are now His children through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Let us draw great comfort from this. Because while we are still to revere God, we can now “…with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV) from our Loving Abba who is always blessed to receive us!
Now, I don’t know about you, but I grew up viewing God as someone who was just waiting to judge me when I died, and that I better do enough good things to please Him or He was going to send me to Hell. So, I had a deeply ingrained fear of God. And while I heard that He was loving and kind, such messages were drowned out by this overwhelming sense that He was never happy with me, and thus, I should fear Him.
So, when I came to believe upon Christ and understand that all my sins had been forgiven, and that He was my loving Abba Father, I was filled with great praise and thanksgiving for the new relationship I had with God through Jesus, His Son! And what a joy it has been to have the Holy Spirit testify to this truth repeatedly in my heart so that I don’t “fall back in fear” (v 15).
My prayer for you this Advent is that you will have much joy in Jesus’ incarnation and how His coming opened the door for us to be saved and call God our Abba Father. And that He is coming again to gather His Church and show all who have believed in Him that we are indeed “fellow heirs” (v 16) as we partake with Him of the coming glory.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Rob