“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Galatians 4:6
Have you ever seen a movie about adoption? There are plenty of examples, but there is one moment that seems to be common in many of them. Adoption is a difficult process for all involved, the new parents, the child, and the families of both. Especially if the child is older, the transition can be awkward and confusing and challenging. Often in the stories and movies, you see this struggle playing out, and then comes a moment that makes it all worth it, a moment that shows the parents that things will work out, that shows the child has really become their own. It’s when the child goes from calling the parent by their name to calling their “Mommy” or “Daddy.”
It’s a moment of truth, a moment of trust, a moment of acceptance. Sometimes it’s even subconscious. The kid may not have even noticed they said it. It was something deep inside of them that had come to know these people who were once strangers as intimately as their own mommy and daddy.
That’s the moment that Paul is describing in this Scripture.
Through faith Christ, we are all adopted as sons and daughters of God. Once, we were orphans, on our own in the world, or worse, children of sin. Through Jesus, we are given the same inheritance that he deserved, that is, we are treated as firstborns of the one true God. That’s a big deal. However, like in the movies, adoption is a struggle. At first it seems unfamiliar and strange. It’s counter to our nature to answer to God. It’s against our nature to be loved through discipline and accountability.
As we grow and learn and become closer to God, spending more time with him through Scripture and prayer and worship, we begin to trust him, to love him, to feel safe in his care. By the Holy Spirit, we are able to cry out to him, “Abba! Father!”
“Abba” is basically the equivalent of Dad or Daddy in Hebrew.
Paul is saying that through the Holy Spirit given to us by Christ, not only are we are able to be adopted by God, but we are able to love him so dearly and closely, and he us, that we can call out to him like a child for their mom or dad. That’s the relationship he seeks with us. That’s the intimacy he desires for us.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank you for choosing me to be your own child. Thank you for your patience through my struggle to embrace the sonship you have given me. Abba, Father, I love you and I am so glad to be yours.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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