Estranged No More

Isaiah 1:2-3

“Children have I reared and brought up,

but they have rebelled against me.

3  The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master's crib,

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand.”

I believe that to understand our position before God as children to a Father is one of the most, if not the most, vital theological concepts to grasp as a Christian.  Our adopted position before a heavenly Father has practical implications that range from the believer’s sincere obedience, to assurance of their acceptance, to their confidence in every providential circumstance.  If we attempt to find security and confidence in anything but the Father’s love we will act as estranged children.  

Sinclair Ferguson writes, “No short-cut that tries to bypass the relationship to him as his children, can ever succeed in providing long-term spiritual therapy” (Children of the Living God, p.14). But, if you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe loves you with an incorruptible love that never fades or wanes, than your life will demonstrate an assured, bold, compassion that is unshakable in the face of any circumstance.  

Henry Lyte’s hymn lyrics in “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken,” reveal such a confidence:

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, 

Come disaster, scorn and pain 

In Thy service, pain is pleasure, 

With Thy favor, loss is gain

I have called Thee Abba Father, 

I have stayed my heart on Thee 

Storms may howl, and clouds may gather; 

All must work for good to me.

How do we know God loves us this much?  How do we know that we are that secure?  The humility of Jesus coming in the flesh and suffering throughout His life and on to the cruel death of the cross is the picture of His love.  The resurrection is the sacrifice accepted by the Father in our stead revealing that He is satisfied.  “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9).  His grace is the giving of His Son on our behalf as our substitute.  That grace is all we could possibly ever need.  It is that complete . . . that final.  That “finished” (John 19:30).

As we find our confidence in the Fatherhood of God, then all of our relationships change.  We no longer have the need to feel rejected by our spouses, parents, or peers.  I John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”   The Father’s perfect love shown in Christ is the confidence we have for all relationships.  We can then love as Christ has loved us without expecting any reciprocal love from those for whom we pour out our service.  In fact, when we do not receive anything in return, it only confirms what the Scripture says about not putting our confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3).  Our gain is not to be received from others, but only from Christ.  Therefore, when we do not receive what we might expect or want, we ought not be shaken.

Do we grasp the outward effects of such confident Father-love for us?  When our confidence is in His love for us, then we become an effective witness to His gospel.  Our spouses and children and friends find a gospel power of confidence in us.  Gospel light will shine brightly as it radiates from our whole countenance.

Jesus Christ is the perfect Son given for us, the estranged sons.  “God’s final purpose is nothing less than a new race of men and women, restored to what they were intended to be, through their relationship to the divine image-bearer and Son, Jesus Christ” (Sinclair Ferguson, p.10).