Our pastor recently began a teaching series on the foundational tenets of the Christian faith; I’ll be transparent here and let you know that I had a “ho-hum” reaction when he first announced the sermon topics—however, my opinion has changed over the past several weeks as he has launched into the series. The reality is that there is just no way that the good news can be anything but good, no matter how many times you hear it.  I am also realizing that the Holy Spirit is eager to add greater understanding and depth to Biblical truth.

This past Sunday began three weeks of instruction on the trinity with teaching about God, our Father, and the intimacy we can have with Him. Admittedly, many of us had less than stellar, and in some situations, downright abusive relationships with our human fathers, so the comparison of a relationship to God as our father begins to break down in our thinking and in our hearts.  The good news is that one dimension of redemption is the healing of our broken hearts.  It is easy to think (and this is how I have thought for many years) that becoming doctrinally adept is the most important reason for Bible study.  But I am beginning to realize that getting to know the heart and the character of our Father is the best motivation for studying the Word of God.

The story of the prodigal son is one of the best known scriptural examples of our heavenly Father’s love for His children—although the father allowed the actions of his rebellious son to run their full course, he eagerly accepted his son back into intimate relationship when he turned back in repentance. God is a forgiving father, no matter how many times we wander; you can see that in Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness in the gospel accounts.

Love defines who God is: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins….God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:9-10, 16).  Yet sometimes this world and the enemy twist our understanding of love.  The fruit of the Spirit opens a window for us into the true nature of God: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23).  Happily, the uncontrolled rage or drunkenness that many experienced from their earthly fathers are not a part of who God is because gentleness and self-control are aspects of His nature.

Our Father provides for His children, “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who as Him!” (Matthew 7:9-12).  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).

And our Father disciplines His children. “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’  It is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating you as sons.  For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons” (Hebrews 12:5-8).

I recognize that trust does not come easily for many of us, but God our Father is trustworthy—and so is His Word, the Bible. I am fascinated by a story in the book of Jeremiah about a group of people who approached the prophet and asked him to inquire of God for guidance.  “Then they said to Jeremiah, ‘may the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us. Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God’” (Jeremiah 42:5, 6).  However, Jeremiah recognized that these men were going to take their own counsel rather than the counsel of God—ultimately culminating in their own destruction.

Sadly, the attitude that expresses, “I will obey you as long as it is something I want”, and scriptural manipulation or compromises are all too common in the church nowadays—too many “moral failures” fill the scandal-hungry media. Considering the amazing love and intimacy extended by our Father, how can we possibly think that we know better than our omnipotent, omniscient, eternal God?  I have done it, though, thought that I was a “special case”, an exception to the principles of morality and righteousness in God’s Word because of the sin and brokenness in my life.  But disobedience can never forgive sin or heal brokenness—only God can.

The relationship with our Father in heaven, available through faith in Jesus Christ, is without a doubt, amazing. Think of this: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).  The one who formed us in His likeness and image (Genesis 1:26) is also the one who knows us best and loves us most—let us not turn our hearts away from Him in any regard!