What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Rom 8:31-39)
Earthly fathers mess things up so badly for their children. This father especially…
Fear and unbelief cause even a believing father to teach his children (though unwittingly) that God is still a bit angry with his them; not so angry that He abandons them, not so angry that He crushes them, but angry enough to frown upon them until they do better.
Lingering bad doctrine traced all the way back to the fall when Adam and Eve hid in shame, covering their nakedness with fig leaves, clings to us still in our thinking. The works of their hands hopefully good enough to save them from death, they huddled there hoping God didn’t notice the sinfulness of their rebellion.
But God, who is rich in mercy…promised them a rescue, a rescue that was sure. It would come in a Son who would crush Satan and his works; and God who is rich in mercy, took away their self-made covering of their shame, and though seeing their naked shame in all its deadly truth, covered them with the work of His own hands by the shedding of innocent blood of a substitute.
This story is repeated throughout the Bible story until the perfect, once for all substitute came. And God spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for His chosen ones.
So then, why do we still so often huddle in fig leaves? Unbelief is the short answer but this father wants to make sure you know that his own unbelief has so often painted the wrong picture of our heavenly father to His children. For he himself still so often forgets the wonderful truth of the good news, that he huddles once again ashamed and covered in fig leaves of his best but failed efforts, and paints a picture of God to His children that is not true. And perhaps because of this, his children think of their heavenly father who purchased them with His own blood as still a bit disappointed in them and waiting for them to do better to earn his smile.
So, read again the truth of the matter in Romans 8, and then all of Romans if you have time!
And then walk today with the one who will gladly and freely give you all things…
What will He give us (in His Son)?
Forgiveness for sin
Wisdom in the path we take
Peace with Him
Provision for our physical needs
Everything pertaining to life and godliness
Forgiveness for those who sin against us
Help in the weakness of our flesh
Strength in trials (He walked not just on water but ON THE STORM)
What else do we need? Whatever it may be, He gives it FREELY in His Son – the lamb of God.
Bring you sin, your failures, your nakedness back into the light. He knows it already, and made provision for sin.
I can’t describe the love that I have for each of my children. When I think of each of you individually my heart aches for you. When one of you is hurting, I hurt; when trials come to you, I hurt; when good things happen to you, I rejoice. I am weak though in my love for you compared to our heavenly Father. He spared not His own Son who then walked every moment on this earth to complete the mission of reconciling you to the Father.
He is not acting like me today, with His arms folded, a slight frown on His face expecting you to mess up with a smile every now and then when you do something to make him proud.
He is so not like us. He is altogether different.
So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
(Luk 11:13)
That is so perfectly said, I am evil and I like to give good gifts to my children, how much more…God!
Each of you have different needs, each of you has different shameful struggles with sin, each of you has different conflicting desires of the flesh that war with the Spirit, each of you has different fears and confusions.
But Christ Jesus is constantly interceding for you. He is FOR YOU. Let us lay aside all the foolish pursuits of this world then and live for Him who died for us. He will walk with you all the way.
I love you all.
