OUR FATHER
Preaching through the Sermon on the Mount in our Sunday services has been a challenging and encouraging endeavor. I pray our study has been beneficial for you. One of the most popular portions of Jesus’s most famous sermon is what is commonly called The Lord’s Prayer. As we approach this model prayer, we must keep in mind the purpose of the sermon as a whole—Christians are not to mindlessly follow the mechanical formalism and externalism of the hypocritical Pharisees and of those who practice worldly religions. Empty, ritualistic religion never saved anyone, and it never will. This explains why Jesus calls his disciples to something far greater than mere religion.
The Lord’s Prayer is not a formula given for Christians to hang on our walls as a decoration or a mantra that we robotically repeat again and again for the purpose of manipulating God or attempting to earn His divine favor. Instead, it is given as a pattern for us to follow. Prayer can quickly be reduced to a mindless activity that we do simply because we know we should. Jesus’s model prayer calls us to something greater than monotonous chanting like that of the medieval monks.
Jesus’s prayer begins with the tender words, “Our Father.” This opening phrase serves as an address, not an actual petition. It is important to note that Jesus instructs us to warmly and humbly address our Heavenly Father before jumping right to our concerns and requests. According to Jesus’s model, it is essential that we begin our times of prayer with an acknowledgment of our position and standing before God. As a human father of three, I never grow weary of hearing my children address me as Dad; hearing the voice of my children saying my positional name brings joy to my heart. I believe it brings joy to our Heavenly Father as well.
Had sin not penetrated the world, there would have been no need for Jesus to enter the world, die on the cross, and rise from the grave. Because sin is a reality, and we are incapable of saving ourselves, we need a Savior to redeem us from the power of sin. God receives a greater weight of glory through the redemption He offers to repentant sinners through Christ than He would if sin had never entered the world through Adam’s sin. Through faith in Christ, sinners are gloriously adopted into God’s family, affording us the privilege of calling our Creator our Father. As the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:14-15, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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.’”
If God is our Heavenly Father through faith in Christ, we must faithfully and obediently live as His children in order to bring glory to His name. In order to do so, let’s consider eight ways we can live as God’s devoted children. As children of God, we must:
First, patiently depend on God to meet our needs. This certainly does not suggest that we are free to use this principle as an excuse to live irresponsibly and slothfully. As Christians, we are called to work diligently and to meet the needs of our families. While we work, however, we must remember that our abilities, health, strength, and opportunities all come from God’s gracious hand. God promised to never leave or forsake His children; therefore, we can trust Him to care for us and provide for our needs as we obediently labor for His glory. In our fallen and untrusting nature, we often believe there is a gap between what we believe we need and what God is capable of actually providing. When we lose faith in God to provide, we are tempted to fall into despair or self-reliance. As God's children, however, we must remember that He will always provide exactly what we need when we need it.
Second, trust God to do what is best for us. The old television show Father Knows Best was Hollywood’s attempt to present a wise husband who always knew exactly what his family needed. As a fictional program, Father Knows Best was entertaining and, as I remember, often made a good point. As wise as a human father may be, only our Heavenly Father always knows exactly what is best for us. Even when God corrects us or withholds something from us, we must remember that His discipline and withholdings always come from His loving hand. Our Heavenly Father does know what is best for us; therefore, we must trust Him, even when we feel He should have done something differently. God’s ways are not our ways, but His way is always best.
Third, reverence God. As our Heavenly Father, He is infinitely worthy of our highest honor, deepest respect, and sincere worship. We must never disgrace God’s character by walking in the wretchedness of the world or by bringing reproach to His holy name. When God is reduced to nothing more than a god we can manipulate and control, we lose all respect for His holiness and power. Losing our reverence for our Heavenly Father starts the descent into self-centered prayers that focus on getting God to do as we please.
Fourth, imitate His character. As God’s children, we are called to imitate His mercy, grace, righteousness, forgiveness, kindness, and patience. Because our sinfulness comes from our sin nature and from the father of lies, we must consistently put sin to death and develop a character that brings honor and glory to our Father’s holy name. Abstaining from sin and relentlessly pursuing righteousness honors our Father; therefore, developing a character like His should be a high priority for those who claim the name of Christ.
Fifth, obey His commands. Rather than misusing our blood-bought liberty to sin, we must use it to intentionally obey our Father’s voice and submit to His commandments while trusting in His sufficient grace. We are not called to a life of selfishness and self-glory; we are called to a life of perpetual sacrifice, service, and obedience to our Heavenly Father. Obeying God is an indication of our love for God. As John writes in 1 John 5:2-3, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” I love how Brian Borgman words this truth in his book Feelings and Faith: “Why do I enjoy the moldy Vienna sausages of sin yet I am repulsed by the most succulent cuts of perfectly prepared filet mignon on Divine joys?” Good question.
Sixth, live joyfully. In his book The Lord’s Prayer, Puritan author Thomas Watson writes, “Never had children such privileges as they who are of the seed-royal of heaven, and have God for their Father. They should rejoice who are within a few hours of being crowned with glory.” Why, then, do so many professing Christians live with such melancholy and dejection? For those who have been adopted into God’s family, there are countless reasons to rejoice. God commands–not suggests–His children to “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart (Psalm 32:11)! When we fail to live joyfully, we are violating number five on our list and bringing reproach upon God’s wondrous name.
Seventh, love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Human families flourish when everyone sacrificially loves one another. Likewise, God’s family is stronger when His children love one another as Christ loves us. When God’s saints walk in unity and love, we show the world the greatness of our Father. As David writes in Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Loving fellow Christians is a profound way to honor our Heavenly Father. When conflict destroys unity in God’s family, the world questions the genuineness of the gospel. Protecting and pursuing love for one another takes humility, self-sacrifice, and an eternal perspective. Christians may have different opinions on peripheral matters, but they are not worth destroying God-honoring unity in the family of God.
Eighth, defend God’s truth. In Mark 8:38, Jesus warns, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Today’s culture is filled with hatred toward those who claim the name of Christ, making it tempting for Christians to give in to fear and not stand for truth. The world hates God’s truth and eagerly defames His holy and inspired word. In a world that calls evil good, God’s children must faithfully defend God’s truth along with His holy name. To do anything less is to dishonor our Heavenly Father. And as Jesus warns, if we are ashamed of God and His word, He will be ashamed of us.
We know our omniscient Heavenly Father sees and knows all things, and yet too often we live and walk as if He sees and knows nothing. We call him omniscient, but live as if He is ignorant of what we say, do, and think. Our Heavenly Father loves His children with perfect love, and deserves our honor, reverence, worship, and obedience. If you claim to be a child of God and yet you are not living in accordance with these eight principles, it is time to call out to your Heavenly Father in repentance and seek His forgiveness. As a child of God, your number one priority is to live in such a way that brings glory to your Father’s holy name.