Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":
How does God want you to think of Himself? As some infinitely large and complicated divine Organization designated by a third person pronoun “the ...”?
The Bible reveals Him, but the larger part of it is the “Old Testament” wherein the revelation is not as clear as in the New—at least ancient Israel did not understand “God” very clearly, or they would not have crucified “the Lord of glory,” the very Son of God, when He came.
Over and over again we find the Messiah in the New Testament presenting God to us as “our Father who is in heaven.” Simplest designation possible for humans to grasp! Our first syllable is “Baba” or “Abba, Father,” and the apostle tells us that the Holy Spirit impresses upon us (sinners as we are!) the conviction that we have been “adopted” by this “heavenly Father” (Rom.
Rare and deeply fortunate you are if you had an earthly elder brother who loved you tenderly (this unworthy writer had such). He made it easier for me to think of Jesus in an intimate way, and I owe an enormous debt to him; but many people have been deprived of that “gift.”
More rare and even more deeply fortunate you are if you had an earthly father who interpreted for you the faithful lovingkindness of the heavenly Father. But if you were bereft of that earthly blessing, or thought you were, and you need “Elijah” to “turn [your] heart” in reconciliation to him (Mal. 4:5, 6), then look again at Romans 8 above.
It’s a positive, rock-bottom-truth stated in a double negative: “You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the [Holy] Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out ‘Abba, Father.’ The [Holy] Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (vss. 15, 16).
The double negative means you have received the conviction of the Holy Spirit that you have been “adopted,” not only into some celestial third person Establishment, but into an intimately close divine family wherein you are a loved child—a sibling, yes, of Christ’s.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
