Keys To Open Heaven 6: Treating God As Your Heavenly Father - Part 2

We were discussing yesterday about how there was a declaration of fatherhood when Jesus took baptism. Similarly, when we are saved, when we receive and accept Jesus Christ into our lives and take baptism, there is a declaration over us. God is declaring us as His children! We, as His children, will feel the change in our lives. We will feel the emptiness when we steer away from Him, when we do not surrender, do not pray and so on. But God does not change. So, we need to put in the effort to ensure a good relationship with the Father. 

Romans 8:15-17 says (15) The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.” (16) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

The relationship with our heavenly Father comes in two ways; adoption and birth. 

John 3:3-8 says (3) Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]” (4) “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (5) Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. (7) You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ (8) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]

1 John also talks about how we are born from Him! In Romans, it mentions how we are adopted. To love an adopted child takes more of a willful effort. Hence, the love toward an adopted child is more precious than one born from a person. Both these types of love are flowing from the Heavenly Father toward us! 

In the passage from Romans we read how “Abba, Father” is said together even though both have the same meaning. The word ‘abba’ is Aramaic and this was the language that Jesus had used mainly. ‘Abba’ was most commonly used by the Jews. This was written in Greek so after Paul wrote ‘Abba’, he wrote the word ‘Pater’. If ‘abba’ is Jewish, then ‘pater’ is Greek. This shows the difference in the way Jews and gentiles call ‘father’. 

James 1:18 says He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

In other words, God  rebirthed us of His own will! 

1 John 5:1 says Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

The responsibilities of the Father covers all the needs of His children! So we need to grow in our relationship with our Father in heaven. This will lead to an open heaven experience in our lives.