Romans 8: 30 – 32 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, graciously give us all things?

If you had one child who had done something that the law could not forgive and decided that he had to pay for his crime with his life, could you step forward and offer your life in his place? Could you? I would like to think that I could but I do not know for sure. What a prospect!

Yet our Heavenly Father saw our predicament when Adam sinned and left us in a situation of total separation from his love. What darkness! The standard of righteousness God requires to restore the relationship is met only by Christ Jesus. It is a standard to which we cannot rise no matter how good we try to be. We owe a debt we cannot repay by any means. So he gave up the life of his only Son to cancel our debt. God the Father is willing to pardon us and credit the righteousness of Christ to our account if we accept and believe that He died in our place on the cross. Such love! This is the gospel, the good news. Can you even begin to grasp it?

It is clear to see then why to reject the sacrifice of Christ for you would break the heart of God and bring his judgment on you. Our natural fathers require honor and obedience from us.  Anything else is disrespect. Yet a good father forgives a repentant child and allows his child to climb into his lap again or run into his arms for safety and reassurance. God your Father is always waiting for you.

“He loves us like no earthly father can. It is a covenant kind of love whereby he undertakes to look out for his children in every aspect of their lives, never to take his eyes off them, so that in Him they may have peace regardless of their circumstances. He guides, he inspires, he protects in such a way that the evil one will in no way have dominion over them.”