Tuesday: The Love of Our Heavenly Father
Jesus came to emphasize what the Old Testament had already affirmed: the Father looks at us with incomparable love (Jer. 31:3, Ps. 103:13).
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1, NKJV). It is amazing that the Almighty God, who rules the immense universe, would allow us insignificant and poor sinners living on a tiny planet in the midst of billions of galaxies to call Him Father. He does so because He loves us.
What supreme evidence did the Father give us to demonstrate His love? See John 3:16-17.
Christ was not nailed to the cross in order to create in the Father’s heart a love for humanity. Jesus’ atoning death was not the means to convince the Father to love us; it happened because the Father had already loved us, even before the foundation of the world. And what greater evidence do we have, could we have, of His love than the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross?
The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us. — Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 13.
Some tend to think that the Father is reluctant to love us. Nevertheless, the fact that Jesus is our Mediator does not mean that He has to persuade the Father to love us. Christ Himself dispelled this wrong idea when He said: the Father Himself loves you (John 16:27, NKJV).
Read Luke 15:11-24 and meditate on the love of the father of the prodigal son. Make a list of the many evidences the son had of his father’s love.
How are we, each of us in our own way, like the prodigal son? In what ways have you experienced something similar to what he did?
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To often fathers hastily condemn their daughters should they have a child outside of marriage. Sons who may have engaged in the same sin, there is not always the birth of a child that would publicly testify of an unfaithful union of partners. Incomparable love, by both parents, must prevail for the rebirth of their daughter or son, to experience, total acceptance into the family guided by the supreme love revealed by Christ of the everlasting Fathers love for fallen mankind. A confession, as exampled in the lesson, should be greeted with a feast of love and celebration.
The fatherly love of our heavenly father is so great. When we come to Him with sincere heart, He instantly accepts us and forgive our sins. Earthly fathers sometimes look at weight of our mistakes and disowns us.
our Heavenly father, really loves us, Hence He wants us all to be saved. The love of God is the greatest love of all.
Our Heavenly is a perfect example for earthly fathers to pattern, both in nurturing and caring for their children. So many fathers, especially '' fathers'' who are in the church do not demonstrate the ''unconditional love'' that the ''prodigal's father'' showed. Many fathers live a double life instead of being a representative of our ''Heavenly Father''. May they be a living sermon rather than a preaching one.
The parable of the prodigal son is really interesting to me because I can easily relate my life to the younger son in that I have wasted my life with stupid decisions without accomplishing anything for anyone including myself. Yet it does not appear to me that God threw me to the dogs but instead has put up with a very wayward, at times insane individual and continually blesses in spite of my many faults.
I think as a perfect example in the Bible of a prodigal Samson fits the bill almost to a tee. His whole life was basically a waste and at the end the best he could do for God was to commit suicide.
What is most amazing is that with both the prodigal of the parable who wasted all that was given to him and Samson who wasted all that was given to him God still loved and cared about both and is shown to have never trashed either. We find Samson listed among the list of the faithful in Hebrews (Heb 11:32) in spite of his total selfish living.
Does God enjoy us living like there is no tomorrow? Certainly not rather it breaks his heart and like the father in the parable, “when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Lk 15:20 NKJV). Notice here that when the son was still at a great distance the father ran to him to embrace his son – he didn’t wait for the son to come to him. Besides that even though the son lowered himself down to that of a servant the father wouldn’t have any of that and brought out the best for his son who he never stopped loving. In fact the father never thought that the young man was anything less than his son.
Wow! Amen and Amen! Jeanette and others, I'm getting the feeling that there are some bad feelings going on here. Let me add, that before Love can happen in any relationship, there must be respect. We must respect our Heavenly father and our earthly fathers before we can have Love for our Father. Jesus came to this earth and lived the life as an Example to His children. In as much as our earthly fathers should do as well. It is so easy to tell a child or grown up what they should do and not live up to your own teachings. Jeanette, I agree with you 100%....as a father, I should live an example and by being the example will gain respect and be truly loved. Oh what a better place and a happier place this earth would be......
It is a parable of the prodigal father.More emphasis shud be on the actions of the father towards his found son
I like that the lesson makes clear that Jesus and the Father are one. The Father doesn't have to be bribed or bought off.
There never was a time when God did not burn with desire to deliver and bless His children. He acts in mercy and power to accomplish the deliverance of His people and brings them into a situation of joy and comfort. God’s faithfulness means that everything He says and does is certain.” He is 100% reliable, 100% powerful