“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6).

Perhaps the most moving portions of Scripture are found in the record of Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. “And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:35,36).

Because of Christ’s willingness to do His Father’s will, we are given the privilege of crying “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15)—an endearing, intimate term. Jesus said, “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17). He “knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).

What we can know of our Father we have learned through Jesus Christ. He is our righteous “advocate with the Father” (I John 2:1). To Philip’s request, “show us the Father,” Jesus replied, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:8,9). “For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). And note the security which comes through God’s Fatherhood. “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 10:29,30).

The key to our relationship with the Father is our relationship to His Son. Jesus said “He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father” (John 14:21); “if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26). Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and our heavenly Father is the husbandman—glorified when we bear much fruit (John 15:1–8). CJH