The Question
The number one question for believers seeking their relationship with our Abba Father is how do we connect our human earth life to our spirit Abba Father in a relationship. When we are redeemed or “born again,” do we have two separate lives, or is there overlap? And if so, how much? Teachers show us what to believe in this life but not having a relationship with our Abba Father.
Be more like Jesus; faith without works is dead; go and make disciples of all nations; tithe; pray, and the list goes on. These are all “activities” we focus on in our human life, and ELB reinforces them. But where do we start our relationship with our Abba Father? Where is the “handlebar” we can all grab onto and steer our faith? Looking at why our Abba Father made us in the first place might reveal the best starting point. If we knew why he made us, we would know more about what to do and how to do it.
Genesis 1:1-24 presents a series of “let there be” and “let the earth bring forth” that formed the earth and filled it with creatures on the land, in the sea, and the air. Genesis 1:22-31, “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth . . . And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so . . . And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.“
Our Abba Father delegated the earth to his children to fill and subdue it. But he also had a goal and plan, as revealed in the Scripture. The Genesis creation was the beginning of a long-term plan, not the final product. It is my presentation here that our eternal relationship with our Abba Father is the heart of his plan and the only continuous theme.
The work of Jesus on the cross and after made it possible for us to return to our relationship with our Abba Father after sin separated us, but still, without the “why did he make us?” When our Abba Father created his children, he created a Family to love and live in harmony with him for eternity. Genesis 3:8, “And they heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God amongst the trees of the garden. . . .”
We see our Abba Father there with them, although that was most likely pre-incarnate Jesus, and he promises to be there with us again after the end of this world. What matters now is the time in between. Are we just passing the time, or do we have a greater purpose here?
The critical piece of the relationship puzzle is still the burning question: why did our Abba Father make us? It amazes me that more people do not need the answer to that question, as Genesis does not explain why he made us. Like everything else, he just created us. Scholars tell us his lack of explanation is a tribute to his omnipotence which makes sense, but that still leaves the question, why did he do it?
The Holy Spirit finally led to the answer, changing my relationship with our Abba Father forever. The anchor verse for my relationship and life with our Abba Father is Isaiah 43:7, “every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.. . .” Our Abba Father made us to glorify him! If glorifying our Abba Father in everything we do is our starting point for our relationship with him, we will never go wrong.
Going to work, glorify our Abba Father by giving our best. Going home, glorify him with our family. Going to play, glorify him in all our choices and actions. Going to worship him . . . (hopefully you have figured that out by now). Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Our Abba Father created us to glorify him, be in relationship with him and learn from the Scripture that he called us to play a significant role in completing his plan. The only way to do this, i.e., be obedient to him, is to make him the center of our lives here on earth. ELB is the opposite when we only add our Abba Father as an accessory to this life. We must always lift our lives up to our Abba Father.
