OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: Onse Vader wat in die Hemele is, laat U Naam geheilig word
Translator: Robin Barker
I believe that it is so for most people:
You know that it works that way but when you think about it on a particular day, and then it amazes you all over again. Whatever the case, it has happened to me again and again.
Once again it amazes me how absolutely glorious and wonderful the loving relationship is between a Christian and his God.
Let me explain:
Many people will think that I am wrong to rationalise like this and maybe they are correct but I do not study other religions, simply because in my eyes it is a pointless task to undertake and I do not have the time to do so. My point of view concerning this is naturally the same for many other things in my life and precisely the same as my great hero Paul.
1 COR 2:1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
1 COR 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
I acknowledge openly, that I do not know much about other religions, except what I hear on the radio and TV and what I hear/see regarding the lifestyles of the followers of those other religions as well as the little I have obtained through research which has been required for me during my ministry.
That which I have observed about other religions, through the behaviour of its followers is this:
Their god, as I see it, is a god ‘from a distance’ and to boot, a very unapproachable god.
If I look at certain actions of these gods’ followers, I would also think, that their god is a cruel god but now – look at your and my God:
If I was to mention all the examples, which springs to mind afresh, concerning this matter, this email would be dozens of pages long, as normal I will contain myself to one or two examples.
Firstly He paid an extremely high price for you and me.
Because He is perfect, only a perfect price could be paid by Him and the only perfect price in the universe was His Son Jesus Christ.
Do not make the mistake.
As a result of the ‘original sin (Adam and Eve)’, if I do not accept Jesus Christ as my Lord, Redeemer and Saviour, I am sold to sin and therefore doomed to hell.
ROM 7:14 … but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
ROM 7:14 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
How glorious to loudly rejoice:
1 COR 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.
1 PETER 1:18-21
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
As Christians, our God is not distant or unapproachable. No! Now because He bought you with the blood of His Son, He does not remain aloof from you because you are simply a person and He is a God.
If you allow Him, because He loves you with all of His divine heart, He becomes involved with you, in actual fact He becomes one with you.
From within and without!
From the inside:
GAL 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
From the outside:
GAL 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
GAL 3:27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
I want to shout it out loudly:
“My God, my God! What a loving God!”
This is not even the end-
Not only are you His property and He is extremely devoted to you that He completely embraces you from inside and outside.
"You can take Him as your own!
Just think!
The God who created Heaven and Earth and keep the universe in the palm of His hand,
is now your Father and you are His child! "
ROM5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
ROM 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.1 THES 4:8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
TITUS 2:13 While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
TITUS 2:14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.
If someone thinks that I do not understand this correctly, Jesus emphasizes what I have just shown you, by saying the following:
MAT 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
MAT6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Jesus did not say:
This, then, is how you should pray: “‘The’ Father in heaven, holy is your name, or whatever word you want to use.
No! He said
MAT 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Do you now see how absolutely blessed you and I am who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour? You belong to Him and He belongs to you and this loving relationship is available to everyone.
All that a person has to do to have this glorious, intimate loving relationship with God Almighty is:
ACTS 2:37-39
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
JOHN 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Greetings,
Sakkie