Romans Part 3 - LIFESample

Direct Access to Our Abba Father

Paul really wants to make sure we understand that we are justified through our faith in Jesus. We were not just separated from God by our sins, but our sins made us enemies of God. But now, through faith in Jesus, we are reconciled with God and have peace with God. But it gets even better! In Christ, we also have been granted access and position. When Jesus breathed his last, the veil was torn in two, giving us access to the throne, Mark 15: 37-38.

I didn’t always understand the depth of what that meant, until, one day, I received a call from a dear friend who was rushed to the hospital. She was in her fifth month and beginning to miscarry. In an effort to save her baby, she would remain in the hospital on complete bed rest and be monitored for the next several months. Isolated, scared, and worried, she reached out to me for prayer. While willing to pray for her, I was curious why she asked me, since she was Muslim. She explained that because of the bleeding she was considered unclean and unfit to pray or touch the Koran. At that moment, I realized the access Jesus gave to us. We have direct access to our Abba Father, Romans 8:15.

In Christ, there is nothing that can separate us from our Heavenly Father. (Romans 8: 38-39)

Paul goes on to say, not only this, but, we rejoice in our sufferings. Wait, what?! Rejoicing is not my first verb of choice. My natural reaction is to complain, whine, and complain some more, an immature reaction that nobody likes to see. Just like any good parent, God wants us to be mature and grow in our faith. Our Abba wants His children to reflect His character and nature. As we learn to trust Him in the circumstance, our faith becomes stronger. As a child, our parents helped us work through adversity to become mature capable adults. In the same way, God has given us all we need and helped us along the way. He not only gave his Son for us and granted us the same access to Him. He also poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

He is my hope and reason to rejoice in all circumstances.

-Laurie Harry