For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
— Ephesians 3:14–15 —
Mykola Leliovskyi: Grace Bible Seminary | Ukraine
Moved by God’s glorious grace, Paul bows his knees before the Father to pray. His bowed knees express humility, and his reference to God as Father expresses familiarity. In Paul’s letters, the fatherhood of God is seen in three ways. He is the Father of Jesus; He is the Father of all creation; but most frequently, He is described as the loving Father of believers, a relationship established through Christ. We may trust that our Father will provide for our needs, protect us from harm, and prepare us to inherit His kingdom. Scripture portrays God as the ideal Father, the Father par excellence. Whatever good that can be said of earthly fatherhood is rooted in the fatherhood of God. Like a good father, God is far more willing to give than His children are willing to ask (Eph. 3:20). Like any good father, God the Father is aware of His children’s needs. Unlike earthly fathers, however, He has the ability and wisdom to provide exactly what is necessary for every situation. The family unit in Ukraine has been devastated by alcoholism, with many children growing up without fathers. Although my earthly father was never there for me, I have found great comfort in knowing that in Christ I am God’s child, adopted into the spiritual family of my loving, heavenly Father. We may trust that our Father will provide for our needs, protect us from harm, and prepare us to inherit His kingdom. As John writes, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1).
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