God Is Our Father
John 1:12-13
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Romans 8:14, 16-17a
All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. The Spirit testifies (KJV - beareth witness) with our spirit that we are God's children...co-heirs with Christ.
2 Corinthians 6:18
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters", says the LORD Almighty.
Galatians 4:6 (Luke 11:13)
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
Matthew 6:9 This is how you should pray: 'Our Father...'
Thomas Manton A Practical Exposition of the Lord's Prayer "Our Father"
What are those fruits of the Spirit of adoption in our hearts, by which we may further evidence it, whether we are the children of God or not?
(1.) In prayer, by a kind of naturalness or delight in this duty of holy commerce with God: Wherever the Spirit of God is dispensed, and dwelleth in the hearts of any, the heart of that man will be often with God. The Spirit of grace will put him upon supplication; he will be often acquainting God with his desires, wants, fears.
(2.) You will be mainly carried out to your inheritance in heaven. When we are begotten for this lively hope, when there is a heavenly-mindedness in you, this is a fruit of the Holy Ghost wrought in the heart, by which you might know you are the Sons of God.
(3.) By a child-like reverence and dread of God, when we are afraid to offend God. When a child of God is put upon temptation, his heart recoils, and reasons thus: ‘How can I do this wickedness, and sin against God?’ (Psalm 51:4 "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.") There is an awe of his heavenly Father upon him.
Thomas Watson The Lord's Prayer "The Preface to the Lord's Prayer 'Our Father which art in Heaven'"
https://biblesnet.com/Thomas%20Watson%20The%20Lord%20s%20Prayer.pdf
Consider the amazing goodness that God is pleased to be a Father to us. While our hearts stood against him, he conquered our stubbornness, and turned us from enemies to Children. He wrote his name upon us and bestowed on us a kingdom of glory. What a miracle of mercy is this!
Since God is our Father, we may go with cheerfulness to the throne of grace, and hope with confidence to succeed. The title 'Father' touches his heart. What can he deny his child? We have a Father to pray to, the Spirit to help us to pray, and an advocate to present our prayers. God's children should run to their heavenly Father in all their troubles. Surely he who hears the raven's cry, will hear his children.
John Bunyan
The Father's love is manifest in giving us to the Son, and in giving his Son to be a ransom for us. This word 'Father' does me more good than any other scriptural name.
O how great a task it is for a poor soul that is sensitive of its sin to say in faith but this one word: 'Father'. That one word spoken in faith is better than a thousand formal, cold, and lukewarm prayers.
John Bradford in Voices From The Past - Puritan Devotional Readings
http://www.puritan-books.org/bradford-rev-john-1510-1555/writings-of-the-rev-john-Bradford
You, dear Lord, that have made heaven and earth, of your own good will towards me before I existed, yes, before the world was, have chosen me in Christ to be your child. You have become my most loving Father. Your love and fatherly providence exceeds the love of any earthly father in loving, caring, providing, nurturing, and helping me in all my needs. I should not waver or doubt that you are my dear Father and I your child forever through Jesus Christ (1 John 4:10).
I can cast my whole care upon you, trust and call on you, with comfort and certain hope for all things that I need. I am your child, undeserved and only in respect to your own goodness and grace in Christ. In your good will you adopted me, and nothing can be finally lacking for my good. Your power is almighty and your will so bountiful. I should behave as your child, rejoicing, praising, trusting, fearing, serving, loving, and calling upon you. But alas, how heavy-hearted I am! I am unthankful, full of unbelief and doubting of your rich mercy. How little I love, fear, and call upon you!
Be merciful to me, forgive me, good Father, for your own sake, and grant me the Holy Spirit to reveal yourself to me, that I may truly know, love and faithfully hang upon you for all my needs. At your hands I must look for all things.
Father, I am taught to glory in you, for you are wholly my Lord, my God, and my Father. But alas, how far am I from this! I am guilty of such unthankfulness for your calling me into this blessed communion of your dear Son and of yourself! O be merciful to me, good Father, forgive me, and grant me for Christ's sake that I may feel the true joy of your blessed fellowship. I come as your child and desire it unto your glory!
William Gurnall The Christian in Complete Armour
Faith makes (the believer) a child of God, ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name,’ (John 1:12). He is not only partaker of the divine nature by that principle of holiness infused to him; but he is heir to all the holiness, yea, to all the glorious perfections, that are in God himself. All that God is, hath, or doth, he hath leave to call his own.
If the Christian wants strength, God would have him make use of his; and that he may do boldly and confidently, the Lord calls himself his people's strength, (1 Samuel 15:29). Is it righteousness and holiness he is scanted in? Behold, where it is brought unto his hand—Christ ‘is made unto us righteousness,’ (1 Corinthians 1:30). Is it love and mercy they would have? All the mercy in God is at their service. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee!’ (Psalm 31:19). Mark the phrase, ‘laid up for them.’ His mercy and goodness—it is intended for them.
Joseph Alleine, The Precious Promises of the Gospel (see below)
‘I am the everlasting Father, and I will be a Father to you (John 20:17). I take you for my sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18). Behold, I receive you not as servants, but as sons to abide in my house forever (John 8:35, 36). Whatever love or care children may look for from their father, that may you expect from me (Matthew 6:31, 32); and so much more as I am wiser, and greater, and better than any earthly parent. If earthly fathers will give good things to their children, much more will I give to you (Luke 11:13). If such cannot forget their children, much less will I forget you (Isaiah 49:15).
What would my children have? Your Father’s heart, and your Father’s house (Job 7:17; John 14:2); your Father’s care, and your Father’s ear; your Father’s bread (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 7:9), and your Father’s rod (Hebrews 12:7); these shall be all yours.’
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
If only we realized that this almighty God is our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows all about us; He knows our every need before we tell him. He desires to bless us much more than we desire to be blessed. He has a view of us, He has a plan and a programme for us, He has an ambition for us which transcends our highest thought and imagination...He cares for us.
Spiritual Depression
As Christian people we must learn to appropriate by faith the fact that God is our Father. This eternal everlasting God has become our Father and the moment we realize that, everything tends to change. He is our Father and He is always caring for us, He love us with an everlasting love, He so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son into the world and to the Cross to die for our sins.
Experiencing the New Birth: Studies in John 3
May God have mercy upon us! So many of us are children and are only interested in the presents and the gifts and the entertainments. That is not proof that we are truly born again. The Devil can counterfeit experiences and gifts and most other things, but there is one thing the Devil cannot do, and that is give us a desire for a personal knowledge of God. The Devil can give you an interest in theology and encourage it; as you go on, you become more and more proud of your vast knowledge.
That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the crying out of a child’s need for his or her Father; the true filial cry and desire. The Devil cannot counterfeit that; he knows nothing about it, and he cannot produce it. Only one person can produce it; that is God himself through the Spirit as he implants within us a seed of this living life.
J.I. Packer Knowing God
You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.
Octavius Winslow Daily Walking With God
Do not forget that the inward seal of adoption is testified by the outward seal of sanctification, and that if the Spirit of Christ is in your heart, the fruits of the Spirit will be exhibited in your life.