It happened at the annual celebration of the Feast of Pentecost. Those gathered began to see some strange phenomena. The signs were physical but pointed to a greater reality. They heard the sound of a mighty wind. Wind had often been used to describe the movement of the Spirit of God. Jesus himself had used wind as a metaphor to describe the essential nature of the kingdom of God (John 3:1-8). This wind was signaling the restoration of mankind to the reality of the spirit world. Adam and Eve had enjoyed walking with God who is Spirit. They had lost that clear sense of the world beyond the natural. Spiritual reality had become cloudy and secondary. Only sporadically had mankind been able to access this realm. There was much speculation and confusion about how the physical and spiritual realms related. From this day onward, they would be led by the Spirit and not controlled by the circumstances of the physical world.
Tongues of fire sat upon each believer. Fire has been a symbol of God’s presence for centuries. Remember when God gave Moses the Law? The mountains were on fire. Before that when God made a covenant with Abraham, his presence was a smoking fire pot (Genesis 15:12-21). Now the presence of God was on each believer and not just the Jewish nation. Each believer in Christ would be a temple of the Spirit and could worship anywhere, anytime.
They were speaking in languages they didn’t know. Everyone was hearing the proclamation of the gospel in his or her own language. This was a reversal of the language confusion that God had caused when people tried to build a tower to heaven for the sake of their own name: the tower of Babel. Now there would be restored communication. Believers could know in the spirit as well as in the natural.
Then another radical thing happened. Peter illustrated how the Old Testament should be interpreted. Joel, who was one of the revered Old Testament prophets, had spoken of the day when God would intervene and establish a new order. He had used prophetic language depicting the event in cosmic drama;
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions; Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved… Joel 2:28-32 (ESV)
Before this New Testament interpretation, most of the Jews had looked for physical and natural fulfillment of this prophecy. Now Peter was introducing what the new creation would look like. The spiritual meaning of everything would take precedent over the natural. The Old Testament writers had been writing about spiritual reality all along. Now the day had arrived. The Spirit had come to make the relationship with the Father a conscious reality. The “seeing” that Adam had lost in the Garden was being restored.
Later the apostle Paul spoke of this new creation dynamic as he explained to the church at Rome what the kingdom of God was all about;
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him Roman 8:14-17(ESV)
I believe there are at least five aspects of this “Abba-consciousness.” We can see these first in the Garden of Eden and then in Jesus who is the last Adam.
First, there is the consciousness of presence. Adam had enjoyed the unhindered presence of God before sin intruded. Since that time mankind has been trying to find a way back to the presence of God. The whole Old Testament story is about Israel being the distinct people whose God was present with them. He lived in a tent like they did. Then they built a temple where he met with them in the Holiest place. The whole sacrificial system was about bridging the gap between God and mankind. For centuries Jews dreamed of a day when they could again approach God and be in his presence. The day came!
Some are still convinced that it is a future dream. They visualize heaven as the only place where mankind can live in the presence of God, but according to the New Testament, heaven starts the day one places his or her trust in Jesus as the only mediator between God and man. One cannot come to the Father unless introduced by the Son. It is popular today for people to profess they have a relationship with God, but not Jesus. They think his claims of being the only way are ridiculous. They are sure they have bridged the gap by being sincere and authentic. There are many gods out there which are products of man’s projections, but the God who created everything and who will consummate everything is a Father and can be known only through the Son who became the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
I was saddened recently when a prominent sports figure in this country declared that he was embracing Torah because he believed you had to get to know the Father before you can know the Son. He had it backwards. You can’t know the Father except through the Son. And the Spirit has come to dwell in us to make that relationship conscious.
The second aspect of the Abba-conscious life is pleasure. God actually has pleasure in his sons. Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence and pleasure of the Father. He obviously enjoyed them. God tried to get Israel to believe that he delighted in them. They just couldn’t comprehend it. They continued to drift off to other gods that promised them pleasure. They were afraid of the God who actually enjoyed them. It is difficult to believe that God enjoys us. When I get up in the morning and look into the mirror, I can’t imagine anyone delighting in me. When I think of all the selfish things I have done, I can only imagine others being repulsed. To believe that the Father actually looks forward to being with me is a stretch. I have been programmed by the orphan’s perspective. I can only hope God will tolerate me. If I could actually believe God the Father was anxiously waiting for me to wake up and visit with him, I wonder would that make me eager to get up?
Some of my old friends (guys who played football together in college) got together a few years back in a hunting cabin. We took all the clothing and gear for a few days of man-fun, but we got to talking about each other’s lives. We bragged on and prayed for our kids. The hours flew by. We stayed up much too late delighting in each other. We were up early, putting on heavy warm clothes, but got to visiting again around the breakfast table. The sun came up. When we noticed it was almost noon. We talked over each other, eager to get our stories in the mix. We laughed and cried. We rehearsed how great we were back when. When the hour to depart arrived, we were all sad, but greatly blessed by a few hours of delight in each other.
How much more does the Father delight in us? Actually, he delights in us exactly the same as he delights in the Son. That is what it means to be a “son of God.” Joint-heirs with Christ means we get what he inherited. It can’t mean anything less. Think of how much the Father has eternally delighted in the Son. He created mankind so that someone could enjoy the Son as much as the Father did. There is nothing that delights the Father as much as the Son. I think we have some mind changing to do.
The third aspect of this consciousness is purpose. Adam knew his purpose. Jesus knew his purpose. Israel misunderstood their purpose. We can know ours. Adam was to enjoy the Father and partner with him in developing creation. In short, he was to glorify God—make his nature known in the earth. Israel was to be a son of God glorifying him on earth by representing him as a forgiving Father. Jesus revealed his purpose in his “high-priestly prayer:”
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do…I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. John 17:4,6a (ESV)
Could that be our purpose also? Well, of course. Only an orphan could possibly conceive of life apart from partnering with the Father. If we aren’t living to glorify him, it doesn’t really matter what we do vocationally. In fact, if we are living to glorify him it really doesn’t matter very much what we do. Of course, we will gravitate to our skills and gifts, but the real issue is making his name known to those around us and developing the plot in the garden we were given.
In an atmosphere of meaninglessness, purpose is difficult to find. When people are taught that they are products of random chance and that all truth is relative to the individual, there is little to give clues about purpose. But when we believe we are sons of God destined to make his name known in the earth, we can rise to the occasion and make a difference during our time here. There are mysteries to be solved and treasures to be discovered in this creation. The sons of God will enjoy working with the Father in fulfilling his purpose for creation no matter where they are assigned.
The fourth aspect of Abba-consciousness is provision. This is the area that trips us so often. As orphans we tend to worry about our needs being met. Adam had plenty of food on every tree in the garden. Israel had received manna from heaven as a display of the Father’s intention to provide for them. Jesus was confident that when he needed something to carry out his assignment, it would be there. There was a lunch when he needed to feed 5000 families. There was a donkey when he needed to make his triumphal entry. There was a tomb when he needed to wait for the resurrection. Today there is a community of faith that will finish the job he began. He has never worried about provision.
One reason we have for worry is the disconnect between our assignment and our provision. We often think of provision in terms of survival or significance. When we haven’t identified our assignment clearly, provision becomes the goal rather than the means. We find ourselves “needing” things to affirm our success. We gather our symbols of success and display them, hoping for some sense of significance. We find ourselves hording things for fear that the supply will not always be there.
It seems that our greatest worries come from the perceived need of resources when we have not connected them with our assignment. When I disconnect my need for clothes, food, travel, comfort, and convenience from my calling, I have trouble believing God is interested. Oh sure! He would provide a boat for me if I were in the tropics and needing to get to an unreached tribe, but is he interested in my needs here in a country with more wealth than any place on earth? Is he embarrassed that I would even expect him to provide for me when there are so many in the world who don’t have what I already have? But if I can believe that God’s sovereign hand has placed me in this environment to make his name known, maybe I can trust him to grant me the resources to get that done.
He has not been miserly in his provision. He has given us the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Maybe he can give new life to the hopeless: Raise a marriage, or a church, or a relationship. If he can defeat death maybe he can defeat bitterness and addiction. When we are conscious of his abundant provision, we are liberated from worry and fear. When we are aware of it, we can work with confidence.
The fifth aspect of the Abba-conscious life is protection. Adam had the angels surrounding the Garden of Eden. Israel had God’s covenant that he would fight their enemies. Jesus could call 10,000 angels at any time. We are in the Father’s hand and no one can snatch us from it.
There were several times in Jesus’ earthly life that people tried to kill him. He was able to simply walk away. In his words, “My time has not come.” The Father was in charge of the events of his life. Regardless of how powerful the Roman government was or how bitter the Jewish leaders had become, no one could touch him until his time. Likewise, we are indispensable until our assignment is done. We are not walking the tight rope of survival wondering if accidents or terrorists are going to prevail. We are in the hands of a Father. No, THE Father. Who is bigger or stronger? We are safe. When he determines our assignment is done, he will decide how we transition from this world. His promise is sure. He has prepared a place in the Father for us and we can enjoy it now. When death comes we will still enjoy the consciousness of the Father that we are getting accustomed to now.
By his death and resurrection Jesus made it possible for us to be sons of God. It is a legal fact based on the justice of God. But there is more. We are not only sons of God legally. We have been given the Spirit of adoption that makes us conscious of the relationship. Eternal life is visceral as well as legal. At a level deeper than emotion and higher than intellect, we know we are sons of God.
