Are you an obedient orphan?

 Hello All,

"In Scripture we see numerous examples of God telling BOTH non-Christians and Christians to "fear not."  This message came through prophets, angels, and ultimately, perfectly, through Jesus.

"Do not be afraid"

"I am with you always"

"I will never leave you nor forsake you"

"Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus"

"His love endures forever"

"Perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment"

"What son is there that his father does not discipline?"

"You ALL are disciplined"

"To those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

"Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things"

"Mercy triumphs over judgment"

Dr. Brad Jersak recognizes that most people feel abandoned by God, as though he is a "deadbeat dad."  He writes:

A "sense of abandonment easily casts a shadow on their impressions of God. It makes them feel like orphans.

They imagine 'the God who abandoned me.' God, the Dad 'who was powerless to intervene' when I was bullied. God, the Dad 'who walked out' the door one day and never came back. God, the Dad I needed to listen and reply, but never visited or answered my calls. God, the Dad I needed to show me how to grow up. God, the Dad I needed to be proud of me when I succeeded and supportive when I failed. God as 'absence'—absence so painful that we need a breather. [...]

The sad and serious truth is that many of God’s people, whether they had a dad or not, suffer from what we call an ‘orphan spirit.’ They’ve never known the love of God as Father or Mother. God seems perpetually distant, absent and silent—disconnected. In fact, our society is broadly afflicted with this sense of isolation. They are crying out for spiritual mothers and fathers who will adopt them and mentor them."

 I submit that the ultimate expression and only logical conclusion of the "orphan spirit" belief is to believe that God will abandon you for all eternity, punishing you forever, and that your salvation depends upon you being a good little boy (an obedient orphan) and never turning your back on God.  It's not consistent with the character of the Father revealed in Jesus.  Yes, there is judgment and discipline, but that's not the end of the story, and it's not even clear what that will exactly look like, but mercy has the very last word.  And what will a MERCIFUL, present, loving, and Almighty Father who ultimately RESTORES all things do?

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy