Dependent and Dependable

My second daughter was born yesterday so I obviously have babies on the mind. Children are a gift from the Lord. They require so much work and responsibility, but what joy they bring! It is something you truly can't understand until you are a parent yourself. 

Children require much responsibility. They are completely dependent on their parents. They depend on them for food, shelter, care, and love. Unfortunately, in the broken world we live in, not all parents are dependable. Just as we talked about here, we do not choose what family we're born into. The fact remains though that as Christians, the Bible calls us the children of God and He has chosen to reveal Himself to us as Father.

Dependent

As children of God, we must realize that we are completely dependent on Him. Like little children relying on their parents for the most basic of needs, we rely on God for everything. We rely on Him to take care of us, to help us obey Him, and for our salvation.

We are fully dependent on God. Romans 3:10-12 tells us:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11     no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”

Dependable

This means we were totally dependent on God to seek us and help us do good. The beauty is that unlike some earthly fathers, God as Father is totally and completely dependable. Later in Romans 3, Paul says in verses 21 and 22, "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." God shows His dependability and His goodness by sending Jesus for us who had no hope.

He goes on to say in verse 26, "It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." What good news! We could not save ourselves or produce good ourselves even though God required it. So what does the Father who is completely dependable do? He meets the demand for us. 

When one of my children are sick and need help getting better I take them to the doctor. At the doctor I advocate for them by telling their symptoms so the doctor can assess them and prescribe whatever is necessary. I pay the doctor bill, pick up and pay for the medicine, and then do whatever is necessary so they will take the medicine and get better. They are totally dependent in this process.

We were totally dependent on God to save us. We could not obey His commands and we deserved His just punishment. What does God do? He sends His perfect Son who obeys His commands perfectly and then is unjustly murdered on a cross where He takes on Himself God's wrath and punishment that sinners deserved. In salvation, Jesus' perfect obedience and His taking of our punishment is applied to us. In this God is just because His demands have been met and He has justified us in Jesus.

Conclusion

I'm floored just writing this. What kind of father would do this? Even though I try to be a good father to my children, I will fail them and let them down. In seeking to be a good father, I would never sacrifice one of my children in your place. But God is a perfect Father. He gives His only Son as a sacrifice to adopt many, many more children into His family. He then exalts His Son to a place of honor unlike any other. Because of this sacrifice, we can trust that God is completely dependable. 

We are completely dependent on Him, but we can trust that He will never ever let us down. He has given us everything in Jesus. No matter your situation in life, you can trust that there is a Father in heaven who is perfect and if you come to Him in full dependency, you will find Him to be more than enough.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! - Matthew 7:11