Jesusasksthem in thisparable
is,“How can God treat you any
differently unless you forgive
your child from your heart?”
Somewoundedparents
mightprotestasPeterdid,
“Lord,howmanytimesshallI
forgivemy[child]whenhesins
againstme?Uptoseventimes?”
(v.21).Jesus’answertoparents
isnolesscompromising:“Itell
you,notseventimes,but
seventy-seventimes”(v.22).
TheChristianparent’slifemust
becharacterizedby
unconditionalandunending
forgiveness...nothinglessis
acceptableinGod’ssight
becauseHegavenolesstous
whohavebetrayedHimfar
worse.
God Is Personal.God is a
personal God.Since He first
created the human race,God
has desired an authentic
relationship with His people
(Genesis 3:8; Exodus 33:11;
John 15:14–15; James 2:23).
And not just to people in
general.God desires a personal
relationship with each one of
us.It is the very reason for our
existence—it is how and why
we were designed,and defines
what it means to be created in
Marriage and Family Life: The ParentingYearsSIDEBAR7.6
The Attributes of God
God Is Life
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth....
ThenGodsaid,“Letusmakehumanbeingsinourimage,tobe
like ourselves.They will reign over the fish in the sea,the birds
inthesky,thelivestock,allthewildanimalsontheearth,andthe
small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created
humanbeingsinhisownimage.IntheimageofGodhecreated
them;maleandfemalehecreatedthem.ThenGodblessedthem
and said,“Be fruitful and multiply.Fill the earth and govern it.
Reignoverthefishinthesea,birdsinthesky,andalltheanimals
that scurry alongtheground”(Genesis1:1,26–28).
ChildrenareagiftfromtheLORD;theyarearewardfromhim.
Childrenborntoayoungmanarelikearrowsinawarrior’shands
(Psalm127:3–4).
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way
you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and
instruction that comesfrom theLord(Ephesians6:4).
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and
high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and
fromthespiritualpowersof thisworld,ratherthanfromChrist
(Colossians2:8).
God Is Love
Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But
anyonewhodoesnotlovedoesnotknowGod,forGodislove.
Godshowedhowmuchhelovedusbysendinghisoneandonly
Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through
him.Thisisreallove—notthatwelovedGod,butthatheloved
us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear
friends,since God loved us that much,we surely ought to love
each other (1 John 4:7b–11).
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and
only Son,so that everyone who believes in him will not perish
but have eternal life (John 3:16).
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.Remain in
mylove.Whenyouobeymycommandments,youremaininmy
love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in
hislove.Ihavetoldyouthesethingssothatyouwillbefilledwith
my joy.Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment:
Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no
greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John
15:9–13). continued