Sometime ago, a politician went to a certain part of Nigeria to campaign. He called God "father" during his speech. Most of his listeners became unsettled because most of them did not believe in God as father. That's religion at work.
Religion fails to see God's relationship from the family standpoint. We are adopted sons, God is our father who brought us into his family. This is a privilege God gave us through Christ but religion opposes this.
The Greek word "huiothesia" is translated as adoption. That word signifies the place and condition of a son given to one whom it does not naturally belong.
We were not begotten of the father as Jesus was: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"(John 3:16 KJV).
Christ is the only begotten son of the father. For anyone to be part of that family, it has to be by adoption. Adamic nature and sin puts us in a different family not because we chose to. This is due to the effect of the fall of Adam. God desired a family relationship with mankind from the beginning but sin altered that plan and we became estranged from God.
In His mercy, He provided a way out of the problem sin created through Christ's sacrifice and He opened the door of sonship for us through adoption so that we can enjoy the rights and privileges of sons: "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15 KJV).
Another wonder of God's marvelous grace to those of us in Christ is our adoption as sons. Religion doesn't offer anyone this privilege. I can boldly call God my father because I'm adopted into His family and I have rights and privileges of sons.
This (adoption) is God's plan from before time began: "having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will"( Ephesians 1:5 KJV).
Religion cannot understand this because religion sees God as God only but not as a father, a loving one at that. Knowing God as father will help you relate closely knowing he is not faraway. Religion does not offer this to any man.
