The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-08-14
FATHERHOOD OF GOD
Relationship Which Exists Bet Teen
the Creator and the Creature.

the Creator and the Creature.
way" Preacher in Which He Utters
Some Plain Truths ON q Popular
But Fallaci0us Doctrine.
Copyright, 1902, by A. N. Kellogg News
paper Coz
Chicago. 1902.
Text:-For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For We have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but We have re-
ceived the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father.-Rom. 8:14-l5.
Universal Fatherhood of God.-As
the progenitor of the human race, God
is its Father. The relationship thus
existing between God, the Creator, and
man, the created, is one of origin rath-
er than that of active association and
fellowship. That this is true is not
due to any change in purpose or desire
of God towards the people of the world,
for He is the same yesterday, to-day
and forever, but it is owing to the
prodigality of the human race, which,
beginning in the garden of Eden with
Adam, departed from the Fathers
house, and is no longer worthy to be
called the son of God. Since the will
of man was set up against the perfect
and righteous will of God, and every
man has sought his own way, he has
been in the far country feeding on the
husls of the perishable things of the
world, while the Father sits in His
house eternal in the Heavens await
ing the return of the prodigal, whom
He longs to receive back into the low
ing relationship of son.
The Fatherhood of God is universal
in the sense that "we are His Off
spring" and that as Father He longs
and waits for the return Of His way
ward and self-seeking children. The
Fatherhood of God is limited in the
sense that only those who repent and
return to the Fathers House by the
way which He has provided are priv
ileged to call Him Father and have a
right to place again in the family
circle. Man may reason and speculate
all he pleases, and lull to sleep the con-
science by high and broad-sounding
sentiments and subtle sophistries, he
may drag down to human levels God's S
love and Gods Righteousness and make
himself believe that he is son of God
and entitled to place in the Fathers
House, but when he comes to the end
of himself he will find that he is still
in the far country, and that the father
of his thought and reason was God
head "graven by art and mans device" +"
Satan hoodwinked Adam into believing
that he could erect for himself god,
knowing good and evil, and the father
of liars has been at it ever since. He
doesn't care how beautifully you talk
of the love and Fatherhood of God, or
how you denounce him (the deviD, if
you only do not come to yourself, re-
pent and return to the Fathers
House.
And if, while the world is talking of
the universal Fatherhood of God, it has
no atom of truth on which to base its
claim, Gods Word comes, and with it's
message of light proves the universal
Fatherhood of God by the universal
plan of salvation which it offers. The
testimony of Gods Word does not seek
to rob the world of a Father, but gives
to the world Father, if it will only
accept Him on Gods reasonable terms.
"For this is a faithful saying and
worthy Of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sim
ners." And Gods Word longs to un.
mask the worlds false notion of the
Fatherhood of God, which would leave
it at last naked and undone in the pres
ence of the righteous Judge, and give
it loving and forgiving Heavenly
Father. who sees the repentant child
while che is yet great way off" and,
rushing out to meet him, writes with
the finger of His love dipped in the
blood of His only begotten Son, His
full and free forgiveness, and, hushing
his pleading to be taken back as a
servant, He reinstates him in his lost
position. and makes him SON indeed
The Mark of Sonship.-"Fora as many
as are leu ny Tic oplflt VI 0ou, tucy al {
the sons of God" Here is the distin
gushing mark, the livery by which we
may identify those who have a right
to turn their faces upward and cry:
"Abba, Father" And on the other
hand, the sons of men as distinguished
from the sons of God wear the livery
of this world and are ruled by the
"spirit of man which is in him." II
the second chapter of I Corinthians
Paul develops this thought fully an6
shows that "the natural man receivett
not the things of the Spirit of God;
for they are foolishness unto him;
neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned." Fail
are to recognize this important trutl
IS the fruitful source of error and false
doctrine. 1t disqualifies man as a judg,
of Gods thoughts and Gods ways, ant
encourages him to put his trust il
the "enticing words of mans wisdom
rather than in the demonstration o1
the Spirit and of power" Except al
the Spirit of God teaches us there
cannot come one single CLEAN of igh1
ct eternal truth to our souls. We MAY