What the Bible says about Responsibilities as God's Children
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Jesus' instruction for us to address the Father as “our Father in heaven” does more than distinguish Him from our earthly fathers. For starters, it raises our sights from the earthly to the heavenly just by mentioning the place where God lives (see Revelation 4:1-11). In this way, it inspires us to focus our minds on godly, spiritual things rather than the material things and circumstances of this world.
It should also remind us that our true position, even as we live within the confines of earth, is seated with Him “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). While adding to the realization of our unique status with God, it points toward our responsibilities as God's children: to live godly in this age (Titus 2:12) and be witnesses of Him and His way of life before the world (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-15; I Peter 2:12). The author of Hebrews explains that the faithful, whom Jesus says are not of this world (John 17:14, 16), “seek a homeland. . . . But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country” (Hebrews 11:14, 16). In seeking their heavenly homeland, they take on its characteristics and model them before the world.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Two): Our Father in HeavenRelated Topics: Desiring a Heavenly Country | Our Father | Seeking Heavenly Things | The Model Prayer