If you're a parent, how do you want your children to respond to you when they fail? Do you want them to run and hide because they are afraid of you? Or do you want them to come to you, admit their mistakes, vocalize the effects of their sin, and know that in you they have forgiveness and safety?
We all want our children to respect us, but we don't want them to be so afraid of us that they won't approach us after their failures. We certainly want them to know and understand the consequences of their sin, but we don't want them to worry and doubt our love for them.
Under the new covenant, those who trust in Christ have been adopted as His sons and daughters, and He desires that we call him "Abba" (Romans 8:15), which can be translated as "Papa" or "Daddy." That's such a familiar, intimate word. As I write this my 5 year-old son keeps talking to me from the kitchen, and every sentence of his starts with "Daddy." I love it!
Our Daddy knows that we will occasionally miss the mark, but He doesn't want us to run away from Him in fear but run to His outstretched arms, knowing that we are loved and forgiven.
Also, Read Pres' article called Is Failure Fatal?
