Our Father

This episode explains that when Jesus teaches us to address God as “Our Father,” we must understand fatherhood biblically, not according to modern sentimental notions. Hebrews 12:5–11 shows that God’s fatherly love is expressed through chastening: He disciplines those He loves, and the absence of discipline would mark us as illegitimate, not true children. Such correction deserves reverence, just as earthly fathers were respected for their guidance. Its purpose is to make us “partakers of His holiness,” preventing us from remaining complacent in sin. Though divine discipline is unpleasant in the moment, it ultimately yields “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” to those who accept it. Therefore, believers should receive God’s chastening as an expression of His love and as essential training for a life that leads to blessing and peace.