What does it mean for God to be our Abba Father?

God is referred to by many different names throughout Scripture. In terms of understanding how God relates to people, the name "Abba Father" is one of the most significant names of God. It was a common term that conveyed affection, trust, and confidence in the Aramaic language. As well as the childlike trust that a child places in his father, abba symbolizes the close relationship between a father and his child.

In Scripture, Abba is always followed by Father, and the phrase appears in three passages. In Mark 14:36, Jesus addresses His Father as "Abba, Father" in Gethsemane. 'Abba, Father' is mentioned in Romans 8:15 in reference to the Spirit's work of adoption, which makes us God's children and heirs with Christ. In Galatians 4:6, the Spirit in our hearts calls out, "Abba, Father." Together, the terms Abba and Father emphasize God's fatherhood twice. We are assured of God's care for His children in two languages.

The Bible reveals quite a different truth than the claim that all people are "children of God." The right to be a child of God and call Him “Abba Father” is something only born-again Christians have (John 1:12–13). We are all His creations and under His authority and lordship, and all will be judged by Him, but we are only called “baba sons” by the Bible (John 1:12–13). When we are born again (John 3:1–8), we are adopted into the family of God, redeemed from the curse of sin, and made heirs of God (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7). God now treats us differently, as family, as part of that new relationship.

Understanding what it means to be able to call the one true God "Father" and what it means to be joint-heirs with Christ is life-changing. We can approach our Abba with boldness (Hebrews 10:19) and with full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22) because of our relationship with our Abba, Father. Our spirit "testifies that we are God's children" through the Holy Spirit. If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16–17).

It is the highest and most humbling honor to become a child of God. It has changed our relationship with God and our standing before Him. In contrast to Adam and Eve, we run to God, calling, “Abba, Father!” and finding forgiveness through Christ. Having been adopted into God's family is the source of our hope, the guarantee of our future, and the inspiration to live a life "worthy of the calling you have received" (Ephesians 4:1). As children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we have a higher standard to live by, and in the future, "an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil, or fade" (1 Peter 1:4).

Jesus taught His disciples to pray by saying Our Father. Those two words alone contain a lot of truth. All-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God, who created and sustains all things, not only permits us to call Him Father, but encourages us to do so. What a privilege we have. It is amazing grace that God would love us so much, that Jesus would sacrifice Himself for us, and that the Holy Spirit would indwell us and prompt us to cry out to God, “Abba, Father! ”