You have probably heard someone praying publicly address God repeatedly as “Father,” “Father God,” or even “Father God just.” Often to the point that it is distracting. I am not being critical. This happens because of nervous habits, or they were taught this. However, a line too far is addressing God as “dad, daddy, papi” or any other informal way we would address our earthly fathers. There is an interesting thought that Peter gives us concerning those that address God as Father.
“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:17-19).
There is first a conditional statement that speaks to addressing the Judge of this world as Father. This is possible because of God’s love (1 John 3:1). It is to be done through faith and obedience to Him (John 1:12; 14:23). It is to be done by those that have an obedient relationship with God. This relationship comes with the knowledge that one will be judged for every action, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10). What logically follows from this condition and knowledge is an expectation in the conduct of the one that addresses God as Father.
Their conduct should show fear toward God in light of the judgment. This word in Greek is what we get our word “phobia” from. It means fear and terror. After talking about the judgment of God, Paul wrote, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). The idea is to persuade them away from a fearful judgment. The righteous live their lives with a healthy fear of the judgment of the Lord, “for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). The wicked are not so. When Paul wrote about descriptors of the unrighteous, he said, “there was no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18). There is no expectation of repentance from this person, just “a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries” (Heb. 10:27).
Seeing that God has bought us back, not with the five shekels of silver from the old covenant but the blood of His Son, He deserves our respect and fear. “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28). This should be true in our service, in our conduct, and in our prayers.