3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV)
Did God create us so that He can love us? First of all, our God is Triune God. Three persons: God, Son, and Spirit but one God. Love was not a novice act for Him. God is eternal and so do their love among each other within the trinity. God was not needy and was looking for love. But God created us for His glory and adopted us His Children, so that we glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever (Westminster Catechism Question 1).
Adoption
In verse 5, God the Father chosen or predestined to adopt us to become His sons and daughters. The Greek term υἱοθεσία (huiothesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. Paul uses the same term to denote the new relationship status. If we and God have a Facebook account, our relationship is updated as His child and as children in His. God has chosen us in love for love (1 John 3:1). Although in the ancient world, only boys could be adopted as legal heirs, in God’s family all children, both male and female are adopted in this way.
Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification…In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship. He establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. The traitor is forgiven, brought in for supper, and given the family name. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.
J. I. Packer, Knowing God, 206-207
As in the ancient Greko-Roman world, contemporary judicial laws treat the documented adopted children as rightful legal heir as biological children. In God’s view, we all are legal children adopted through His Son Jesus. The only thing we have to do is to believe that He loves us. He sees us and smiles with delight. As Richard Sibbes says, “What a comfort is this, that seeing God’s love rests on Christ, as well pleased in him, we may gather that he is as well pleased with us, if we be in Christ!”
God as a Father?
If I ask someone a question, what you think of a father? Answers going to be not similar to everyone. It could be a loving, abusive, heartbreaking experience while answering. In other words, some may have a good experience with their earthly/biological father, and others may hold the opposite. In many cases, some never had a father in their life. We always carry personal baggage while thinking about God the Father. We may assume, He could be like our earthly father or like a father we never had. But throughout all eternity God is Father, and eternally He has a Son. I think it is not fair to understand and define the infinite Father with finite earthly fathers. The idea of starting from scratch to understand the heavenly Father is probably the best way.
Suggested Practical Steps
The first step is, believe that God loves us. The whole plan of salvation has its goal to adopt us as His beloved child. God sent his Son, condemned his Son, and abandoned his Son on the cross so that we would come close to Him as his child. It doesn’t matter you never had a father, or he was a father you wished didn’t exist, but now you have a Father who loves you wholeheartedly as he does in Christ.
The next and final step is to enjoy Him through communion or prayer. Look around and see His creations and handiworks. The trees, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, hills, mountains, birds, animals, sky, clouds, rain, sun, moon, and so on. The earth is filled with his artworks, in other words, we living in and surrounded by His touch works. It reminds us of His grace and mercy, He is a caring and loving father. Think about Him while you work, walk, run, cook, eat, dream… When we do this we are filled with gratitude, we stop complaining. Our hearts are filled with joy while we enjoy God our Father.