#315 - Joby Martin // What Changes When You Call God Father - The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

Summary4 min read

The Daily Blade: Episode #315
Title: What Changes When You Call God Father
Hosts: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson
Date: March 17, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Blade features Pastor Joby Martin unpacking Galatians 4:6-7 to explore what changes in the lives of believers when they begin to call God "Father". The discussion centers on identity, sonship in Christ, the role of the Holy Spirit, and the profound shift in relationship and worship that comes with seeing God as our intimate, loving Father rather than as a distant judge or impersonal deity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Identity in Christ vs. Other Labels

Joby reminds listeners that their identity is defined by God, not by past failures or social labels.
- "You are not your failure. You are not your worst moment. You are not your past... But God calls you sons." (01:18)
Emphasis on Biblical language:
- Martin pushes back against translations that dilute the specific meaning of being called "son".
- Significance: In the biblical context, “son” implies heirship; all believers, regardless of gender, are given the status of a firstborn son in God's family.

2. Adoption as Sons and Heirs

Spirit of God enters believers:
- Upon faith in Christ, God deposits His Spirit within us as a comforter, guide, and guarantee of our inheritance (02:24).
- "God... has sent the Spirit of God on the inside of every one of us. That the Spirit of God is deposited into us so that he can comfort us, so that he can teach us, so that he can guide us." (02:37)

3. The Meaning of "Abba, Father"

Abba as an Intimate Term:
- The Aramaic "Abba" conveys intimacy; comparable to "Dad" or "Papa".
- “It doesn’t just mean, like, God is your father, but, like, you know, dad is a pretty good translation. Papa, this is an intimate word.” (03:13)
Worship as Childlike Trust and Dependence:
- Joby compares worship to how children greet their parents, emphasizing surrender, love, and dependence.
- "There’s no greater feeling than you walk in the door and your little boy or your little girl comes running up to you... This is what worship is." (03:54)

4. The Impact of How We View God

Jesus Calls God Father 189 Times:
- This consistent language is intentional—to change our perspective on God from distant and unapproachable to intimately relational. (04:24)
- “The way that you see God will determine the way you relate to Him.” (04:36)
Misconceptions About God:
- If you see God as a judge: You’ll be defensive.
- If you see God as distant: You’ll be distant.
- If you see God as angry: You’ll run from Him.
- If you see God as a vending machine: You’ll approach Him for what you want, not who He is.
- But if you see God as Father: You’ll run to Him and not from Him. (04:48)

5. Addressing “Dad Wounds” and The Perfection of God’s Fatherhood

God is not a reflection, but the perfection, of fatherhood:
- Joby acknowledges that some listeners may have complicated or painful relationships with their earthly fathers and urges them not to project these wounds onto God.
- "God is not a reflection of your earthly father. He is the perfection of what it means to be Father." (05:02)

6. Practical Implications: Living as Sons, Not Slaves

Rejecting slavery to sin, law, or religious tradition:
- Joby exhorts believers to live in the freedom of their true status as sons and heirs.
- “Quit acting like a slave to your sin... Be discipled by the Word and not the world... Walk in the freedom that comes in being a son and an heir.” (05:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the uniqueness of Christian identity:
- "Only God gets to tell you who you are." – Joby Martin (01:16)
On the spirit’s role:
- “God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” – Reading Galatians 4:6-7 (00:28)
On worship:
- "A big part of what worship is… is an intentionality on ourselves to humble ourselves.” (03:59)
- “We’re not singing to you. What we’re saying is God, and God alone is the one worthy of my worship.” (04:17)
On our inheritance:
- “You are an heir to the Kingdom of God. May you live like that.” (05:32)

Important Timestamps

00:20 – Introduction to the daily devotional and Galatians 4:6-7
01:16 – “Only God gets to tell you who you are.”
02:24 – The indwelling of the Spirit and implications of adoption
03:13 – The meaning and intimacy of “Abba, Father”
03:54–04:17 – Illustration of worship as childlike trust
04:24–05:02 – How your view of God shapes your relationship with Him; addressing wounds from earthly fathers
05:11–05:32 – Exhortation to live as heirs, not slaves

Episode Tone & Language

Encouraging, pastoral, and direct
Personalized through relatable illustrations (e.g., children greeting a father)
Biblical language preserved and defended (e.g., “son” as status, “Abba” as intimacy)

In summary:
Joby Martin underscores that the moment you trust in Christ, God not only changes your status—adopting you as His firstborn heir—but also transforms your relationship with Him. Rather than relating to God with fear, defensiveness, or distance, believers are called to worship, trust, and intimacy. The key change? Recognizing and living out your true identity as a beloved child calling God “Father.”

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Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.
[00:21]
B
All right, day two, we're going to do just a couple of verses here. Chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. Paul says to the church in Galatia, and God tells us these days this. And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God first and foremost. I am here to remind you that only God gets to tell you who you are. You are not your failure. You are not your worst moment. You are not your past. You are not your divorce. You are not your bankruptcy. You are not your addiction. You are not your sexual identity. That's not what you are. But God calls you sons. And this doesn't mean that we're all sons and daughters. No, no, no, no. If you ever have a Bible translation that takes words like this and tries to say things like son and daughter, throw it out. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that you are sons. Even if you were a female adopted into the family of God, you were adopted as son, the firstborn son, because in the first century, only the firstborn son was an heir to the title of what the father had. And so no matter who you are or what you've done or whether you're male or female or Jew or gentile or slave or free, that when we get adopted, we get adopted as a firstborn son, an heir to God. And the moment. The moment that you put your faith in Jesus Christ, God puts the spirit of God on the inside of you. Here we see Trinitarian language that God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts. It's talking about God the Father. Through the blood of his son, Jesus Christ has sent the spirit of God on the inside of every one of us. That the Spirit of God is deposited into us so that he can comfort us, so that he can teach us, so that he can guide us. And he is a deposit to, like, hold our place in heaven forever and ever and ever. And a part of what the spirit of God does in us is the spirit of God helps us cry out, abba. Father. The word abba is an Aramaic word, and it's a personal word. It doesn't just Mean, like, God is your father, but, like, you know, dad is a pretty good translation. Papa, this is an intimate word. And what he's talking about here is worship is that when the spirit of God lives in you, the spirit of God drives us to cry out to our father, Father, Abba, dad, Papa, like, I know him and he knows me. This is what worship is. And if any of you that have raised little kids, man, there's no greater feeling than you walk in the door and your little boy or your little girl comes running up to you and they lift up their hands to you. Why one, it's in surrender. They love you. They're pumped that you're home and they want you to pick them up. This is what worship is. You see, Jesus is going to say, unless we change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. A big part of what worship is, is worship is an intentionality on ourselves to humble ourselves. Because when we join together and we sing songs to God at church, together, regardless if you like the song or not, it doesn't matter if you like it. We're not singing to you. What we're saying is God, and God alone is the one worthy of my worship. And you are the one that I am singing to. And the reality is, the way that you see God will determine the way you relate to Him. 189 times in the four Gospels, Jesus has the audacity to call the sovereign king of the universe, Yahweh Adonai, the one who you weren't even allowed to write his name down. And God says, I mean, Jesus says that when we think about God, I want you to call him Father, because the way that you see him will determine how you relate to him. So if you think God is only a judge, then you'll always be defensive. Try to make your case against him or for yourself. If you think God is distant, then you will be distant. If you think God's primary posture towards you is that he's angry at you, then you'll run from him, not to him. And if you think God is a vending machine, then you'll always just try to get out of him what you want. But when you know him as father, you'll run to him and not from him. And I know for some of you, you got some dad wounds. Hey, listen, I get it. I understand. I've got a great dad. So maybe I don't understand, but God is not a reflection of your earthly father. He is the perfection of what it means to be Father. So if you were in Christ, quit acting like a slave. Quit acting like a slave to your sin. It's not the biggest thing in your life Jesus is quit acting like a slave to this world. Be discipled by the Word and not the world and quit being a slave to the law. It's not your white knuckling begrudging submission to the law that is going to earn your place before God the Father. Jesus Christ has already done that and you have been adopted as a son. And don't be a slave to some religious tradition if it doesn't help you know the Father better but walk in the freedom that comes in being a son and an heir. You see you are an heir to the Kingdom of God. May you live like that.
[05:40]
A
Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight, Share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.