This session will comprise of two sections. The smaller will be a brief look at what the Bible reveals specifically about our Father. In the following section we will consider the Scriptural testimony about the Person of Jesus Christ. We will be considering the ‘work’ of Christ in the Next Module: The Atonement.
In opening this vast subject let us remind ourselves that we, as believing Children, are called into the fellowship that already exists within the three persons of the Godhead. We are not here considering some far off theoretical God, but we are discovering the One “with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
1John 1:3 KJV
“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”
Acts 17:27-28 KJV
I also prompt the student that Martin Luther’s statement concerning prayer and study should provoke us:
“He who has prayed well has studied well.”
Our minds can be full of information about our Father, His Son, and their relationship to us, but as long as it remains as mere words or mental knowledge, we will never reap or enjoy the lavish benefits of fellowship that have been opened to us through Christ’s death and resurrection. I encourage you, let the truths that we consider on these pages provoke you to earnest prayer and sincere seeking, that you would go far beyond knowing about Him, to the apprehension of His wonderful Person as your privileged experience.
The Doctrine of the Father
“But the outstanding truth which Christ taught about God is that He is Father. This term, applied to Him, occurs 189 times—in Matthew, 44; in Mark, 4; in Luke, 17; and in John, 124.”
(A Guide to the Gospels, Graham Scroggie)
E W Kenyon writes in ‘The Bible in the Light of our Redemption’:
“You see, He was in the beginning a Father-God. In eternity He had a Father-nature. We can understand a father’s love and desire for children. Our civilisation is built around this fact, for the home is the basic unit of society. Ephesians 3:14-15 reveals that the human father is just a type of the Father-God. The human father’s love exists because in eternity God was essentially a Father-God. It is natural that the Father heart of God should long for sons and daughters. This yearning passion took form, and God planned to create a man who would walk with Him as His child (Ephesians 1:4-5). Before He created the world, in His dream plan, man was marked out for Sonship. He was to hold the place of a son in the Father-God’s love. He was to be the answer to the Father’s hunger for children.”
Building upon what we considered in our last session what does our Father’s self-disclosure about Himself, the Bible, reveal?
Willmington outlines the following in his Guide to the Bible:
He is the Father of all life
“God that made the world and all things therein… he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;” (Acts 17:24-25 KJV)
Also: Psalm 36:9; John 5:26; Col 1:16
He tends and cares for the world of Nature
“He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;” (Psa 104:14,16 KJV)
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt 6:26 NKJV)
“Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”” (Acts 14:17 NKJV)
Also: Psalm 104:18,20,21,27; Matt 10:29; Psalm 135:6-7; Psalm 147: 8,16,18; Gen 8:22
He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
During His earthly ministry Jesus spoke more about the Father than any other subject.
The Father sent the Son
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,” (Gal 4:4 NKJV)
The Father honours the Son
“Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.” (John 8:54 NKJV)
The Father bears witness of the Son
“I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”” (John 8:18 NKJV)
The Father loves the Son
““Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.”(John 10:17 NKJV)
The Father glorifies the Son
“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:1,5 NKJV
The Father taught His Son
“Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28 NKJV)
The Father anointed His Son
“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.” (John 3:34 NKJV)
The Father delights in His Son
“For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”” (2Pet 1:17 NKJV)
The Father listens to His Son
““Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me…”” (John 11:41-42 NKJV)
The Father offered His Son
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32 NKJV)
The Father was totally satisfied by His Son
“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”” (John 8:29 NKJV)
The Father raised His Son
“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),” (Gal 1:1 NKJV)
The Father exalts His Son
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11 NKJV)
The Father makes Him the head of the Church
“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,” (Eph 1:22 NKJV)
The Father commits all judgment to the Son
“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,” (John 5:22 NKJV)
Lewis Chafer writes the following concerning the relationship between the Father and the Son.
“The relationship of the second person to the first person has from all eternity been that of a Son, and, like all else, related to the Godhead, is not only eternal but is unchangeable. He did not become a Son of the Father, as some say that He did, by His incarnation, or by His resurrection, nor is He a Son by mere title, nor is He temporarily assuming such a relationship that He may execute His part in the covenant of Redemption.” (Systematic Theology Vol 1)
The awful reality of their separation at the cross only comes into full view when we consider their intimate and constant fellowship prior to that terrible moment at Calvary, when Jesus paid the price for our reconciliation by allowing Himself to experience the horrors of severance from His God and Father.
He is the Father of all Believers
While God is the Creator of all men, He is a Father only to the Redeemed.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
1John 3:1 NKJV
The Father foreknew the believer, and destined him/her to be conformed to the image and likeness of His perfect Son, Jesus
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom 8:29 NKJV)
The Father chose and elected the Believer
“just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” (Eph 1:4 )
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the…elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” (1Pet 1:1-2 NKJV)
The Father foreordained, called and justified the Believer, and will ultimately glorify the Believer with Himself
“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Rom 8:30 NKJV)
The Father makes His home with the obedient Believer
“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23 NKJV)
The Father keeps and comforts the Believer
“Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” (John 17:11 NKJV)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” (2Cor 1:3 NKJV)
The Father honours the obedient Believer
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:26 NKJV)
The Father blesses the Believer
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (Eph 1:3 NKJV)
The Father loves the obedient Believer
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”” (John 14:21 NKJV)
The Father sanctifies the Believer
“Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:” (Jude 1:1 NKJV)
The Father bestows peace upon the Believer
“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 1:7 NKJV)
The Father is glorified when His Children bear fruit
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:8 NKJV)
The Father reveals truth to the Believer
“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,” (Eph 1:17 NKJV)
The Father supplies the needs of the Believer
“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt 6:32-33 NKJV)
The Father seeks the worship of His Children
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23 NKJV)
The Father chastens Believers
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” (Heb 12:5-6 NKJV)
The Father will someday gather us all together as One in Christ
“that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” (Eph 1:10 NKJV)
The Father rewards Believers
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:6 NKJV)
The reality of our redemption rings out from a reconciled heart with the liberated cry of a child who has finally come home:
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!””
Gal 4:6 NKJV
This word “Abba” indicates the reverence and intimacy with which we are to approach our Father. It is the language of a child to their Papa, or “daddy”. No longer are we slaves, but children, with free and bold entrance to the presence of our ever-loving Daddy God.
Oh, the wonder of this redemption! The awesomeness of this love!
