The Loving Father

It is Important to note that this attribute does not somehow cancel out the other attributes that we have previously studied. It is easy for us to elevate the characteristics of God that give us the warm and fuzzies while diminishing his other attributes like his holiness and wrath.

So how does this characteristics of God as a father relate to us as fathers. Let’s look to scripture to find out and ask the question as fathers, “ Are we representing God well?”

Isn’t amazing that one of the way’s God has chosen to represent himself to mankind as a Father, the good father.

I can think if no better earthly depiction that elicits both respect and an understanding of His great love. So again, Fathers as we look to the greatest representative of what it means to be a Fathers, lets ask are we immolating him well.

I. The Description of our Heavenly Father.

Exodus 34:6 CSB

6 The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth,

Exodus 34:7 (CSB)

7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations...

If we are to immolate our heavenly father then we must ask fathers do these verses describe you?

A. Full of Compassion - doing your best to spare your children from unnecessary hardship.

Protecting your family from things you know will harm them.

B. Gracious - to show kindness.

C. Slow to Anger- this does not mean tolerates wrong-doing, but rather does not lose his temper when confronting it.

D. Abounding in Faithful love and Truth.

The word abounding means “rich” in other words not stingy. Notice the association with Truth and Love.

Love without truth will end in waywardness.

I have seen this time and time again. Where parents will spare their children’s feelings “out of love”. They shield their children from the truth about their sinful condition.

They shield their children from consequences ensuring the child feels no need for change. This isn’t loving, this isn’t how God the father deals with us.

They tell their children they are good and just happen to make bad decisions.

Instead we need to be telling our children their hearts are sinful in need of redemption and God can give them a new heart.

This is not how scripture describes the plight of man outside of Christ.

Jeremiah 17:9 CSB

9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?

As will truth without love will end in rebellion both Truth and love are necessary components to being a loving father.

A person that does not trust the heart of The Father will not follow his laws his ways.

In the same way, A child that doesn’t trust his fathers love will grow up to rebel against his way of life.

So Fathers are you stingy in giving love. Are you overly critical of your children. Do withhold affection from them? Do your children no unequivocally that you love them without reservation?

E. Forgiving.

God is quick to forgive those who repent. Fathers are you quick to forgive your kids like God forgives you?

Trans: But understand that compassion, love, and forgiveness is not a substitution for discipline.

II. God Disciplines from His Love, holiness, and wrath.

If you read the O.T. you will see that the motivation of God stems from all three equally. Look at the second part of Exodus 34:7

Exodus 34:7 (CSB)

... But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

God will discipline with the intention of restoration and repentance.

Deuteronomy 8:5 CSB

5 Keep in mind that the Lord your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

Illustration:

As we look at our nation. How many of you would agree that not enforcing the law has lead to major issues in our cities. The increase in Criminals stealing, raping, and killing is alarming.

They are arrested the often set free nearly immediately. How many of you would agree that criminals need consequences in order to motivate them to keep the laws?

Our nation has become very permissive in its authority and rule.

What has happened in our nation when we do no enforce the law and it’s consequence? Chaos ensues.

Many of you know that of the hats I wore at the church I started off my ministry journey in was a children’s pastor. Around 15 years ago. I really enjoyed teaching children. At that time, the disrespectful or disorderly child was the exception. Now children were still children and from time to time would act up.

Usually , all I had to do was threaten to talk to mom and dad and the child would shape up. The kids new their parents expected obedience and their would be consequences for getting in trouble. No fast forward 10+ years. I was asked to be the interim children’s pastor at large church in Roanoke Va.

It was then that I noticed a drastic change. In many cases, threatening to speak with the parents about the child’s behavior was now longer something that changed the child’s behavior.

They knew there would be no real consequences. In fact when speaking to mom’s and dad’s about their children disobedience usually resulted in mom or dad defending and excusing the child’s behavior. I realized very quickly I know longer enjoyed children’s ministry like I used too. There was a whole lot less time for teaching. The classes were often chaotic as a children did what they pleased.

What am I getting at? There has permeated in our culture a permissiveness that has caused chaos in our country and chaos in our homes. Show me a city that doesn’t enforce it’s laws and I will show you a city knee deep in chaos.

Show me parents(particularly fathers) that do not discipline or enforce obedience and I will show you a chaotic home 100% of the time.

You are not loving your kids by being permissive, excusing bad behavior and refusing to allow your kids to feel the consequences of their disobedience.

Just like God disciplines us out of love so we must ensure discipline in the home. We do not do this with anger but love and concern for our children

If God is our model and God required obedience to His word. Then we as fathers most require obedience in our homes.

Through out the O.T. God disciplined Isreal as a way to break their wicked will. He did this to bring them to repentance. Why did he do this?

Because he loved his people enough to do what was not pleasurable for their future benefit.

Fathers ( parents) love requires that you discipline your children. So they will see their own sin. Repent and turn to Christ. If your children do not learn to obey a father they can see. They will struggle to obey a God they cannot see.

Proverbs 19:18 CSB

18 Discipline your son while there is hope; don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death.

Fathers you have a very short window. If you do not discipline them when they are young you will be fighting a losing battle when they are older.

Fathers are you emulating God the father by lovingly enforcing discipline in your home?

Mothers are you supporting your husband by reinforcing the fathers authority?

I worked with a christian man. We will call him bob. both of his boys ended up in serious trouble as young adults. Bob was honest with me about his shortcomings and many times I wish parents would learn from my mistake.

He said as his boys were growing up. He was often overly harsh. So his wife who had a soft heart would shield the children. He said his boys would get into trouble he would lay down the consequences. When he would leave his wife would not enforce them. She would tell the kids, “lets just not tell your dad”.

Over the years, he told me his boys learned two things.

Mom was a pushover who could be manipulated by tears.

Dad was not someone they needed to listen too.

He told me these two things coupled with not prioritizing God and church, they set their kids up for failure.

He used to say “ I’d rather be sitting on a dirt bike thinking about God on Sunday. Then sitting in a pew thinking about riding my dirt bike.” That all sounded good but in reality he just wasn’t willing to address his own heart for why he didn’t want to be in church.

He told me their home instead of being a place of peace was always in turmoil.

A Permissive home will ensure that you do not enjoy your children and that your children do not enjoy you. It results in confusion and chaos.

Worse yet, if children do not learn to obey a father and mother they can see. They will never learn to obey a heavenly father they cannot see.

Fathers you must represent God the father to your children well. You do this through loving correction, and firm consistent consequences, and a lot of hugs.

God when speaking to the nation of Israel told them exactly what was expected of them. If you follow my ways you will live long and happy lives. If you abandon my ways, I will correct you. God was consistent . Are you emulating this?

Proverbs 6:23 CSB

23 For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.

Proverbs 12:1 CSB

1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 29:15 CSB

15 A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a youth left to himself is a disgrace to his mother.

III. God the Father gave His all for His children.

Romans 8:32 CSB

32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?

One of the best way we can demonstrate God’s love to our kids as fathers by being all in.

Can anyone argue that God wasn’t all in when dealing with his creation. In displaying love, graciousness, patience, and discipline.

God showed us the ultimate act of love through the gospel. He sent his Son to die for us so that we could be transformed into his likeness. So that we could be forgiven of our sins. So that we could spend eternity with our heavenly father.

Related Media

Related Sermons