A Perfect Father
Notes
Transcript
God is the perfect Father
1. Where does this concept of God as a Father come from?
When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.
Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the Lord speaks, “Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O Lord, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.
2. The NT revelation of the fatherhood of God through Christ did not introduce a new concept…
… it effected a new contract.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
A. The normal relation between a believer and his God is like the relationship of a son to a father.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
B. The demonstration of this is seen by how Jesus, the perfect Son of God, conducted Himself in a society where many where sons of the devil (John 8:44).
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
C. The establishment of this relationship began with a supernatural transformation in response to faith.
· New birth (John 3:5) where the nature of God is implanted in each believer.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
· Divine life (John 15:1-10), drawing on it for the believer’s strength and for their fruit bearing.
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ”
God was Jesus’ Father from eternity; God becomes our Father through the new birth.
3. Jesus relation with the Father revealed what the nature of the believer’s sonship should be . . .
. . . the response of the Father to Jesus also exemplifies God’s attitude toward believers.
4. Implications:
A. God has revealed as the potential Father of each believer the normal relationship of men to Him.
· God becomes knowable
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
¨ Greek word oida (οἶδα)
¨ Greek word ginosko (γινώσκω)
“These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.
· God protects the members of His family.
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
B. The fatherhood of God is a motive for life.
John 15:2, 5
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
C. The fatherhood of God implies a future destiny.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
D. The fatherhood of God is the basis for the believer’s experience.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.