The Fatherhood of God

It can be a problem for many people today to describe God as Father. Some never knew their father, others were abandoned by theirs, and still others were abused. For these people the term ‘father’ carries a lot of negative feelings. The truth is that our earthly fathers are human just as we are and even the best of them are far from perfect. Any human father is only a shadow of true fatherhood. Today I want to focus on what it means to have God as our Father.

Matthew 23:9 NIV84

And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

To call someone father implies a relationship, a very close and special relationship. It is not an abstract concept but a person. It means family. At its very best it means, providing for, protecting, teaching, and loving.

In our passage for today Jesus is saying that such titles as Rabbi, father, and teacher, are not to be used to confer privilege or status. Our earthly parents gave us physical life, but only God our heavenly Father gives spiritual life.

There are a few things I want to address at the beginning:

Not everyone’s father

The first thing is to realize that while God may be called everybody’s father in some sense, He is not everyone’s Father in the sense Jesus is speaking of to His disciples. Although we are all created by Him and God loves all people, to call God our Father is to be in special relationship with Him.

In speaking to those who did not believe Jesus said:

John 8:42–44 NIV84

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus’ Father by nature

Jesus stands in a unique relationship to God the Father. He is the eternal, the only Son of God. He came to us so that we could meet His Father, be adopted into the family of God, and relate to the almighty God of the universe in an intimate, personal, concrete way as sons and daughters.

Our Father by adoption

For us to be able to call on God as our Father we must be part of His family, and we are made part of that family by God adopting us as His children.

Ephesians 1:5 NIV84

he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

This adoption becomes ours when we believe in Jesus Christ.

John 1:12–13 NIV84

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

We receive all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities as members of the family.

God’s parental care

God is the perfect parent. Never will abandon, neglect or abuse. He always wants what is best for us and knows exactly what that is and how to achieve it.

Who God is as Father

In heaven

Everywhere

All knowing

Gracious and merciful

What God does as Father

Forgiveness

Blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ

Gift of the Holy Spirit

Helps us become more like Christ

Promises

Never forsake us

Provide for our needs

Discipline

Our response

Just as earthly children imitate their parents, we as God’s children are to seek to imitate Him.

Love

Live for his glory

Obedience

Care for one another