Who is God the Father?
The Father is the first Person of the Trinity: fully God, the Creator and sovereign Lord, who loves the world so much that He gave His only Son, and who draws us into His own family as adopted children. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us.
This question arose from studying What is the Trinity?.
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What the Scripture says
The Father is the one true God
Jesus' own definition of eternal life is this: 'that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.' For us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come. He is not 'the god behind the gods'; He is the God.
This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;
He is revealed in Jesus
Philip asked to see the Father, and Jesus replied, 'He who has seen me has seen the Father.' No one has ever seen God, but the only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known. We do not guess at God's character; we look at Jesus and see the Father.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
His heart is love: He gave His Son
'God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son.' This is not an abstract principle; it is the measure of the Father's heart. He shows His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Even when we wander, the Father runs to meet us.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
He has adopted us as His children
In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. We are no longer slaves or strangers; through the Spirit we cry, 'Abba, Father.' 'See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.'
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children. And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
You come to the Father through Jesus
Jesus is 'the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' Through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit, and through Him we may ask the Father in His name, and the door is open. The Father who sent the Son welcomes all who come through the Son.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.
As you read, you may wonder…
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Verses to meditate on
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
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