30/12/2021 Wednesday

BIBLE BASICS
Review of God Being a Trinity
The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but it is used to describe the fact that God is three Persons in just one Being.
Jehovah is the true, living, and everlasting God who made the earth and heavens (Gen 1:1).
Jesus created all things as did Jehovah (John 1:3).
The Holy Spirit has the qualities of a Person not an influence.
All three Persons of the godhead are called God.
GOD the FATHER
What does the Bible tell us about God being the Father?
What is a Father Supposed to be Like?
▰ “A father should be the key individual to make a great impact on the life of his child. But the greatest influence on man will be by the Father in
heaven… In God’s original design for the family, he placed a father at the head of the home. God established three institutions – family,
government, and church – to assist us in our lives and to demonstrate an aspect of his relationship with us. … When a father properly fulfills his
role in the family, he is fulfilling a picture of the heavenly Father’s relationship to his children.” Towns, Elmer, Doctrine of the Bible, The Father, theWord edition
God the Father’s Basic Biblical Names
▰ In the Old Testament Hebrew
▻ God (Elohim),
▻ GOD or LORD in caps (Jehovah),
▻ Lord (Adonai),
▻ I AM
▰ In the New Testament Greek
▻ God (Theos)
The Father is the First Person of the Trinity
▰ He is not greater or more important than the Son and Spirit, but He takes the leadership role.
▻ (Matthew 28:19)
▻ “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
The Father is the Father of Creation
▰ God the Father in a special way is Father of all creation (Exodus 20:11; Acts 17:24).
▰ Being created by the Father does not mean that all people are spiritual children of God and that everyone will go to heaven. That is a false teaching
called “Universalism”.
▻ Jesus said that unbelievers are children of the devil (John 8:44).
▻ Unbelievers are children of the wicked one (Matthew 13:38).
▻ They are children of disobedience and wrath (Ephesians 2:2-3).
The Father is the Father of the Israelite Nation
▰ God calls Himself a Father of Israel, (Jeremiah 31:9) “… for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”
▰ God called Israel His son (Exodus 4:22).
▰ God called King David and King Solomon His sons (2Samuel 7:14, 1Chronicles 22:10).
▰ God cared for and protected Israel as a father.
Let’s pause and get practical!
▰ What are some practical ways that fathers can represent God the Father to their children?
▰ How can God the Father be head yet equal with the Son and Spirit?
▰ What does this teach us about headship in marriage and the home?
▰ How does God, being Father of creation, counter evolution?
▰ What is God saying when He calls himself Father of Israel, of kings, and of believers today?
The Father is the Unique Father of Jesus Christ
▰ God the Father did NOT bring Jesus Christ into existence by giving birth to Him.
▻ Their father/son relationship did not begin with God creating Christ or giving birth to him for Christ is eternal (Colossians 1:17; Revelation 22:13).
▻ It did not begin with Christ’s incarnation (John 1:1).
The Father is the Unique Father of Jesus Christ
▰ The Trinity existed eternally. Jesus is eternal (Micah 5:2).
▻ The term “only begotten” in John 3:16 means “only one of its kind”.
▻ The term “begotten” in Psalm 2:7 (quoted in Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5) must refer to either Christ’s incarnation or His resurrection from the dead.
▻ The term “firstborn of every creature” in Colossians 1:15 cannot mean that Jesus was created first. It may mean that He is the firstborn from the dead
(Colossians 1:18; Romans 8:29).
The Father is the Unique Father of Jesus Christ
▰ God is called the Father of Jesus Christ.
▻ (Ephesians 1:3) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
▻ “Obviously the terms ‘father’ and ‘son’ are used of God to describe the intimate relationship of the First and Second Persons without necessarily fulfilling all
the aspects that would be true in a human relationship of father and son.” Walvoord, John, editor, Major Bible Themes, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974, p. 47
▻ This Father / Son relationship is an illustration for our finite minds.
The Father is the Father of All True Believers
▰ Those who receive Christ as their Saviour are declared to be sons of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26).
▰ Believers are born into God’s family, not in a physical sense, but a spiritual sense.
▻ Believers have a Father/son relationship with God the Father.
▻ Many of the human son’s privileges are types of the spiritual son’s privileges with God, such as love, inheritance, fellowship, access, daily provision, and
correction.
▻ As fathers, we must have a proper father/son relationship with our children in order to properly illustrate our relationship with God.
▻ As fathers, we must have a proper father/son relationship with our children in order to properly illustrate our relationship with God.
The Father’s Qualities as a Father
▰ He protects His children
▻ (Psalm 68:5)
▻ “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.”
▰ He pities His children
▻ (Psalms 103:13)
▻ “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”
The Father’s Qualities as a Father
▰ He corrects His loved children
▻ (Proverbs 3:12)
▻ “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
The Father’s Qualities as a Father
▰ He welcomes the closeness of His children
▻ (Romans 8:15)
▻ “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
▻ Abba denotes childlike intimacy and trust, not disrespect. It may be something like “Daddy”. Kittel, Gerhard, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
The Father’s Qualities as a Father
▰ He treats believers as would a good father.
▻ (2 Corinthians 6:18)
▻ “And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
Review of God the Father
Who represents God the Father to children?
Their human father
What is the false teaching called “Universalism”?
Everyone is a child of God and will go to heaven
When did God’s Father/Son relationship begin?
In eternity past
What does Only Begotten mean?
Only one of its kind
Today, who does God call His sons?
All true believers
Name one the Father’s qualities
Let’s pause and get practical!
▰ Why do you suppose that God used the father/son relationship to describe His relation to Christ?
▰ How does this compare to our father/son relationship with God?
▰ On a daily basis, what are some practical ways we can benefit from our Father/son relationship with God?