God Is Father

MEMORY VERSE: “But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” —Isaiah 64:8

HOSEA 11:1-4; JOHN 14:6-11; II CORINTHIANS 1:3,4

IN OUR memory verse the word “Father” seems to be used in the sense of Creator. From this standpoint Adam was a son of God, and could properly look up to the Creator as his Father. In Luke 3:38 Adam is referred to as a son of God. Because of sin the human race lost this close relationship to the Creator, and we find little reference to it in the Old Testament. Our memory text pertains to the people of Israel who entered into a covenant with God, and the word “Father” is used.

In the New Testament the situation is different. Jesus himself, in a very special sense was the Son of God. John wrote concerning Jesus, “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) In verse 12 of this chapter we read that as many as received Jesus were given the power, or privilege, of becoming the sons of God. This reference is to the Jewish people, and indicates that they were not then sons of God in the special sense outlined in the New Testament, although all who accepted Christ and followed him, were given the privilege of becoming sons of God.

True Christians become sons of God because they are begotten by God’s Holy Spirit through the Word of truth, are nourished by that Word, and finally are born of the Spirit in the resurrection. These are then sons of God on the spiritual plane of life rather than the human. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that those born of the Spirit are invisible to human eyes, and powerful. Jesus used the invisibility and power of the wind to illustrate this great truth.—John 3:6-8

When Jesus said to Philip, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” he did not mean that he was both the Father and the Son. Jesus inquired, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? (John 14:9,10) In John 17:21 Jesus, praying on behalf of his followers, requested that “they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Adam was created in the image of God, and in his perfection reflected the glory of his Creator. To an even greater extent Jesus, in his perfection and dedication to the Father, reflected his Father’s character. The words which he spoke were the Father’s words, and the works which he did were the Father’s works. He had accepted the Father’s will, and it was a guide in his life, and he lived continuously in harmony with the Father. Jesus’ prayer was that this oneness of will and purpose might be maintained between his Father and himself, and also with his disciples.

John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (I John 3:2) Those who attain to actual birth of the Spirit in the resurrection will be like the glorified Jesus, and will see him as he is. That will be the fulfillment of his promise that at his return he would receive them unto himself.—John 14:2,3

The “Father” relationship is a very precious one, in that it conjures up thoughts of God’s loving care, and of the fact that he provides all our needs, even as an earthly father makes provision for his children. One of our needs as sons of God is to be comforted in our times of stress and trial. Our lesson brings this to our attention. We quote:

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (II Cor. 1:3,4) Here we are reminded not only that our Heavenly Father is ready and willing to comfort us in our times of trouble, but that in turn, having been blessed by him, it is our privilege to comfort our brethren; that is, those, who like us, have been begotten by the Holy Spirit. How precious, indeed, is our relationship to God as sons!

QUESTIONS

How is the word, “Father” used in the Old Testament when applied to God?

How do followers of Jesus become sons of God?

Are the Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus the same person?

How did those who saw Jesus see the Father?

When will we be made completely like Jesus?

Of what are we reminded when we think of God as our Father?

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