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By
Wayne
Clapp
Jesus Christ introduced a new and rather
revolutionary concept. He spoke of God as His Father. Of
course, God is his Father, and Jesus is God's only begotten
son. However he taught his disciples to also pray "Our
Father, who art in heaven..." Of course the concept
of God as a Father is present in the Old Testament. However,
I found only seven places where God was referred to as
a "Father" to His people by adoption and not
by seed. However, with the accomplished work of Jesus Christ
when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, God's people
could become His sons by birth, with incorruptible seed.
Jesus Christ was the "first-born of many brethren." What
an honor and privilege we have by God's mercy and grace
to call Him - Father."
As sons of God our first responsibility is not serving Him, but knowing Him as
a loving, heavenly Father. In each of the church and Pastoral Epistles
written to our administration, God reminds us that He is our Father. He continually
lays this truth before our eyes. It is a term of intimacy and familiarity; He
is our Father and we should know and reverence Him as such.
The pinnacle of revelation written to the church is Ephesians. In it "Father" is
used eight times in reference to God. The first occurrence is in Ephesians 1:2,
in the salutation. Here we are reminded that our Father directs grace and peace
to us. The second use in the very next verse where God is identified as the Father
of our lord Jesus Christ. This establishes for us what the Father/son relationship
should be. The epitome of the Father/son relationship was enjoyed by Jesus Christ
as he lived and ministered to God's people. That same purity and intimacy of
relationship is available to us as God's children, too.
The third occurrence is also in chapter one, verse seventeen, where God is called
the "Father of glory". As a glorious Father His heart is to give us
spiritual wisdom and revelation in the acknowledgment of Him. His willingness
to give is what enables our relationship with Him to be complete, substantial,
and solid as we grow in intimacy and familiarity with Him. The fourth occurrence
is in 2:18 where it says that through Christ Jesus we have access by one spirit
unto the Father. Although we live in this world, we are not of this world. Once
we are born-again, we have a spiritual connection, the gift of holy spirit, which
allows us access to our loving heavenly Father as partakers of His divine nature.
The fifth occurrence is in Ephesians 3:14, where Paul directs his prayer to the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth
is named. What grace to be part of a family in which the body and we are all
members in particular. The sixth occurrence is in 4:6 which speaks of one God
and Father of us all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. All
of us must recognize the magnificence of our Father who can work in all His people.
The seventh use is in 5:20 which reminds us to give thanks always for all things
unto God even the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a spiritually
sound foundation thanksgiving provides for the believer who recognizes the Father's
blessing on his life. The eighth usage is in 6:23 which brings us back to where
we started the peace and grace in the final salutation, which compliments the
first occurrence.
God is our Father and the relationship that he had with Jesus Christ is the standard
that is set before every believer. Just as the Father has so abundantly provided
for His only begotten son Jesus Christ, He has also liberally provided for the
rest of His children. The intimacy and familiarity that Jesus had with his loving
heavenly Father is also available to us. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished
for us we can call God our Father and enjoy His incorruptible seed. Jesus Christ
was the first born among many brethren and we his brethren ought to walk in his
steps and glorify the Father as he did.
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