The Fatherhood of God

Earlene Davis

The Hebrew word for father means, ‘Ancestor, source, inventor.’ Besides its obvious primary use in the Scripture, there are other applications, most have become common in its use for one who is chief or ruler (one in authority). Jesus said, “call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven” – Mt. 23:9. In other words there is to be no claim by men as the spiritual father one over the other. For One Father, the heavenly Father is over all. The Jews boasted in their father Abraham as their ancestor and source (Mt. 3:9), but not as replacing God.

In a general sense God is the Father of all men, as their creator. Malachi 2:10 asks the question, “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?” Yes, in that sense God is the universal Father of all men. He became the Father of the Jews by covenant – Isa. 63:16. A covenant they were unable to keep. But “God is love” – I Jn. 4:7. He so loved mankind that He created and they had become sinners by disobedience. He sent His only begotten Son to redeem them. We read in Jn. 1:12-13, as many as received Jesus, His Son, “to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (born of God, the new birth).

John 3:16-17 – Jesus words, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Praise God! He so love, He sent His Son. Jesus also said in Jn. 16:27, “the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God.”

Because we are children of God, we can cry, “Father, Father” – Rom. 8:15-16. We are in God’s family, as His children and He is our Father. We read in II Cor. 5:19 that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.” And in the 6th chapter of II Cor. We read because you have separated yourselves unto me, “I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” – v. 18. And in Heb. 2:9-10 it says, by the grace of God in giving the gift of His only begotten Son and His dying in our place, paying the penalty for our sins, He brings many sons unto glory.

I Jn. 3:1-2 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not…Beloved, now are we the sons of God…”. All believing persons on Jesus are called sons of God, Jew & Gentile, male & female, rich & poor, etc. How or why? It is all because of the love of the Father that He bestowed upon us. We are the sons of the living God and He is our Father. He not only created us, but He has bought us, purchased by the blood of Jesus, His Son.

There are no strings attached, we are the sons of God by faith, simply believing and receiving Jesus. We could not be any more secure. Jesus said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them Me, is greater then all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand” – Jn. 10:28-29. We now can come boldly to the throne of grace. We can come into the very presence of God, our Father. There we find mercy and grace to help in our time of need – Heb. 4:16.

We address God in our prayers, “Our Father which art in heaven…”. I so appreciate Heb. 12:7, God dealeth with us as sons. Even when we need correction, He does it in His love, because He loves us. There are many times we don’t know which way to turn and feel like we are in-between a rock and a hard place. We need God’s wisdom. All we have to do is ask Him -James 1:5. He giveth it liberally and upbraideth not to those who ask in faith – v. 6. And verse 17 tells us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” May God our Father be praised!