The Heavenly Father Series

20160619 ASHPM Our Heavenly Father

Every day we experience the presence of Father God, His Mercy His Grace and His Love.

God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

He is with us in the good times and the bad.

He is Our Gracious Heavenly Father and He loves us and cares for us more than any human parent ever could.

Throughout the Bible God is described using the term Father, let me give you a few examples:

Moses speaking to the Israelites in Deuteronomy Chapter 1 verse 31 says “you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child.”

Psalm 68:5 - Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

In Psalm 89 verse 26 Ethan the Ezrahite says You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation. (Ethan the Ezrahite is mentioned in 1 Kings 4:31 as a wise man, yet not as wise as King Solomon, who “was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite.” 1 Chronicles 2:6 says Ethan had four brothers and was the son of Zerah. He was of the tribe of Levi.)

Psalm 103:13 The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.

Isaiah 63:16 Lord, Surely you are still our Father! You are our Redeemer from ages past.

John 20:17 After He rose from the dead, Jesus told Mary to go to His disciples and tell them He was alive and He said, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’

Acts 2:33 Now Jesus is exalted to the place of highest honour in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as He had promised, gave Him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us.

1 Corinthians 8:6 There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.

2 Corinthians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

1 Peter 1:2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:1 See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him.

Those are just a few of the many verses in the Bible that refer to God as Father.

Romans 8:14-15 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.”

Here is the question: What did God the Father do to make YOU a child of God?

Here is the answer: Galatians 4:4-6 When the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir.

God the Father sent God the Son.

Jesus became flesh and blood.

He came into this world as a fully human baby.

Fully human yet also still fully God.

The Father sent the Son to take away all our guilt and shame.

Jesus was born to die in our place.

God the Father sent Jesus so that you could be forgiven of your sin.

Jesus served the will of His Father perfectly throughout His life and ministry.

Only by living a perfect life could Jesus be the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins.

Jesus was nailed to a cross, to rescue all who would repent and place their trust in Him as Lord and Saviour.

All of us who are disciples of Jesus are assured of forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.