THE FATHER — WHO IS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER?

Introduction: Who Is the Father? Who Is Our Father?

Throughout the Scriptures, God reveals Himself as the Father, the Creator of all things, the giver of life, and the One who calls His children into fellowship with Himself through Jesus Christ.

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in Matthew chapter 6, He began by revealing the One to whom their prayers should be directed.

Matthew 6:9

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."

Notice that Jesus did not begin by teaching His disciples to ask for their daily needs. He first established their relationship with God. He instructed them to acknowledge God as Our Father.

The words Our Father reveal a relationship that is greater than an earthly relationship. Through Jesus Christ, believers are brought into the family of God and are given the privilege of approaching Him as their Heavenly Father.

Matthew 23:9

"And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."

In this passage, Jesus is warning against the exaltation of religious titles and human authority. He directs our attention to the supreme authority of our Heavenly Father.

The Father is not merely One whom we acknowledge with our lips. He is the One whose character, righteousness, holiness, and truth must be revealed in the lives of His children.

To understand who our Father is, we must first understand what the Scriptures reveal concerning His nature, His relationship with His Son, and His relationship with those who belong to Him.

1. Our Relationship with the Father — The Potter and the Clay

Isaiah 64:8

"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."

The prophet Isaiah reveals a spiritual relationship between the Father and His people through the imagery of the potter and the clay.

The clay does not determine its own form. It is the potter who fashions the vessel according to his purpose.

Likewise, God is the One who forms, shapes, and prepares His people according to His divine purpose.

When we acknowledge God as our Father, we must also acknowledge that we are the workmanship of His hands.

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

We are not created in Christ Jesus merely to possess a religious identity. We are created unto good works, that the character and righteousness of God might be revealed through our lives.

Ephesians 1:4

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"

Here we discover the purpose of the Father's calling: that His children should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

The Father is not only concerned with what we do, but also with what we are becoming through Jesus Christ.

2. The Father of the Fatherless

Psalm 68:5

"A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."

The Father reveals His compassion toward those who are without earthly protection, provision, and care.

He is a Father to the fatherless and a defender of the widow.

The woman who has experienced abandonment, rejection, or the absence of an earthly father can find comfort in knowing that the Heavenly Father is not limited by the failures of mankind.

His faithfulness is not determined by the faithfulness of an earthly parent.

Isaiah 63:16

"Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting."

Even when earthly relationships fail to acknowledge us, God remains the everlasting Father and Redeemer of His people.

2 Corinthians 6:18

"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Notice that the Father specifically declares that His people shall be His sons and daughters.

A daughter of God is not without spiritual identity. Her identity is established through her relationship with the Father.

3. The Children of the Father Must Reveal His Character

Matthew 5:16

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

The children of God are called to reveal the nature of their Father through their conduct.

Our good works are not intended to bring glory to ourselves, but to glorify the Father who has called us.

Matthew 5:45

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

Jesus reveals the Father's goodness and generosity, demonstrating that His kindness extends even to those who do not acknowledge Him.

Luke 6:36

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

The Father is merciful; therefore, His children are commanded to be merciful.

The Father is righteous; therefore, His children must walk in righteousness.

The Father is holy; therefore, His children must pursue holiness.

The spiritual evidence of our relationship with God is revealed not merely through what we profess, but through the character we demonstrate.

4. Our Heavenly Father Knows Our Needs

Matthew 6:26

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

Jesus directs our attention to the birds of the air.

They do not cultivate fields or gather provisions into barns, yet God sustains them.

How much more does the Heavenly Father care for His children?

Matthew 6:32

"(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

Before we make our requests known, the Father already knows our needs.

This does not mean His children will never experience hardship. Rather, Jesus teaches us not to allow anxiety over earthly necessities to rule our hearts.

Matthew 6:33

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

The priority of the Father's children must be His kingdom and His righteousness.

5. The Father Gives Good Gifts

Matthew 7:11

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

The Father does not give according to the imperfect understanding of mankind.

His gifts are governed by His wisdom, goodness, and divine purpose.

James 1:17

"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."

The expression Father of lights directs our attention to God as the source of all that is good and perfect.

There is no changing shadow in His character. His righteousness and faithfulness remain constant.

6. The Father and the Son — Jesus Christ Reveals the Father

One of the greatest revelations concerning the Father is found in His relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

John 1:14

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

John 1:18

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

The Son reveals the Father.

The words, works, righteousness, mercy, and truth demonstrated through Jesus Christ reveal the character of the One who sent Him.

John 3:35

"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand."

The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things into His hand.

Matthew 11:27

"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."

No one can truly know the Father apart from the revelation given through the Son.

Jesus Christ is not merely a messenger speaking about the Father. He is the Son through whom the Father has made Himself known.

John 14:9

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

Jesus reveals the Father so completely that to see His character and works is to encounter the revelation of the Father.

7. Jesus Does the Works of His Father

John 5:17

"But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

Jesus declares that His works are inseparable from the works of His Father.

John 5:19

"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."

The Son acts in perfect agreement with the Father.

John 5:21

"For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."

John 5:22

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"

John 5:23

"That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."

The Father has committed judgment to the Son, and the Son is to be honored even as the Father is honored.

John 5:26

"For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;"

John 5:30

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."

Jesus demonstrates complete obedience to the Father's will.

He does not seek an independent purpose, but fulfills the purpose for which the Father sent Him.

John 5:36 declares that the works given to Jesus by the Father bear witness that the Father sent Him.

John 5:43 reveals that Jesus came in His Father's name.

The works of Jesus are therefore a testimony of the Father's power, authority, and divine purpose.

8. The Father Gives the True Bread from Heaven

John 6:32

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven."

The Father provided manna to Israel in the wilderness, but Jesus reveals a greater provision.

The true bread from heaven is not merely that which sustains the natural body. It is the spiritual life given through Jesus Christ.

John 6:35

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

John 6:57

"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me."

Just as the Son speaks of His life in relation to the Father, believers receive eternal life through the Son.

The Father is the source of the provision, and Jesus Christ is the bread of life through whom that provision is received.

9. The Father and the Son Are One

John 10:30

"I and my Father are one."

This declaration reveals the profound unity between the Father and the Son.

Throughout John chapter 10, Jesus demonstrates that His works bear witness to His relationship with the Father.

John 10:37

"If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not."

John 10:38

"But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."

The Father and the Son are united in divine purpose, works, and authority. Christian interpretations differ concerning the precise theological implications of this unity, but the passage unmistakably presents the Son as revealing and carrying out the works of the Father.

John 10:15 reveals that the Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father.

John 10:17–18 reveals that Jesus lays down His life and takes it again according to the commandment received from His Father.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was not an event separated from the Father's purpose. It was the fulfillment of the divine work entrusted to the Son.

10. Knowing the Father Requires Knowing the Son

John 8:19

"Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."

Jesus exposes a serious spiritual condition.

The people claimed knowledge of God, yet they did not recognize the One whom God had sent.

John 8:28 reveals that Jesus spoke what the Father taught Him.

John 8:29

"And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."

The Son reveals what it means to live in complete obedience to the Father.

1 John 2:22–23 warns against denying the Father and the Son.

1 John 2:24 teaches that those who continue in the truth received from the beginning will continue in the Son and in the Father.

2 John 1:9

"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."

To abide in the doctrine of Christ is to remain in the truth concerning the One whom the Father has sent.

11. Who Is Your Father? The Spiritual Evidence of Sonship

In John chapter 8, Jesus addresses those who claimed Abraham as their father.

John 8:39

"They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."

Jesus reveals an important spiritual principle.

A claim of spiritual ancestry must be examined in the light of one's works.

John 8:42

"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me."

The love of God is demonstrated through receiving the Son whom He sent.

John 8:44

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him."

Jesus contrasts the character of God with the character of the devil.

God is the Father of truth, righteousness, and life. The devil is described as a liar and murderer.

The contrast concerns spiritual conduct and allegiance, not biological ancestry.

Those who practice deception reveal the influence of falsehood, while those who walk in truth demonstrate obedience to the Father.

1 John 2:13 speaks of those who have known the Father.

Knowing the Father involves more than possessing knowledge about Him. It involves receiving His truth, loving His Son, and walking according to His commandments.

12. The Father Seeks True Worshippers

John 4:23

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

Jesus reveals that the Father is seeking worshippers.

He is not seeking merely outward religious observances, ceremonies, or traditions.

He is seeking those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:24

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

True worship cannot be separated from truth.

Neither can it be reduced to outward performance.

A woman may sing songs of worship, attend religious gatherings, and speak continually about God, yet the Father desires a heart that is surrendered to His truth.

Worship is not confined to a particular building or geographical location. It is expressed through a life devoted to God.

13. The Father Draws His Children to the Son

John 6:37

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

The Father brings people to the Son, and Jesus promises that those who come to Him will not be cast out.

John 6:39

"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."

The Father's will includes the preservation and resurrection of those given to Christ.

John 6:45

"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

The Father teaches and draws His people toward the Son.

The one who truly receives the Father's instruction is directed toward Jesus Christ.

14. Those Who Do the Father's Will Belong to His Family

Matthew 12:50

"For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Jesus reveals a spiritual family established through obedience to the Father's will.

This does not mean that human relationships are without value. Rather, Jesus teaches that spiritual kinship transcends earthly family connections.

A woman who belongs to Christ is not spiritually defined by her marital status, family background, or social position.

Her relationship with God is established through faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith is expressed through obedience.

Matthew 16:27 declares that the Son of man will come in the glory of His Father and reward every person according to their works.

Our works do not purchase salvation, but they bear witness to the life and faith we profess.

15. Baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost

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:"

Following His resurrection, Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations.

Baptism is associated with the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The command reveals that discipleship is not merely an outward profession. It involves being brought into a life of obedience to Christ.

Matthew 28:20

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The command to baptize is joined with the command to teach obedience.

16. Fellowship with the Father

1 John 1:3

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

The Father has called His people into fellowship with Himself through His Son.

Fellowship speaks of communion, participation, and a shared relationship in the truth.

1 John 1:7

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Fellowship with the Father is inseparable from walking in His light.

We cannot claim fellowship with God while deliberately rejecting His truth.

17. The Church Gives Thanks to the Father

Colossians 1:3

"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,"

Colossians 1:12

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:"

The Father has qualified His people to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

This inheritance is not obtained through earthly wealth, social standing, or human achievement.

It is received through the saving work of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of faith, love, and hope before God our Father.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 declares that God our Father has loved us and given everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.

The church is therefore called to live continually in thanksgiving, recognizing that every spiritual blessing has its source in God.

18. One God and Father of All

1 Corinthians 8:6

"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."

Paul identifies the Father as the One from whom are all things, and Jesus Christ as the One through whom are all things.

Ephesians 4:6

"One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

In the context of Ephesians chapter 4, Paul is teaching the unity of the body of Christ.

There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.

The children of God are called to maintain unity in the Spirit and walk worthy of their calling.

19. The Father of Mercies and the God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;"

The Father is revealed as the source of mercy and comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:4

"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."

Notice that the comfort we receive from God is not intended to remain with us alone.

We are comforted so that we may become instruments of comfort to others.

A woman who has experienced grief, affliction, or hardship may become a testimony of the Father's sustaining grace.

The same comfort she receives can be extended to another woman who is suffering.

20. The Spirit of the Son Cries, Abba, Father

Galatians 4:6

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

The word Abba is an Aramaic expression meaning father, conveying the intimate relationship of a child with a parent.

Paul reveals that those who belong to Christ are no longer strangers to the household of God.

Galatians 4:7

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

Here we discover the difference between bondage and sonship.

The servant does not possess the same standing as the son. But through Christ, believers are received as children and heirs of God.

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."

The Father has not called His children to live continually under the fear of condemnation.

Through Jesus Christ, they receive the Spirit of adoption and the privilege of approaching God as Father.

21. Behold What Manner of Love the Father Has Given Us

1 John 3:1

"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."

The apostle John calls our attention to the extraordinary love of the Father.

We are called the children of God.

This is not merely a religious title. It is the revelation of a spiritual relationship established through divine love.

1 John 3:2

"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."

The Father's purpose is not simply that His children should bear His name, but that they should be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

22. Jesus Christ Is Our Advocate with the Father

1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"

The word advocate comes from the Greek paraklētos, referring to one called alongside to help, particularly one who speaks on another's behalf.

Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

This does not mean that sin is acceptable. John explicitly declares that believers should not sin.

But when a believer sins, the righteous Jesus Christ is the Advocate through whom forgiveness and reconciliation are made available.

1 John 2:2

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

The Father's provision for reconciliation is revealed through the sacrifice of His Son.

23. Prayer to the Father

Ephesians 3:14

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Paul approaches the Father in prayer.

He recognizes the Father as the source of spiritual strength, love, and fullness.

Ephesians 3:16

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;"

Prayer to the Father is not merely the presentation of earthly requests.

It is also the seeking of spiritual strength, wisdom, understanding, and transformation.

Luke 24:49

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

Jesus speaks of the promise of the Father, fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His disciples.

The Father not only calls His children but also provides spiritual power for the work He has appointed them to accomplish.

24. The Father's Name Written in Their Foreheads

Revelation 14:1

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads."

The apostle John beholds the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion with the hundred forty and four thousand.

They are identified as having the Father's name written in their foreheads.

In biblical symbolism, a name may signify identity, authority, character, and belonging.

The Father's name upon their foreheads identifies them as belonging to Him.

Compare this with Revelation 22:4:

"And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."

The imagery directs our attention to the identity of those who belong to God.

The Father's children are called to bear His name not merely as an outward declaration, but through faithfulness, righteousness, and devotion to Him.

Conclusion — The Father Revealed Through His Son

Who is our Father?

He is the Creator who formed us, the Potter who shapes us, the Father of the fatherless, the giver of every good and perfect gift, the God of all comfort, and the One who has called us into fellowship with Himself through Jesus Christ.

He is the Father who knows our needs before we ask, who calls us to holiness, who seeks true worshippers, and who has promised an eternal inheritance to His children.

But above all, the Father is revealed to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

John 17:3

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Eternal life is not merely knowing that God exists. It is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

The woman who truly knows her Heavenly Father will seek to walk in His truth, demonstrate His mercy, receive His instruction, and glorify Him through her life.

For the greatest testimony of a daughter of God is not simply that she calls Him Father, but that her life bears witness to the One to whom she belongs.

Ephesians 5:1

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;"

All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV).