What does the Bible say about the Father?
There are a lot of misunderstandings about God the Father. God the Father in the New Testament is the same God of the Old Testament. We have to have a correct understanding of God if we are to understand the Trinity and other major theological subjects. Though we cannot totally comprehend all aspects about God, we can know what He has revealed about Himself to us.
Christian quotes about the Father
“Our loving Heavenly Father wants us to become more like him. God understands that we get there not in an instant, but by taking one step at a time.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“God sees us with the eyes of a Father. He sees our defects, errors and blemishes. But He also sees our value.”
“Our heavenly Father never takes anything from his children unless he means to give them something better.” — George Müller
“Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father. Its central reality is found ‘in spirit and truth.’ It is kindled within us only when the Spirit of God touches our human spirit.” Richard J. Foster
“God wants you to understand the Word of God. The Bible is not a mystery book. It’s not a book of philosophy. It’s a book of truth that explains the attitude and heart of almighty God. ” Charles Stanley
“Five fatherly responsibilities that God has assumed toward His children:
1. God provides for us (Phil. 4:19).
2. God protects (Mt. 10:29-31).
3. God encourages us (Psm. 10:17).
4. God comforts us (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
5. God disciplines us (Heb. 12:10).” Jerry Bridges
“We want, in fact, not so much a father in heaven as a grandfather in heaven: a senile benevolence who, as they say, “liked to see young people enjoying themselves” and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, “a good time was had by all.” C.S. Lewis
“As Christian people we must learn to appropriate by faith the fact that God is our Father. Christ taught us to pray “Our Father.” This eternal everlasting God has become our Father and the moment we realize that, everything tends to change. He is our Father and He is always caring for us, He loves us with an everlasting love, He so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son into the world and to the Cross to die for our sins. That is our relationship to God and the moment we realize it, it transforms everything.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“To gather with God’s people in united adoration of the Father is as necessary to the Christian life as prayer.” Martin Luther
“While others still slept, He went away to pray and to renew His strength in communion with His Father. He had need of this, otherwise He would not have been ready for the new day. The holy work of delivering souls demands constant renewal through fellowship with God.” Andrew Murray
“A man must have a stout digestion to feed upon some men’s theology; no sap, no sweetness, no life, but all stern accuracy, and fleshless definition. Proclaimed without tenderness, and argued without affection, the gospel from such men rather resembles a missile from a catapult than bread from a Father’s hand.” Charles Spurgeon
The Father of creation
God the Father is the creator of all things. He is the Father of all creation. He commanded the entire universe come into existence. He created everything out of nothing. God is the source of life and it is through following Him that we can have abundant life. We can know that God is all-powerful by studying His being.
1) Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
2) Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
3) Nehemiah 9:6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”
4) Isaiah 42:5 “Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it”
5) Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
6) Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
7) Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”
8) Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
9) Psalm 119:25 “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!”
10) Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
11) Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
12) Numbers 27:16-17 “Lord God, source of all life, appoint, I pray, a man who can lead the people 17 and can command them in battle, so that your community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
13) 1 Corinthians 8:6 “But for us, “There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from him, and we live for him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through him, and we live because of him.”
14) Psalm 16:2 “I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.”
Who is God the Father within the Trinity?
Though the word “trinity” isn’t found in Scripture, we can see it demonstrated through out Scripture. The Trinity is three individual persons and one essence. In Paragraph 3 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession it says “In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided: the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.”
15) 1 Corinthians 8:6 “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
16) 2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
17) John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”
18) Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
19) Matthew 3:16-17 “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
20) Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle-sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”
21) John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
22) Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Accomplishments of God the Father
Aside from God the Father being the Creator of all things that are in existence, He has worked on many other notable accomplishments. God’s plan from the beginning of time was to make His Name, His attributes known and glorified. So He created man and the plan of Salvation. He also works in us through Progressive Sanctification so that we can grow more and more into the image of Christ. God also accomplishes every good thing that we do – we can’t do anything good apart from His power working through us.
23) Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
24) Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
25) James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
26) 1 Corinthians 8:6 “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father from whom all are things and we exist for Him, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we exist through Him.”
27) John 3:16 “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.”
28) Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Father to the Fatherless: How is God the Father the perfect father?
While our earthly fathers will fail us in countless ways, God the Father will never fail us. He loves us with a love that isn’t based on anything that we do. His love will never fail. He will always be there waiting on us, beckoning us back, when we stray. He does not have emotions like we do that come and go with the bat of an eye. He does not lash out at us in anger, but will gently rebuke us so that we can grow. He is the perfect Father.
29) Psalm 68:5 “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation.”
30) Psalm 103:13 “Just as a father has compassion on his children so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
31) Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
32) Psalm 103:17 “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.”
33) Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
34) Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
The Father of Israel
We can see how God is such a good father in the way that He has fathered Israel. God chose Israel to be His special people – just as He has uniquely chosen all of His children. It wasn’t based on any merit that Israel had done.
35) Ephesians 4:6 “one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
36) Exodus 4:22 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.”
37) Isaiah 63:16 “For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.”
38) Exodus 7:16 “Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But you have not listened until now.”
39) Romans 9:4 “They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.”
The love of the Father
God loves us with an everlasting love. We never have to be afraid of God. He loves us completely, in spite of our many failings. God is safe to trust. He delights in us and joyfully blesses us, for we are His children.
40) Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
41) Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren”
42) 1 John 3:1 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
43) Galatians 4:5-7 “so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
44) Zephaniah 3:14-17 “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. 16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
45) Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Jesus glorifying the Father
Everything that Jesus did was to glorify God. God fashioned the Plan of Redemption so that Christ would be glorified. And Christ takes that glory and gives it back to God the Father.
46) John 13:31 “Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.”
47) John 12:44 “Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.”
48) John 17:1-7 “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
49) John 8:54 “Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.”
50) Hebrews 5:5 “So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.”
Mankind made in His image
Man is unique. He alone was created in the image of God. No other created being can lay hold to this claim. Because of this, and because of God’s breathe of life being in them, that we should view all lives as sacred. Even the lives of the unbelievers are sacred because they are Image Bearers.
51) Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
52) 1 Corinthians 11:7 “For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God but the woman is the glory of man.”
53) Genesis 5:1-2 “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.”
54) Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
55) Psalm 100:3 “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.”
56) Psalm 95:7 “for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice.”
Knowing God the Father
God desires that we know Him as much as He has revealed Himself to be knowable. God listens to us when we pray. He desires for us to truly experience His presence. We can study the Word so that we can know Him more intimately. If we know God, we will live in obedience to what He has commanded. This is how we can know for sure if we know Him.
57) Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
58) 1 John 4:6-7 “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
59) Jeremiah 24:7 “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”
60) Exodus 33:14 “And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Conclusion
God is not some entirely distant, unknowable being. He has given us His Word so that we can know Him as completely as we can while still on this side of eternity. We live our lives in obedience, out of love and gratitude and adoration for our Father who is in Heaven. God loves us and is the perfect father, even when our earthly fathers fail us. Let us seek to know Him more and to bring Him glory in all that we do!
