Seventh-day Adventist Fun-da-MentAlS 3

GOD the Father

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Text: Tim Lale, Design: Wendy Hunt, Illustrations: Randy Fishell Copyright © 2012 by NAD Children’s Ministries.

WHAt GOD tHe FAtHeR DOeSGod the Father creates all things and puts life into them. “ ‘The Father has life in himself’ “ (John 5:26). He shared the work of this world’s creation with Jesus, the Son of God.

Everything and everyone alive came from God the Father.

• “DowenotallhaveoneFather?DidnotoneGodcreateus?”(Malachi2:10).• “You,LORD,areourFather.Wearetheclay,youarethepotter;wearealltheworkofyourhand”(Isaiah 64:48).

God the Father is working for our good ALL the time.TheSonofGodsaid,“MyFatherisalwaysathisworktothisveryday”(John5:17).

What is the Father’s work, anyway? He keeps the universegoing.“Lookatthebirdsoftheair...yourheavenlyFatherfeedsthem”(Matthew6:26).Godprovidesforeveryperson’sneeds.“YourFatherknowswhatyouneedbeforeyouaskhim”(Matthew6:8).

God the Father sees everything that is happening. Nothing escapes His attention. “YourFather,whosees what is done in secret, will reward you”(Matthew6:6).“Abba,Father,”[theSon]said,“everythingispossibleforyou”(Mark14:36).

GOD tHe FAtHeR HAS A SOn“God[is]theFatherofourLordJesusChrist”(Colossians1:3).

The Father introduced His Son this way:“ThisismySon,whomIlove;withhimIamwellpleased”(Matthew3:17).

He loves His Son with perfect love.“‘TheFatherlovestheSonandshowshimallhedoes’”(John5:20).

The Father gave up His Son to fix the sin problem in this world.“Godsolovedtheworldthathegave

hisoneandonlySon,thatwhoeverbelievesinhimshallnotperishbuthaveeternallife”(John3:16).

How much does the Father love you?“‘MyFather’swillisthateveryonewholookstotheSonandbelievesinhimshall

haveeternallife’”(John6:40).

What we know of God the Father comes from us knowing the Son,whosaid,“‘Ifyoureallyknowme,youwillknowmyFatheraswell’”(John14:7).

GodtheFatherwastheOnewhobroughttheSonbacktolifeafterHediedonthecross.“ChristwasraisedfromthedeadthroughthegloryoftheFather”(Romans6:4).

TheFathersenttheHolySpirittobewithallofusaftertheSonleftthisworldandreturnedtoheaven.“TheHolySpirit,whomtheFatherwillsendinmyname,willteachyouallthings”(John14:26).

SHOulD We FeAR GOD?TheBiblesays,“FeartheLORDyourGod”(Deuteronomy6:13)many,manytimes.Whatdoesthatmean?ThefearoftheLORDGodisrespectforHim and recognition that He is in charge of us and thatHeisperfectandright.“FeartheLORD”doesnotmeanweshouldhavepanickyterrorandsweatypalms.

NooneshouldbeafraidofGodunlesstheyarerebellingagainstHim.“YourFatherismerciful”(Luke6:36).

OuR eteRnAl ReWARDS COMe FROM tHe FAtHeRWedonothavetodieforever. “ ‘The Father raises the dead and givesthemlife’”(John5:21).

TheFatherlovestorewardthepeoplewhobelieveinHimandHisSon.“Come,youwhoareblessedbymyFather;takeyourinheritance,thekingdom prepared for yousincethecreation

oftheworld”(Matthew25:4).“YourFatherhas

beenpleasedtogiveyouthekingdom”(Luke12:32).

Is He Your Father?SinceyouknowJesus,thenyes!Jesussaid,“Nooneknows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son choosestorevealhim”(Matthew11:27).

WekeeponlearningaboutourFatherinheaven.“ThegloriousFather[gives]youtheSpiritofwisdomandrevelation,sothatyoumayknowhimbetter”(Ephesians1:17).

Where Is the Father?JesuscalledthetempleinJerusalem“myFather’shouse,”buttheFatherlivesinheaven:“YouhaveoneFather,andheisinheaven”(Matthew23:9).Our“Father’shousehasmanyrooms”(John14:2).

GOD tHe FAtHeR deserves to be worshiped

As the one true God, the Father can and must beworshipedbyHiscreatedbeings.“‘Thetrueworshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth,fortheyarethekindofworshiperstheFatherseeks’”(John4:23).

God the Father is one of the three Beings in the Godhead (see FUN-da-MENTAL #2).

WHAt GOD tHe FAtHeR IS lIKeDo you look like your dad?WealllooklikeourheavenlyDad.AtCreation,Godsaid,“‘Letusmakemankindinourimage,inourlikeness’”(Genesis1:26).Whenwelookateachother,weseealittlebitofwhatGodtheFatherislike.

Wedon’thaveaphotoorpaintingofGodtheFather.NosinfulhumanbeinghaseverseenHis face. If we were to look at Him as we are now, with our sinful nature, we would die.“‘Youhaveneverheardhisvoicenorseenhisform’”(John5:37).

Is anyone perfect?TheSonofGodsaid,“YourheavenlyFatherisperfect”(Matthew5:48).

OurFatherinheavenisalovingParent,“theFatherofcompassionandtheGodofallcomfort”(2Corinthians1:3).Hecaresaboutyouevenmorethanyourparentsdo!“IwillbeaFathertoyou,andyouwillbemysonsanddaughters,saystheLordAlmighty”(2Corinthians6:18).

EventheHolySpiritcallsHimDad.“GodsenttheSpiritof his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba,Father’”(Galatians4:6).

FAtHeR OF eVeRYOneGod the Father is in charge of the universe. He is the only true God.

• “ForusthereisbutoneGod,theFather,fromwhomallthingscameandforwhomwelive” (1Corinthians8:6).

• “Thereis...oneGodandFatherofall,whoisoverallandthroughallandinall” (Ephesians4:4,6).

• “[Jesussaid,]MyFather...isgreaterthanall”(John10:29).

We PRAY tO tHe FAtHeRHe hears our prayers and answers them. His Son told us to“praytoyourFather,whoisunseen”(Matthew6:6).Wepray,“OurFatherinheaven,hallowedbeyourname”(Matthew6:9).

He forgives the sin of people who repent and confess. “Your Father in heaven forgive[s] you your sins” (Mark 11:25).