FRIDAY, June 5, 2009                                                       READ: Ephesians 3: 14, 15                                                                                                        

GOD, THE FATHER

MEMORIZE: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named.”         Ephesians 3: 14, 15

The personal experiences of fathering which we have had with our human fathers serve to influence our concepts of father and fatherhood. Our concepts of father and fatherhood influence our subsequent views of God. He has revealed Himself as father, the first father. Human fathers are supposed to, and actually do provide influence for the ways in which their children will come to see God. But our concept of God should, and does, also serve to influence how we will judge and regard how well our own fathers have, or, have not performed.

Satan, has been an enemy of God, the Father. He has set himself to oppose God’s plan and design for family from the beginning. He knows how effective the positive influence of a father can be in helping his descendants to come to acknowledge and live in fear of God, our Heavenly Father. His aim, from the beginning, has been to undermine father, fathering and fatherhood. He wants to undermine God, the Father, and to oppose His Son. He is the one who has motivated the students of social and behavioral sciences to come against of the family claiming that it is because it is patriarchal. More and more, the patriarchal has come to be regarded as being negative, preferring and favoring the matriarchal. Kids are being taught to give more value to their mothers over their fathers. So radical is the shift that the idea of regarding God as father has been denounced. It is now more fashionable to regard God, in some circles, as mother rather than as father. In many churches, in the hymns and scriptures, where male images have been employed, neuter references have been substituted. But despite all of the confusion which has been created, we are left with the indisputable fact that God has revealed Himself as father.

Our text, Ephesians 3: 14, 15, sets forth God, the Father, as the “… the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ.” God is the Originator of family. Family, whether in Heaven or on earth, obtains and derives its identity from Him.

It is the responsibility of the Church of Jesus Christ to recover and proclaim the Biblical revelation of the fatherhood of God. Unfortunately, seeking to be “politically correct,” many church congregations and preachers have given in. They have acquiesced to the anti-father forces, and have become involved in revisionism, rather than preaching what the Bible teaches and means by what it says. We must decide whether or not we are going to accept the Scriptures as being true to God's revelation of Himself. We can't to have it both ways.

God created family for His own divine purpose. Adam's sin against God has affected family in a very radical way from the beginning. God has instituted His plan of salvation and recovery. He is building His own household and family over which He is ruling and will rule. To become a member of His household, one must acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth, God’s only begotten Son, as Savior and LORD (cf. John 1: 12; 6: 37 – 40; Romans 10: 9, 10; 1 John 5: 5). We are required to acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son. If Jesus is Son of God, why, then, would it be hard to acknowledge His Father as Father (cf. John 5: 20 – 27)? Have you?

PRAY: LORD, God Almighty, thank You for giving me a sound mind and for enabling me to understand what You say to me. I am persuaded that You want me to be a part of Your family. I am acknowledging You and bowing my knees to You as the Father of our LORD, Jesus Christ. I am acknowledging You as my Father too. Thank You, in Jesus’ strong name. Amen!