Father of Jesus and Father of Me
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 10/6/2013 AM |
Text: | Ephesians 3; Lord's Day 9 |
Psalters: | 377, 336, 85, 347 |
- The name “Father” conveys a wonderful, most intimate and close relationship.
- The Fatherhood of God has its beginning within God’s own being as the Triune God.
- God’s Fatherhood is found first in the relationship of the First Person to the Second.
- Secondly, the Triune God is Father of the Mediator.
- To reveal His Fatherhood outside of Himself God created the heavens and the earth.
- He, by speaking (Ps. 33:9), created all things out of nothing, not needing previously existing material.
- He created in six 24 hour days.
- Of whom is God Father?
- He was the Father of all, from the viewpoint of creation because He made man in His own image and likeness.
- Only some have obtained the right to be His adopted children, an act of infinite mercy, for His Son = s sake.
- The Fatherhood of God has its beginning within God’s own being as the Triune God.
- The reality is that God is my Father.
- This is true only through and because of His Fatherhood of the Mediator, Jesus Christ.
- How does God become the spiritual Father of His adopted children?
- First, He predestinated us unto the adoption (Eph. 1:5).
- Then, in the fulness of time God sent His Son, that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4:4,5).
- Then God = s Son gave His Spirit to testify with our spirits that we are God = s children (Rom. 8:15,16).
- Our adoption is to be fully realized when we are glorified in heaven (Romans 8:23).
- There are implications which arise from this relationship.
- This restricts God’s Fatherhood.
- Our Father provides us with all things necessary for our body and soul (Matt. 6:32; Phil. 4:19).
- Our heavenly Father watches out for us, turning all evils to our profit and making us more than conquerors.
- Thus the Sovereign God is our Father - able and willing to give us all good and to change all evil to good.
- I can rely on my Father in every circumstances of life.
- Before this heavenly Father let us “bend the knee” (Eph. 3:14).
- May earthly fathers learn more and more to reflect their heavenly Father.