The Trinity
God the Father
Jeremiah 31:9
They will come with weeping; they will pray as I
bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path
where they will not stumble, because I am Israel&s father, and Ephraim
is my firstborn son.
NIV
Who is God the Father? What are the distinctions that make Him a separate Person? Is He God?
It is important to understand that when we create a list of attributes of God, these are drawn mostly from the Old Testament and are attributes of Elohim / Yahweh. Although it can be shown that Yahweh appears to be the pre-incarnate Christ, this distinction does not appear within the pages of the Old Testament. So, when we collect God&s attributes, we look to the Old Testament and find that we are describing God the Father. Then, as we move onto the Second and Third Persons of the Trinity, we determine they, too, are part of God, by finding they possess the same characteristics and attributes as God the Father.
We will not attempt to list the individual attributes of the Father here. A review of the attributes list demonstrates the variety of traits that God possesses. Some of these are already defined on the list mentioned. Others will be added shortly. You can find God the Father possess all of these traits through the use of a good study Bible.
If you review some of the reasons Jesus is God, you will be able to develop a working list of God&s attributes. Give it a try.
A further review of Scriptures describing God as Father reveals that He acts as a Father toward us. He is described as:
- the Father of Creation
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NIV - the Father of Israel (Jer. 31:9, above),
- the Father of Jesus Christ
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV - a protective Father
Psalm 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. NIV - a Father who adopts us
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- NIV - a Father who offers His
children close fellowship with Him
1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. NIV - a Father we have access
to
Matthew 6:32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. NIV - a Father who provides guidance
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. NIV - a Father who provides protection
John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father&s hand. NIV - a Father who provides us
with an inheritance
Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. NIV
And, we come to know the Father through His names as found in Scripture ---
