Eternal Father

(by Cindy Mead) 

As we look before the time of creation, we find that God always existed. God had no beginning, and has no end. God, meaning the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit all dwelt together as One. The Psalmist says, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:2).

            God created the earth and everything in it that would sustain life. And then God created man, and from one rib of man, God created woman. God would walk with Adam having fellowship with him.

The Father’s heart was longing to have an intimate relationship with His people.  “The Lord has appeared of old to me saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3).

            This is the very reason we were created, to commune with our Father.  But then man broke God’s heart and the relationship he had with God when he sinned and chose to go his own way.  This broke the heart of God so much that God willingly scarified His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that man could be brought back into relationship with God, and come to know Him intimately as their Heavenly Father.  In fact, I believe this was the main purpose for Christ’s coming; to reveal to us the Father’s heart for a people He loved so deeply.            

Remember when Phillip asked Jesus to show them the Father? “Phillip said to Jesus, ‘Show us the Father and it will be sufficient for us.’ “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us and then we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not know Me yet, Philip, nor recognize clearly who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’  Jesus said to him, 'Have I not been with you so long and yet you have not known Me Phillip?'  He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?  The. Words that I speak to you I do not speak of My own authority, but the Father who is in Me He does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me, or else believe Me for the works sake.”  (John 14:8-11).

            Jesus did not come to reveal Himself, but the Father who had sent Him.  He made this statement to a crowd in the temple.  “Then Jesus cried as He taught in the temple, ‘You both know Me, and know where I am from, and I have not come of Myself, but Him who sent Me is true who you do not know.  But I know Him; for I am from Him.” (John 7:28-29). 

Most of us think the main reason Jesus came was so that we could be cleansed from sin, and that is true. Justice for sin had to be served, for our Holy God cannot be in the presence of sin.  But may I suggest then that the ultimate reason Jesus came was that by this sacrifice He could then bring us back into relationship with the Father.  In John 14:6 Jesus states, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6).   This should remind us that the purpose we follow Jesus Christ with our lives is not only to be cleansed of our sin, but to also come into relationship with our Heavenly Father because we have.

This intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father is purchased through Christ and His precious Blood.  We are invited into the very holy of holies from a Holy God. “Let us draw near in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”  (Hebrews 10:22).

God the Father longs for us, as His people to have an intimate relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, that we may know Him as our Father.  In fact, God desires this relationship to be so intimate that He longs for us to come to the place of calling Him “Abba” which is the Hebrew word for “Daddy”.  This is the level of intimacy God the Father longs to have with each of His children.   “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, “Abba Father.”  (Romans 8:15).

To me, that has a very special meaning as I have lost two earthly fathers, but in this verse, I am invited by the God of the universe to address Him as Daddy”.  Not even my step-father invited me to call him “Dad or Daddy.” My siblings and I always called him by his name, Bob.  I don’t know what that does for you, but it makes me feel privileged and signifies that God cares for me as an earthly father would care for his children, but even more.  “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.”  (Psalm 103:13). 

Even as earthly fathers know each of their children and what is special and significant to them, just think how much more intimately our Heavenly Father knows each of us, and our individual needs and desires, and how to make us happy.  He is always thinking of us. “How precious also are Your thoughts towards me O God. How great is the sum of them.  If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand.  When I awake, I am still with You.”.  (Psalms 139:17-18).

   Our Father longs to meet all of our true needs and desires, what’s even more, there is no lack in His ability to do so.  The beautiful truth about having God as our Father is that He will never pass away as earthly fathers do, nor will His deep, unconditional love for us.  It is not, nor ever will be based on what we do or do not do. We often think that if we did something better, or could stop doing this or that, someone might love us more, but that’s not true.  God, our Heavenly Father, because of Jesus’s perfect sacrifice, loves us despite of our failures and sin. When He looks at us He sees Jesus, His perfect Son. Therefore, He loves every one of us at this very moment.  We don’t need to do anything to impress Him, just be yourself.               

Have you come to recognize that your is sin keeping you from a relationship with the Father and that by repenting of your sin and accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for you this relationship can be restored? Would you like to do it now? Pray this prayer. “Jesus, I thank You for dying on the cross so I could be cleansed from my sin. I am truly sorry that I have sinned against you and that my sin has kept me from a relationship with You. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I want to have a relationship with my Heavenly Father. Amen.”

If you have a Bible, or can access one online, start reading in the book of John which is the fourth book of the New Testament. It will explain how much God loves you.