God the Father
Over the next few months, in my Heart to Heart articles, I plan to do a three-part series on the Trinity. In this installment, the focus is on God the Father.
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is:
- There is only one God, one divine nature and being.
- This one divine Being is tripersonal, involving the distinctions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- These three are joint partakers of the same nature and majesty of God.[1]
God is one in His essence, but three in Person.[2] Based on biblical teaching, the traditional Christian confession is that God is One in Three and Three in One.[3] For the human mind, this three in oneness is a difficult to comprehend mystery, but the Bible clearly reveals God as a Trinity of divine Persons existing in perfect unity.[4]
The members of the Trinity have roles and activities. Sometimes they operate together, and sometimes they work separately.
Within the Trinity the Father is head, first among equals; the Son and the Holy Spirit do the Father’s will, glorifying Him and making Him known; and the Holy Spirit glorifies and makes known the Son.[5]
On a radio program, a Christian teacher stated: God the Father plans, God the Son performs, and God the Holy Spirit perfects.[6]
God the Father does many things. The following conveys some aspects of His activities. These descriptions are not exhaustive.
God the Father:
Desires for People to Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:29).
Draws People to the Lord Jesus Christ
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44).
Gives
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17).
Knows Our Needs
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:7, 8).
Loves Jesus’ Disciples
26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. (John 16:26, 27).
Raises the Dead
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. (John 5:21).
Sent the Son
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17).
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21).
Values People Above Other Creatures
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (Matthew 6:26)
Works
But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17).
As you can see, God the Father loves people and is very active in the creation. The Bible details much more about Him than the examples listed here.
If God wills, next month I plan to focus on some roles and activities of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This month, in your prayer time, give thanks to God the Father for the many ways He has worked, and continues to work.
Bible verses are taken from The New American Standard Bible, 1995.
Pastor Cecil Price
February 16, 2025
[1] Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Moody Press, 1988), 1307.
[2] Understanding the Holy Spirit Made Easy, (Rose Publishing, 2018), 35.
[3] Herbert Lockyer, Sr., Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), 1073.
[4] Understanding the Holy Spirit Made Easy, 8.
[5] Zondervan Dictionary of Bible Themes, (Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 51.
[6] American Family Radio, February 2023.