The Faces of God series: The Father
Jesus came to reveal the Father, to know him was to know that Father
Christ came so we might know the Father. Part of his mission was to reveal him to the world. He said ‘If you know me, you will know the Father’. Jesus was a perfect reflection of the Father.
Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son, how he wanted his inheritance and then squandered it on worthless living. When at last he came to his senses and returned home, the Father run out and embraced him. He them restores back all that was lost and rejoices in his return. Both sons receive all that he has and were treated equally. Even thou one had made many mistakes and lost so much.
Jesus shows us the Fathers heart is redemption, to redeem what has been lost through our experience and choices. The law of Jubilee is a shadow and another parable of the Fathers hearts to restore all that has been lost. The very plan of salvation is to restore what has been lost. In the lost sheep parable, the lost is found and brought back to the fold, and in the promises of God. His heart is to restore what the enemy has stolen. Rebuild what has been ruined. Bringing Joy from ashes.
The Father has been showed to not only care for this life, but the eternal. This is the part we all find hard to grasp. His heart is for us to be a family and return home. As a Holy Father we too must be Holy. And so, we can become Holy and come into union with him, he will allow experiences that will bring us to Holiness. He whole purpose is to fit us for his kingdom. If that means we experience what we do not like, then so be it.
Job was tested and lost everything. We often think, that if we do good, we should receive good and if we do bad well then, we deserve bad things. We like to receive mercy and see Justice done. But Job was a righteous man who lost his business, children, and health. We all experience death of loved loves, money problem and loss and many health issues. Like Job when we do, we can experience judgment, condemnation and false truths. When we go through pain, we have the opportunity to go deeper into God. It is in our Pain we meet God and go deeper. For me personally, I have not only gone deeper in my relationship with God, but into understanding. Job was given a deeper revelation of who God was as God spoke to him and revealed himself to him.
A Jewish leader I was listening to said, the difference between Christian and Jews was that when someone sinned and messed up in the church, they will always be seen as a sinner, where in the Jewish world, they would be seen as gaining merit. Whether you agree with that or not, I understand that when we go through suffering or mess up, we gain understanding and authority in it. In counselling courses to become counsellors, far from the stable got together people, we find a people who are a mess. It is those people who have walked through the mess that can help others. Those who have gone through addiction can help those in addiction etc. What we struggle the most from, we gain the most experience and understanding for. We bring our stuff to the cross to be healed and them for the cross to heal others.
The Fathers heart is to meet us in our pain and heal us and restore us. It is not his heart that we suffer, far from it. He sent his son, his first-born son to teach us how to live in this broken world. Knowing what the fall would mean. He sent his son to die on a cross and be an overcomer. So, he could lead us through and bring us to him. If Father God saw that allowing his son to go through suffering and take the sins of the world upon him, would save us all, why would he not let us suffer if it made us fit for the world to come. It is through the hurt of others; we learn to forgive. It is understanding why we sin; we understand others and give them grace. Through the pain and brokenness, we learn to love better. But first me need to receive from him the love, grace and forgiveness and come to the cross, So, we can give it to others. It is when we are in need of forgiveness and grace do, we see its merit. But we can come and go into his arms and in him we can find the healing and rest.
As a Father he is there to guild us and teach us. And he will tell us off when we go astray. He will let us make mistakes. It is never him who brings bad things, but the sin. Our or others that cause us pain. He has given us free agency, but we are accountable to those choices in this life and out. If we make bad choices, he allows us to go through the consequences and learn from them. It is going through experience that we learn and gain understanding and wisdom. But he is there to pick us up, wash our hurt and kiss us better. But he allows us to come to him, never does he push himself on us. He waits until we are ready to come to him. Allowing us to say sorry and teach us a better way to do things. Something’s others hurt us; he feels our pain. He stills waits for us to come and let him heal us. He is there to heal us and allow us to grow more understanding and be more loving to others. We understand the pain that sin can cause others and we have compassion for them and so also help Father to heal the broken hearts of the world.
As a Father he wants the best for us and wants to give us the best gifts. He has given us blessing and promises to keep us going. And has made a way and place for us to receive all he has for us. He wants us to become the best we can be as men and women. So much so, that he has made a way, knowing we could not do it alone. He paid the price in blood and death for our mistakes and took them upon his son. He gave us his spirit so we could become like him. His law so we could learn his ways and have them written on our hearts. And a hunger to search for him, so he can be found. He sent his son, so we could know of him and his love for us. Because we are his sons and daughters, he wants us to come home and live with him in his rest. To be happy and know his joy for us. To not have to experience death, pain or sin. That is his heart for us.
