Who Is God the Father?
The Bible teaches that God is infinitely greater than our minds can comprehend. As the Psalmist declares:
“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3).
Our human understanding is limited (Job 11:7–9), yet in His wisdom, God has revealed Himself in ways we can grasp — through His Word, through His creation, through His Son, and by the Holy Spirit. He has also placed in human life pictures and patterns — marriage, parenthood, and family — to teach us about the relationship He desires with us.
God the Father – The Unseen Glory
The Scripture makes clear that no man has ever seen God the Father in His full glory:
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18).
When the Bible speaks of “God the Father,” it often refers to God in His fullness — the eternal, invisible, all-glorious One. Paul writes:
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).
Even Moses, the man who spoke with God “face to face” (Exodus 33:11), was not permitted to see His full glory. The LORD told him:
“Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Exodus 33:20).
This reveals that the Father’s presence in His fullness is beyond human capacity to behold in our current state.
The Son – The Revelation of the Father
Because no one can see God in His full glory, God has revealed Himself to humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Abraham, Moses, and others in the Old Testament saw manifestations of the LORD — often understood as the pre-incarnate Christ (John 8:56–58; Exodus 3:2–6). But these were still limited revelations; none were the complete, unveiled glory of God the Father.
In Jesus, “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). The Son makes known the character, will, and love of the Father in a way we can see and understand.
The Holy Spirit – The Presence of God With Us
The Spirit of God has been seen and experienced in various forms — as a dove (Matthew 3:16), as tongues of fire (Acts 2:3), as the rushing of a mighty wind (Acts 2:2). The Spirit’s role is to glorify Christ (John 16:14) and guide us into all truth (John 16:13), drawing us into fellowship with the Father through the Son.
Family – God’s Chosen Picture of Relationship
God designed marriage and family as living parables of His relationship with His people. The Scriptures call believers “sons of God” (1 John 3:1–2) and teach us to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).
As a father loves and provides for his children, so God loves and cares for His people. Jesus illustrated this with the parable of the prodigal son, showing the Father’s mercy and longing for His children to return (Luke 15:11–32).
Marriage itself reflects Christ’s relationship to the Church:
“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23).
Through these earthly relationships, God teaches us to understand — in part — His love, authority, and desire for fellowship.
Awaiting the Day We Shall See Him
One day, the limitation will be removed. Those who are redeemed in Christ will see God face to face:
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
“They shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4).
Until then, we live by faith, worshipping the Father through the Son in the Spirit, knowing that His fullness is beyond our comprehension yet trusting His revelation.
Conclusion:
God the Father is the eternal, invisible, all-glorious Creator. No man has seen Him in His full glory, but He has revealed Himself through the Son and by the Spirit. In His wisdom, He uses family relationships to help us grasp the love, care, and fellowship He desires with us. While our minds cannot yet contain the fullness of His being, we look forward to the day when faith becomes sight, and we behold Him in His glory forever.
Posted in Religion by PE Van Blerk with comments disabled.