The core thought of Fatherhood can be extracted from these two words: Father and Family. The word father in Greek is pater, where we get the word "paternal", and from the word pater came out the word patria which means "family".
A Father makes a family, and true family life in heaven and earth can only exist in the light of understanding the fatherhood of God.
Ephesians 3:14-15 (J.B. Philips) says, "As I think of this great plan I fall on my knees before the Father (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name)." It tells us that Fatherhood did not begin on earth but in heaven. God is its origin. It did not begin with time, or human history; it began in eternity. He is a relational God, who values and treasures relationships. Indeed, when there is fatherhood, there is relationship.
One of the ultimate purpose of Jesus coming into the world is to reveal God as a loving Father (Matthew 11:27). His ministry was father-centered (John 5:43), and only through Jesus can we have a full revelation of who the Father God is (John 14:6).
The special name that Jesus gave to His disciples to address God is not "Jehovah", for Israel already knew that name for 1,500 years; But Jesus, as the Son, let those who would be identified with Him to call God as Father.
The name "Father" is the ultimate name of God. It describes the nature of God in His eternal character more perfectly and fully than anything else.
The Old Testament names God as "Father" only 4 times, but in the New Testament, He is called "Father" over 250 times. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to bring us to the Father. He is the way and God the Father is our final destination. (John 14:6). Jesus died for our sins; and not only that, but for Him to bring us to the Father. Ephesians 2:18 says, "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."
Significance, Self-worth and Security are things that come out of this revelation of God as our Father and the love He has for us. We are living in a "fatherless" generation - fathers are not fulfilling their responsibilities over their families and children. The absentee father is the curse of a modern-day family, and in the absence of real fatherhood, people search to satisfy the needs of security, self-worth and significance.
At the end of WW 1, many fathers died! In Germany, a penniless artist who could only climb up to the rank of a corporal rose up and said "Germany will be the new fatherland!". His target groups were the undirected, renegade youths who did not have a father at home. His name was ADOLF HITLER.
At the end of WW 2 in Russia, out of every 1,000 men who left for battle, 70 came back; and out of the 70, only 3 were still whole in one piece. In the midst of a fatherless nation, JOSEPH STALIN rose upon the scene. He appealed to the youths and offered to meet their needs of significance, self-worth and security. After that, communism spread throughout Russia.
"Who am I?" - It is a question all of us have asked ourselves at some point in time. But you will never know who you are until you know who your father is. A person who truly knows God as Father has no longer an identity problem. He knows who he is.
1 John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."
The Father provides security. It is primarily in the arms of the father that a child feels it. A father must not merely love his children in his heart; he must outwardly express it.
What a wonderful revelation it is for a person to know that the God who created the whole universe loves him and cares for him as his Father.
Rev. Michael C. Bunye
He is the Senior Pastor of Jesus Faith Christian Fellowship Church Inc. (Imus, Cavite)
a.k.a. FAITH CENTER IMUS.
With his wife Pastora Me-Ann Bunye (Senior Associate Pastor);
Their ministry is to reach and teach the people to get closer to God, meet their needs and help bring change in their lives through the Word of God.
