There is scarcely any delusion of the present day that is more popular than what is called “the Fatherhood of God.” Many who use the term may not discern who is the author of it. It is interpreted to mean that God is the Father of every human being; but, as with many similar things, no attempt is made to prove this from scripture. It sounds nice, and is acceptable to human nature; for along with it is also proclaimed the “brotherhood of man.” If God is the Father of all, then all are brethren. A very pleasing dream.
It is well to see that in Old Testament times God as Father was not declared even to Israel, who was brought into a nearer relationship with God than was any other nation. When God appeared to Moses, he asked, “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exod. 3:13, 14.)
In another place we read, “God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty: but by my name JEHOVAH was not known unto them” (Exod. 6:2, 3.)
We see by this that though the name of Jehovah occurs as early as Gen. 2:7, in the account of the creation given by Moses—saying, “The Lord [Jehovah] God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul,” showing that God was in relationship with man—yet God was not known to man generally, nor indeed to the patriarchs, by the name of Jehovah.
When God says, He was known to some by one name, and to others by another name, it surely becomes us to seek to learn the difference, and to follow on to know by what name He has been pleased to make Himself known to His followers now; and to the poor world at large.
To the patriarchs God was known as “God Almighty,” the strong One who, having made an unconditional promise to Abraham, would surely perform it. To Israel He was known as “Jehovah,” the covenant name of relationship; as He who would dwell among them, and would perform all He had promised in bringing them into that relationship.
But when we turn to the New Testament, and see the Lord Jesus as a man on earth, we find that He was constantly speaking of the Father and when He had gathered around Him a few disciples He made known unto them “the Father.” He also represented God as their Father, thus: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5. 16.) When asked by His disciples to teach them to pray, He said, “When ye pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven.” (Luke 11:2.)
And yet we know that until our Lord suffered on the cross, there could be no union between Him and His disciples: “Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24) But after His death and resurrection He called His disciples His “brethren,” which He had never done before, and sent them this striking message, “I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God.” (John 20:17.) They were then in the same relationship with God as their Father as the blessed Lord was Himself. How blessed to receive such a message from the Lord Himself: it is sent to all whom He graciously calls His brethren.
This relationship is still further brought home to us for our experience and our enjoyment when the Holy Spirit is given: “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom. 8:15, 16.) “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” (Gal. 4:6.)
Here the very same title is put into our hearts and our mouths as was used by our Lord when in the garden of Gethsemane: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee.” Reader, do you know this relationship? Can you truly say, “Abba, Father?” Do you know yourself to be a son? How blessed the relationship! What fellowship there should be between such a Father and His adopted children—adopted not for a season, not on probation; but His sons for time and for eternity! To Him be all the praise!
But the closer and more blessed we see this relationship to be for the Christian, the clearer it is that it was not made known to Israel, though the word Father does occur in a few places in reference to their relationship with God; as in Deut. 32:6: “Do ye thus requite the Lord [Jehovah], Ο foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?” It will be seen that God was their Father in reference to making them and redeeming them, and not because He had adopted them as sons, as in the New Testament. We have seen “Jehovah” was the special name by which He was known to them.
And it must follow that if God was not made known to Israel under the name of Father, how much less will that name apply to the unconverted—the mass of mankind! Where do we find God represented as the Father of all men? In Rom. 1, where the heathen world is represented, we find the name of God repeatedly: “That which may be known of God is manifest in [or, among] them; for God hath showed it unto them.” “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” “As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.” Thus we see that God was made known to them “by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;” but they knew Him only as God.
There is a measure of relationship between God as Creator with every one living; but they “changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.... [and] changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
As we know, God did His work perfectly, and man and woman were created in the image of God, and after His likeness. (Gen. 1:27.) He held intercourse with Adam and Eve; for they were innocent; but when the Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day, and called to them, alas! they had hidden themselves from their Creator, for they had sinned, and now knew that they were naked. God “drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Thus all was changed morally and remains so to this day: man is a fallen being, and scarcely anything can be more dishonoring to God than to pretend that all this is nothing, and that man can come to God as if he were sinless, and even claim God as his Father, as thousands are doing.
For man to be regarded by God, he must come to Him in his true character. We see this vividly in the case of the Syrophenician woman. She addressed our Lord as “Son of David;” but “he answered her not a word.” What had a woman of Canaan to do with Him as Son of David? Nothing; but as soon as she took her true place of being a dog, without any claim of relationship to Him then she is heard and answered. How much more then will sinful man be disregarded when he comes as if there had been no fall, and dares to claim God as his Father?
Besides this, God has made a way for him to come—to come in his sins, and as a sinner. In His boundless mercy He has now been revealed as the Savior-God, “who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:4-6.)
It is to be feared that there are multitudes who think nothing of Jesus as a Mediator to whom they can go as sinners, they despise and think needless any ransom to be made for them. God is declared to be love, and they say they will go to Him and claim Him as their Father, and do their best to obey Him.
Fatal delusion! If they come by any other channel than that which God has appointed—the one Mediator between sinful men and the holy God—they will surely be rejected: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12.) Yes, man must have a Savior, for he is lost; and he must be saved and be made a son before God can be his Father.
May God open the eyes of any who are under the delusion of Satan in supposing that there is any other way to become the children of God, and may they come in His way, and then be able to know truthfully that God is their Father.