Father
The Identity and Attributes of God
March 10, 2024
Rev. Dr. Gabe Sylvia
The sermon urges believers to see God first and foremost as Father—the ultimate source and model of all fatherhood—embracing adoption and sonship as the defining reality of Christian identity.
Summary
The message emphasizes that we must begin with God as Father rather than imagining God as merely an improved version of an earthly dad: God is the first Father and all human fatherhood only reflects him imperfectly. Scripture presents God as Father in multiple ways—Father of creation, distinct within the Trinity, and most richly as Father to those united to the Son—so being called 'children of God' is a gracious gift. The doctrine of adoption and sonship, especially recovered in the Reformation, shows how believers are brought into a new family with the same Father, making us brothers and sisters who should live out our new identity and name.
Key Points
- Start with God as Father, not by comparing him to earthly fathers
- Earthly fathers may reflect the Lord but are limited and imperfect
- God is the first Father; all human fatherhood is a reflection of him
- Scripture speaks of the Father as Creator, as distinct within the Trinity, and most richly for those in union with the Son
- Being called 'Father' is a gracious gift given in adoption and sonship
- The doctrine of adoption, emphasized again in the Reformation, reveals our new status
- Because we share the same Father, believers are a family—live and embrace that new identity
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