Bible Question:
Is our God the Father of every person? If so, in what sense?
Bible Answer:
Earth Filled With People
The Bible clearly teaches that God the Father is the father of all human life, especially those who believe in Him. Since He is the Creator all of all human life, in that sense He is the father of all human life. He is also the father of every Christian since He gives these and only these individual believers eternal life. More will be explained later.
Throughout the Bible we are told that God is a triune God. He is a plural-one or a trinity. Our God is one God manifest in three persons. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Such is the mystery of our God. Contrary to some who say that Jesus never said He was God, it is obvious in John 8:24, 58 that Jesus claimed to the great I AM of Exodus 3. It is clear from John 5:18 that He was teaching He was God. In addition, Acts 5:3-4 clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is God.
Scripture teaches that God the Father is the master planner. He planned the creation of mankind (Genesis 1:26-31), and how we would be saved from our sinful rebellion and disobedience (Ephesians 1:3-6). He planned the future kingdom (Matthew 25:34). He is the one who planned that the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, would become our Savior and Lord. He planned the birth and resurrection of Christ. He is the one who forgives our sins. He is the one who provides our basic needs. In summary, He is the master planner and oversees all things. But even many Christians know very little about the great importance of God the Father.
With that background, we can now understand why God the Father is called the father of all human life. He is our father in the sense that He is the creator of all humanity: male and female. 1 Corinthians 8:6 provides a good summary of God the Father as the creator of all things, and Jesus Christ, who executes His plan.
Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6 (NASB)
Consequently, Numbers 16:22 and Ephesians 4:6 say,
O God, God of the spirits of all flesh.
Numbers 16:22 (NASB)One God and Father of all who is over all.
Ephesians 4:6 (NASB)
Malachi 2:10 also echoes the same principle.
Do we not all have one father?
Has not one God created us?
Malachi 2:10 (NASB)
In the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-10, Jesus taught us to pray to our Father. It is clear from the prayer that Jesus did not teach us to pray to our earthly father.
“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10 (NASB)
In second sense, God the Father is referred to as the father of all humanity, He is also called the father of the nation of Israel. In Exodus 4:22 God figuratively referred to Israel as His son. Then in Isaiah 63:16 the prophet states,
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us.
You, O LORD, are our Father,
Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.
Isaiah 63:16 (NASB)
In a third sense, God the Father is also the father of all Christians or believers because He has a unique father-child relationship with those who believe in Jesus Christ. This is clearly stated in Ephesians 1:3-5, which reveals that God the Father has chosen individuals to believe in Christ, and those who believe are adopted as sons—spiritual sons.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Ephesians 1:3-5 (NASB)
Romans 8:15-17 amplifies this truth stating that believers are the sons or children of God in a spiritual sense. Notice that God the Father is referred to as “Abba! Father!”
. . . you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “ Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:15-17 (NASB)
As a result, John 1:12 gives us the promise that those who believe in Christ become the children of God.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. 1 John 1:12 (NASB).
This repeated in 1 John 3:10.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10 (NASB)
Conversely, those who reject Christ are regarded as children of the devil.