Lesson 13 Knowing The Father

     Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
     When you see Jesus, you've seen the Father.  Hebrews 1:1-3 (Amplified) tells us that, "In many separate revelations (each of which set forth a portion of the truth) and in different ways God spoke of old to (our forefathers in and by the prophets)."  Verse 2 continues, "(But) in the last of these days He has spoken unto us in (the person of a ) Son Whom He appointed Heir and Lawful owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time (He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order)."  Verse 3 goes on, "He is the sole expression of the glory of God(the Light Being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very Image of (God's) nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word and power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished the cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
     According to these few scriptures, we should have a complete and perfect picture of our Father.  There shouldn't be any more confusion to the believer as to Who God is in these last days.  We still seem to have a tough time believing that God's our answer instead of our problem.  If you can see Jesus, then you've seen the Father.
     As I've said before, we've had a hard time separating God from God and God as Father.  He was the God of the Old Testament and now is the Father of the New Testament.  He's still God with all the power and attributes He ever had.  He didn't change.  He paid the price to change us.  He never wanted to be a God Who would punish and destroy.  We brought those things on ourselves because of our own sin and rebellion.  He, being a just and righteous Judge, had to deal the way He did because of us.  The only way to deal differently was to have the price for sin and transgression paid in full.  Man couldn't live up to what the Law demanded.
     We see in Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) that, "When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High.  This just and righteous God, the One Who must punish the sin and guilt by His Own just and righteous integrity, now paid the price with Himself becoming the One sacrifice that could (and would) change His relationship with man."  Now, the price has been paid and the claims of justice have been met.  Now, His truth could be seen in grace and mercy rather than death and external Laws.  Now, He (this great and Just God) could, once more, walk among men like He did in the beginning, as Father.
     We missed the exchange He made by observing how He is unchangeable.  What we've failed to see is how He didn't change; we did.  When God, by His Own self paid the debt that we owed, His justice was met and we were set free.  God didn't change.  He just changed us by paying off the debt of sin and death.  Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."  Verse 2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
     Now, because we see God as Father, we see the difference between the two covenants.  When we look at Jesus, we see the Father and not just God because whatever Jesus does is what our Father does.  All of the old religious teachings about God trying and testing you is foolishness under the ministry of Jesus (Who is Father).  For years we've blamed our Father for all the trials and tests and temptations we've encountered.  But, if you see the Father's will in your life, then you'll see this isn't true.  Jesus Himself taught us how to pray in probably the best known prayer in the world.  In Matthew 6:9-13 (Amplified) Jesus prayed "The Lord's Prayer" beginning with, "'Our Father'" and continuing in Verse 13 saying, "'Lead us not into temptation (trials or tests), but deliver us from the evil one.'" 
     If Jesus, being in the Image of God, would teach us that God isn't the One Who is testing , trying or tempting us, then why would we still hold our Father responsible for all of these things in our lives?  James 1:13 (Amplified) tells us, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by (what is) evil and He Himself tempts no one."
     What shepherd would purposely lead his sheep into a lion's den?  What father would lead his children into a place of harm or evil?  What father would purposely put his children in harm's way in order to teach them a lesson?  Learn Him as Father.