Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One." He was saying that He was bringing a new vision of Who God is to the world. When Jesus delivered this message to the world, it was a completely new way of seeing the Almighty. All of Israel knew Him as the "Almighty God," but only Jesus knew Him as Father.
Jesus delivered the most well-known prayer in Christianity in Matthew 6:9 (amplified) saying, "Pray, therefore, like this; Our Father Who is in heaven." This must have staggered the ones who heard Him pray in this manner. Until then, they would not have even spoke God's name aloud out of fear of offending the "Most High." Now, they weren't only to pray to Him, but refer to Him as Father.
Today, we refer top Him as Father and still approach Him as God. The old covenant people had no way of knowing that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our entire world would change.
Today, we refer to God as our Father, but sometimes feel (or at least act) like we're not His children. Mostly, we still see Him in the light of the old covenant instead of the new one.
You may ask what the difference is. Is God still not God even in the old covenant? Yes! He is still the Almighty God even in the old covenant. The difference is how we view Him.
President Obama is probably the most powerful political figure in the world currently. He is President of the greatest nation in all of history. Nations throughout the earth either seek to know him or they hate him. His influence is sought after in nearly every nation.
Obama's two daughters live with him in the White House. Both of these girls know he's the President and both know his importance and position. But, both daughters share a relationship with him that no one else has; they're his daughters.
Do you suppose that when these girls come into his presence they address him as Mr. President? No! They address him as Father or Dad. Many people have his influence as a political figure, but only his children have all of his influence. Do you suppose that those girls have access to more favor than most people do? Being their father doesn't diminish his power as President, but it does put them into such positions as no one else one the planet.
Being our Father doesn't diminish the fact that God is still the Almighty God. But, it does put us in a position with this Almighty God that no one else shares. All of His influence in our lives is different. All His power as God is now directed unto us, as our Father. The power of God is now the protection for His children. The grace that is extended to the world has now become the power that is the glory of heaven extended for the good of His children.
God's influence and power to the world has been extended , but everything that He is has been given to His family. When we understand Who this Awesome God has become to us, doesn't change Who He is, but how He functions on our behalf. We, as God's family, have been blessed with His favor, His Love, His might, His own righteousness and everything that God has. Every promise that God has made is now ours through Jesus.
The world still sees Gos as God and as a distant figure somewhere in space. We see this God as Father Who lives inside of us and not somewhere in space. The world sees a God who they're trying to get approval from, but we see Him as the Father Who has given us His approval to and of us. The world sees a distant God Who cannot be reached, but we see a Father Who tenderly loves and watches over us all the time. The world sees someone they would like to have on their side (if they could arrange it), but we see a Father Who has given everything He is and everything He has to His family.
Who God is hasn't changed...who we are has. He is still the God of all creation, but now this God is our Father. When Jesus brought us into God's family, His prayer in John 17:14-26 (Amplified) was fulfilled and we have become one as "He and the Father are One."
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