Know the Father:

Luke 10:22 (NASB95)

22     “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

     

            This says that we will know who the Father is. Isn’t that breathtaking? In Jesus’ day, people didn’t know God. They were afraid of Him. They reverenced Him. But they did not know Him. They didn’t realize that you could know God. This knowing comes because Jesus chooses to reveal Him to us. We will know Him in an intimate, loving relationship … not just as God of the universe. This concept was totally alien to the people living under the Law.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You could not know Me unless I had wanted you to know Me. I want you to know Me and My Son. I want you to fellowship with us daily wherever you go. I will reveal Myself to you as you wait upon Me. I will also show you the Son in a way you’ve never known.”

            14. The Father has been revealed to me by the Son, and I know the Father.

All come to Jesus:

John 6:37

37     “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

     

            We did not need to fear that Jesus would reject us when we came to Him. We were given to Jesus by the Father, and He accepted us. And He won’t cast us out. All that the Father gives to Jesus will come to Him. Since He gave us to Jesus, we were destined to come to Him.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I have given you to My Son, and it is He who brings you unto Me. He paved the way for you. When you come unto Me, I will gladly receive you into My Kingdom. I will not turn away from you. You do not have to become good enough for Me to love and desire to be with you. Rest in My love and do not struggle against your circumstances. I have called you unto Me, and I most assuredly will not reject you as others have.”

            13. The Father gave me to Jesus, and I am not cast out.

By the Son:

John 14:6

6     Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

            There is no other way to come to the Father but through Jesus. There is a movement in the world to make all religions acceptable to Christians; that is, there is more than one way to come to the Father. But Jesus said there is no other way but through Him. If you try to come some other way, you won’t make it. It may sound cruel or narrow-minded to others to say that you must come through Jesus, but that is what God has said. He sent His Son to provide the only way to come to Him. If there was another way, then all that Jesus did would be to no avail. Also, we could pat ourselves on the back if salvation involved our doing something to come to the Father. Jesus is the truth. Everything else that says it is the way to God is falsehood. Jesus is also the life. Without Him, you have no life. You may be alive, but you have no life in yourself. It is only through Him that one can truly live.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children you have come to Me through My Son. It is He who made it possible for you to come unto Me. I delighted in His being willing to sacrifice Himself for you. He came that you might have life abundantly. He gave Himself that you might experience what He has known from before the beginning of time. He is the only way to come unto Me. All others are imposters and frauds. He is the only way to Me. I decided upon that long ago … that it would not be through man’s wisdom or abilities, but through My Son.”

            12. I have come to the Father through Jesus, for He is the only way to God.

Chapter 2

Relationship with the Father

            So, we were destined for a life that is eternal the moment we asked Jesus to come into our hearts. But what kind of life is it? Just to have one that lasts forever might not be all that great. Is there a quality that goes with the quantity? The answer is yes. First, there is a relationship with God, the Father. He isn’t just some uncaring potentate that lives in Heaven indiscriminately making decisions that affect our lives. He is our loving Heavenly Father. He cares so much for us that He only wants the best for us. It may not always be what we ask for, though. Also, He sometimes wants something for us but is unable to bring it about for reasons that we do not always know or understand. So let’s look at some of these aspects of God being our Father.

How we come to the Father:

            Draws:

John 6:44-45

44     “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

     45     “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.

    

         God did not hit us over the head and make us come to Jesus. He doesn’t want robots. He wants a people that desire to be in fellowship with Him. He wants us to do right because we love Him, not because we’re afraid of what He’s going to do to us if we do wrong. Jesus said that the Father draws us unto Himself. He woos us. He is in no hurry. Jesus also said that He would raise us up on the last day. This is an assurance that our relationship with the Father is not just for here on the earth. It is an eternal one.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

         "I have desired to be with you, My children. I have longed for your fellowship. That is why I called you unto Me. That is why I drew you unto Me like a lover for his loved one. Come unto Me and taste and see that I am good. That is how I called you, My precious one.”

            11. God loved me so much that He drew me unto Himself … He did not force me to come.