The Doctrine of GOD : God the Father.

Notes from Louis Berkhof’s Summary of Christian Doctrine Pp. 43-44

1. The Name, “Father”, is frequently applied in Scripture to the Triune God, as the Creator of all things.

1Co 8:5  For though there are those who are called gods, whether in Heaven or in earth (as there are many gods and many lords),

1Co 8:6  but there is to us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we by Him.

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.

b. He is also called “the Father of Israel”.

Deu 32:6  Do you thus give back to Jehovah, Oh foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?

Isa 63:16  For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; Your name is from everlasting.

c. He is the Father of all believers.

Mat 5:45  so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mat 6:6  But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

Mat 6:9  Therefore pray in this way: Our Father, who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Mat 6:10  Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread;

Mat 6:14  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

Mat 6:15  but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Rom 8:15  For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father!

John Gill says,   “ but ye have received the spirit of adoption,” by which is designed not a spirit of charity, or love, or inherent grace: adoption is not owing to inherent grace, or is any part of it: regeneration and adoption differ; adoption makes men the children of God, regeneration makes them appear to be so by giving them the nature of children; adoption is not a work of grace in us, but an act of grace without us, having its complete being in the mind of God; it is antecedent to a work of grace, inherent grace is a consequence of it, though no man knows, or has the comfort of his adoption, until he believes: rather a filial child like spirit, such a spirit as becomes the children of God is here meant; a spirit of freedom with God, of reverence of him, and of love of him, and of obedience to him; springing from filial affection and without mercenary views; a meek, harmless, and inoffensive spirit. Though it seems best of all to understand by it the Holy Spirit of God, who is distinguished from the spirit of believers, Rom_8:16, and is called "the Spirit of his Son" in a parallel place, Gal_4:6, and stands opposed here to a spirit of bondage, and may be so called because as a spirit of grace he flows from adoption; and is the discoverer, applier, witness, and ratifier of the blessing of adoption; and is the pledge, earnest, or seal of the future adoption or eternal inheritance: now the Spirit is received as such from the Father and the Son into the hearts of believers, by the means of the Gospel, in order to make known their adoption to them, which is an instance of grace, and ought to be acknowledged; for

we cry Abba, Father: by the help of the spirit of adoption; we, the saints under the Gospel dispensation, in opposition to the legal one, under which they had not that freedom; "cry" which denotes an internal vehemency and affection of soul, and an outward calling upon God, as a Father, with confidence; "Abba, Father, Father" is the explanation of the word "Abba", and which is added for explanation sake, and to express the vehemency of the affection, and the freedom and liberty which belongs to children: the words in the original are, the one a Syriac word in use with the Jews, the other a Greek one, and denotes that there is but one Father of Jews and Gentiles. The word "Abba" signifies "my Father",....... John Gill

d. In a deeper sense it is applied to only the Third Person of the Trinity. This expresses His Relationship to the Second Person of the Trinity.

Joh 1:14  And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.

Joh 1:18  No one has seen God at any time; the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Joh 8:54  Jesus answered, If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say that He is your God.

Joh 14:12  Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.

Joh 14:13  And whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

This is the Original Fatherhood, of which all earthly fatherhood is but a very faint reflexion.

The Distinctive character if the FATHER is that He generates the Son from all eternity.

He planned: Redemption before the Foundation of the World, The Creation of the Universe, and Providence. He represents the Trinity in the Counsel of Redemption.