In our last post, Worship the Triune God, we leaned into the mystery of the Trinity—the “Over all, With all, and In all.” We saw that God is Kadavul—both transcending the universe and dwelling within us.
But as we zoom in on the first person of the Trinity, a deeply personal question arises: How do we relate to the “One Above All”? For “the Faith People,” the Almighty Creator is not a distant force to be feared from afar; He is the One we have the privilege to call “Abba.”
Abba, Father: The Heart of the Relationship
God the Father, the author of all creation, is so vast that He can only be truly known and understood through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t just come to pay a debt; He came to reveal His Father’s heart.
Out of abounding love, Christ’s costly sacrifice made a way for us—sinners who were once separated—to enjoy restored fellowship with our Creator. Because of this, believers can delight in calling God “Abba, Father.” This isn’t just a formal title; it is the same intimate name for God that Jesus Himself used (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). It signifies a child-like trust in a Father who is both sovereign and tender.
Humbled Before Majesty
However, intimacy does not mean a lack of reverence. Throughout history, whenever humans caught even a glimpse of God the Father’s majesty, they were rendered utterly humbled and speechless.
- Ezekiel saw a glorious vision of the Almighty and fell facedown (Ezekiel 1).
- Abraham fell on his face (Genesis 17:3).
- Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8).
From the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:4) to John’s vision on Patmos (Revelation 1:17), the weight of God’s glory always brings us to our knees. We cannot know the Father without being moved by His sheer “other-ness.”
The Revelation of Glory
God’s glory is the comprehensive beauty, worth, and majesty of His infinite character. He has purposefully revealed this glory to us so that we might know Him. He does this in three primary ways:
- Through Creation: The Bible tells us that the heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1-2). From the microscopic to the cosmic, creation leaves us without excuse regarding His eternal power (Genesis 1; Psalm 8; Romans 1:18-25).
- Through History: He showed His glory to His people many times in the Old Testament—in the cloud over the Tabernacle, the fire on Sinai, and the vision in the Temple (Exodus 24:16; 33:18-23; 40:34; Leviticus 9:23; Isaiah 6:1-5).
- Through the Son: Most amazingly, the glorious God made Himself known in His Son. Jesus Christ radiates God’s glory and exactly represents His Father (Hebrews 1:3). In Jesus, the “Transcendent” became “Immanuel”—God with us (Matthew 17:1-13; John 1:1-18; 1 Timothy 3:16).
Eternal Praise and Accountability
Without understanding God’s power and holiness, we fail to recognize our personal accountability to Him. But once we grasp His glory, we recognize the staggering wonder of His compassion.
The God who transcends us in every way reaches down to us despite our sinfulness. He is the God of Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever!” In eternity, we will fully grasp and eternally praise our glorious God and exalted Savior (2 Peter 3:18; Revelation 7:12).
A Call to Spiritual Growth
If God had not purposefully revealed Himself through His Word, His Son, and His Spirit, we would be lost in the dark. What encouragement this gives us to love and trust Him! This week, look at the world around you and see it as a “theatre of His glory.” When you pray, remember that you are speaking to the Almighty King, but you are speaking to Him as your “Abba.”
Reflect: Does your prayer life reflect more of the “Majesty” of the King or the “Intimacy” of the Father? How can you balance both today?
The Nicene Creed does have these lines “eternally begotten of the Father” referring them to Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, In our next blog, we are going to explore “What does “eternally begotten of the Father” mean?” Stay tuned to the #WetheFaithPeople blog series.