InstaStudy

In Christ We Know the Father

This study explores the profound truth that the one God, the Father, is fully revealed and known through Jesus Christ. We will delve into the identity of Jesus as the manifestation of God in flesh, and how through Him, we gain intimate access and understanding of the Almighty.

1. The Identity of Jesus: God Manifest in Flesh

1.1 Jesus is the Incarnate God

Verses: John 1:1; John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16
  • The Word, who was God, became flesh and dwelt among us, revealing the divine nature.
  • Jesus is not merely a prophet or a created being, but God Himself veiled in humanity.
  • Through Jesus, the invisible God became visible and tangible to mankind.

1.2 The Father Dwelling in Christ

Verses: Colossians 2:9; John 14:9-10; Isaiah 9:6
  • In Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, meaning the entirety of God's being resides in Him.
  • When we see Jesus, we are seeing the Father, for the Father is in Him and He is in the Father.
  • Jesus is prophetically called 'Everlasting Father' and 'Mighty God', indicating His divine identity.

1.3 One God, One Name

Verses: Ephesians 4:4-6; John 10:30; Zechariah 14:9
  • There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
  • Jesus declared, 'I and my Father are one,' emphasizing a singular divine identity.
  • In the future, the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name one.

2. Jesus: The Full Revelation of the Father

2.1 Seeing Jesus is Seeing the Father

Verses: John 14:7-9; Hebrews 1:3
  • Jesus explicitly stated that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father, leaving no room for a separate, unseen deity.
  • He is the express image of God's person, perfectly reflecting the Father's character and nature.
  • The Father's attributes, love, power, and holiness are perfectly displayed in Jesus.

2.2 The Fullness of God in Christ

Verses: Colossians 1:19; John 1:18
  • It pleased the Father that in Jesus all the fullness should dwell, making Him the complete embodiment of God.
  • No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
  • Jesus is the ultimate and complete revelation of God, requiring no further or separate revelation.

2.3 Jesus' Words are the Father's Words

Verses: John 12:49-50; John 7:16-17
  • Jesus did not speak His own words, but the words of the Father who sent Him, demonstrating their oneness in purpose and message.
  • His teaching was not His own, but from Him who sent Him, confirming His divine authority and origin.
  • To hear Jesus is to hear God; to reject Jesus' words is to reject God's words.

3. Knowing God Personally Through Christ

3.1 Access to the Father Through Jesus

Verses: John 14:6; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19-20
  • Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.
  • Through Him, we have access by one Spirit to the Father, establishing a direct connection.
  • His flesh, torn on the cross, opened a new and living way for us to draw near to God.

3.2 Intimate Relationship with God

Verses: John 17:3; 1 John 2:23; Galatians 4:6
  • Eternal life is to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, implying a personal, experiential knowledge.
  • He who denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
  • Because we are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'

3.3 Jesus as Our Advocate and Mediator

Verses: 1 John 2:1; 1 Timothy 2:5
  • If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who intercedes on our behalf.
  • There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, bridging the gap between humanity and divinity.
  • Through Jesus, our prayers are heard and our relationship with God is restored and maintained.

4. The Spirit of Christ: The Indwelling Presence of God

4.1 The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God

Verses: Romans 8:9-10; 2 Corinthians 3:17
  • If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His; but if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
  • The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, indicating the oneness of the Lord and the Spirit.
  • The Holy Spirit is not a separate person, but the active, indwelling presence of the one God, Jesus Christ.

4.2 Indwelling Presence of God

Verses: John 14:16-18; Galatians 2:20
  • Jesus promised to send the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who would abide with us forever, and that He Himself would come to us.
  • I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, signifying the intimate union with God.
  • Through the indwelling Spirit, God Himself resides within believers, guiding and empowering them.

4.3 Empowerment for Godly Living

Verses: Philippians 2:13; Romans 8:11; Acts 1:8
  • It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure, enabling us to live according to His will.
  • If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
  • We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, empowering us to be witnesses and live a transformed life.