Written on May 16th, 2005 - 10:23PM Last Updated: May 16th, 2005 - 10:29PM
The Father's identity is inherently other-wordly. He is the One in the Heaven: the Heavenly One.
Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. (Matthew 6:9)
He, being Creator of all things, must then be not of that which He created. All of creation came from a source other than itself. And thus the One behind creation, Yahweh, is of a different being than creation itself. The apostle shows that it is only through faith that we can understand this.
By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:3)
It is important to see the Father as having His existence first and foremost outside of our universe. Because of this, He is not affected by the universe. He cannot be held by it, hurt by it, helped by it, etc. His sufficiency is not dependent upon anything He has created (Acts 17:24-25). Therefore, we can be assured that our problems can never be too much for Him; our actions can never injure Him; our good works can never help Him. He is inherently apart from our existence.
The Hebrew (שמים) and Greek (ουρανοις) words used for heaven, come from the root meaning to lift up or to raise. The Greek word for "bird" also comes from that root, as it means an animal that lifts up from the ground. Heaven, then, is a place lifted up from our place here on the earth, and thus, in the universe. Even the source of our English word, "heaven," shows this; the word "heave" means to throw or to raise up. Heaven is above all.
The Father is constantly named as being "in the heaven" by His Son. ChristJesus did not say this phrase once or twice, but repeatedly used it when talking of His Father; therefore it can be understood that it is important to view the Father as being in heaven.
As you read this site, you will hopefully come to know Yahweh more fully.
But all of this continuing knowledge is useless unless and until you come into union with Him. I use the word union because it is truly a marriage. It is that deep connection we all seek, for which we most often look in other people. However, the truth is that our hearts will only be fulfilled when we enter that union in fullness with the One Who made us.
This is the grace of God, that He has not stayed distant for us only to worship as Creator. But He has come unto us, even become one of us—in His Son, ChristJesus—in order to share an intimate union with us. He desires such closeness that it truly will envelope our entire life, transforming us into something new and wonderful.
You may have already entered this union with Him and only seek to know Him better through reading here. But if you have not, as you do read, let this Gospel sink into your heart as you read it now.
God loves you, and has cast your sins into the sea. He has sent His only Son as the Savior of the world—that includes you.
That Son, JesusChrist, was born as a man through a virgin who had given her life to Yahweh; He lived without sin, reflected the glory of His Father, God, in all His words and deeds, and was persecuted even unto death because of it.
His death upon a cross was the powerful explosion that separated you from your life of death. It remains for you, now, to enter into that death with Him. As you die to the one you are now, a person separated from God from your many sins, you will be born anew, with a nature predisposed to live rightly. This gift is free to you, with nothing you can do to earn it. It is the mercy of God to offer it to you, as He loves you so much! All you must do is receive it by trusting Him to have delivered you. Simply place your life in His hands and embrace the freedom that came through that death on the cross.
The Gospel is that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose again on the third day after His crucifixion! Death could not hold Him, as He was without sin. And so death will not be able to hold you, as you identify with Him fully through your trust in Him. Let go of yourself and confess Him as Lord of your life. The power of His death and resurrection will work in you all that your Creator has destined for you. You will truly enter a new life and experience that intimate union you have been seeking all of your life.
So ponder these words as you read here of this great God—Yahweh—and all that He has revealed to His creation. Let His Spirit testify to your heart that these words are true, that God is Love, and that He sent His Son so that you might receive the life that is unbound by time and space. As you feel that witness in your heart, simply believe and receive what He is offering to you, even now, and begin your new life as a child of God.
Please write to me and let me know when you take this step, as I will be your brother in Christ—we will be one in Him!
Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn't know us, because it didn't know him. (1 John 3:1)
Scripture Quotes: World English Bible Translation.
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