God the Father

It is surprising that so little mention is made of God the Father in the lives of many Christian people, while there is an almost constant reference to our Lord Jesus Christ. This feature has given rise to some severe criticism of Evangelicalism as favouring what has been called a “Jesus-religion.” While it is not fair criticism, there is sufficient truth in it to make us give careful attention to the matter, and it cannot be doubted that many of our hymns, perhaps too many, are addressed to our Lord instead of to the Father, which helps in the same direction to concentrate attention on the Second Person of the Trinity to the frequent virtual forgetfulness of the First. The New Testament invariably sets before us God the Father as both the primary Source and the ultimate Goal of the believer’s life, and the Apostle in these verses provides a valuable opportunity of seeing this for ourselves. Three truths are definitely associated with the Father as the ground of our thankfulness.

The title “Father” is particularly noteworthy because of its frequency on the lips of our Lord. The Old Testament has comparatively little to say about the Fatherhood of God, and even when it does say anything the association is almost entirely with Israel and the covenant. But in the New Testament the Divine Fatherhood appears with remarkable fulness, mainly because it was beyond all others the name used by our Lord to express His relationship to God. It has been computed that He spoke of the Father, and used this title some 150 times, and it is well known how singularly infrequent was His use of the term “God.” This emphasis on God as His own Father and as the Father of all believers (John 1:12; Gal. 3 :26) is of vital importance in regard to things spiritual.

I. The Inheritance

When St. Paul speaks in this verse of “the inheritance,” he seems to be giving a Christian interpretation to a well-known Old Testament word. From the thought of the earthly Canaan he leads up to the truth of the spiritual inheritance of believers (Deut. 32:9; Job 31:2; Psa. 47:4). This inheritance has been assigned to God’s people, and is the outcome of their new birth (1 Pet. 1 :3, 4). It is of special importance to remember that the words “heir” and “inheritance,” with all their associated terms and ideas, are to be carefully distinguished from our modern use of the same words. Today the “heir” is one who has not yet come into his “inheritance,” but has to wait until the death of the present possessor. In the Bible, however, the Christian’s heritage is something present and actual, being enjoyed here and now. It is worth while to notice that the Christian life may be summed up in six words, which cover the whole from the beginning to end. It starts with Sonship; it proceeds to Discipleship; it calls for Stewardship; it is expressed in Worship; it rejoices in Fellowship; and it culminates in Heirship (Rom. 8:17). It is also vital to realise that the spiritual counterpart of Canaan is not heaven, but the life of spiritual privileges at the present time. It is unfortunate that so many hymns connect Canaan with heaven. The old words,

Could we but stand where Moses stood
And view the landscape o’er,

Not Jordan’s stream nor death’s cold flood Could fright us from the shore, are true in themselves, but they give a wrong impression of the New Testament teaching concerning Canaan. In the same way we sing about “Sweet Fields Beyond the Swelling Flood,” but we often fail to enjoy the reality and blessedness of our present privileges. When Joshua entered Canaan there were enemies left to fight, and when we enter our spiritual Canaan there are still foes to face. This alone shows that the reference must be to the present life, for, of course, there will be no foes in heaven. It seems a pity, and often leads to spiritual loss, to project so many of our joys into the future, instead of realising them in the present. Children are taught to look forward to heaven as a place where they will be happy when they die, but it may be questioned whether hymns about heaven are spiritually helpful for children. Someone has said that it would be truer to sing

There is a happy land,

Not far away,

and also that a revised version of another hymn would be helpful: —

There’s a Friend for little children
Beneath the bright, blue sky.

Be this as it may, there is no doubt that we suffer loss by not realising and rejoicing in our present inheritance of grace in the Canaan of the soul. Mr. Hopkins used to tell us at Keswick of a commentator who, when he had to write on the words, “Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8), said that, of course, these words must refer to heaven, when quite obviously the whole context refers to the present joy and exultation of the believer.

This inheritance is described by the Apostle as “the parcel of the lot” or “the part of the inheritance,” thereby suggesting the truth that each believer has some portion of the great inheritance which is specially his own. We share the inheritance with our fellow-believers, and while all are equally possessed of these privileges, yet there is at the same time a distinction through the consciousness that each one has his own part in this wonderful “lot” (Acts 8:21).

This inheritance is described as belonging to “the saints in the light.” As already noticed, the word “saint” invariably describes our spiritual position, never our actual condition. A saint is one who belongs to Christ, and this inheritance is seen to be the possession of those who are themselves possessed by Christ. The reference to “light” is particularly significant as expressive of the true character of the Christian position (John 1:1-5; Eph. 5:8-14). Light in Scripture always includes the three elements of truth, holiness, and joy, and the sphere of our inheritance is in this threefold light of truth, purity, and gladness. There is much in the Bible about light, which calls for meditation. God is Light (1 John 1 :5); Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12); the Word of God is described as light (Psa. 119, 105); Christians have been called out of darkness into God’s light (1 Pet. 2 :9); and on this account are described as “the children of light” (1 Thess. 5:5). It is, therefore, not surprising that the future home of the soul is described as an abode of light and glory (Rev. 21 :23-22:5).

But special attention should be paid to the work of the Father in this connection. He is said to have “made us meet.” The word is literally “made competent,” being found only in one passage elsewhere (2 Cor. 3:6). The Bishop of Durham renders it “qualified,” and it contains the idea of sufficiency, meaning that the Father has called and qualified us with a spiritual equipment sufficient to possess and enjoy this spiritual heritage.

II. The Deliverance

The next part of the work of the Father on our behalf is described as our deliverance from the authority of darkness. This fresh reference to darkness is impressive as showing the contrast between it and our spiritual inheritance in the light. Darkness is always connected with the three features of error, impurity, and misery. Darkness means that which is untrue, unholy, and un¬ happy, and these three are characteristics and results of sin. “Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil” (John 3:19). The Christian is to avoid hating his brother, because that would be walking in darkness (1 John 2 :11), and to walk in darkness is to do the very opposite of holding fellowship with God (1 John 1:6). To the same effect St. Paul speaks of “casting off works of darkness” (Rom. 13:12). Our Lord had already spoken with solemnity of “the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53), and when St. Paul here speaks of “the authority of darkness,” he is apparently referring to that unrestrained and tyrannical influence which is brought to bear upon those who belong to Satan. All who are out of Christ are under this usurped authority or power, being led captive by the devil at his will (2 Tim. 2:26).

The work of the Father is to deliver, or, rather, “rescue” us from this authority. The word is quite striking, meaning “snatched,” in the sense of the deliverance of a captive. God does this by bestowing upon us His own Divine life, and enabling us thereby to get free of the bondage of spiritual death. The word “rescued” is in a tense which indicates actual deliverance, pointing to a time in the past, when this “rescue” was completely and finally brought about. It shows the interest and love of our Heavenly Father that He should do this for us in Christ by the gift of His Divine grace.

III. The Transference

It is not sufficient for God to have delivered us from the kingdom of darkness; there is a positive side as well, for He has at the same time translated us into an entirely new kingdom. This is called the kingdom of His Son, and we have here one of the passages which remind us that the kingdom of Christ is already in existence as a spiritual reality. In the next age this kingdom will be visibly manifested, but for the present it is internal, not external. It consists of those who have experienced spiritual life, and into this fellowship the Father puts every true believer who has received Christ by faith. This is the distinction between the visible Church of professed followers and the spiritual kingdom of those whose actual experience is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).

The kingdom is described as that of the Son of the Father’s love, the kingdom of our Lord, and of no one less than Divine. Love is, as we know, the essence of God’s character (1 John 4:16), and since the Son is of the same nature as the Father, it follows that His king¬ dom is one of love. The contrast is evident between tyranny, bondage, cruelty, and love, freedom, privilege, and joy.

The word “translated” is of particular interest. It refers to a definite and complete change. It is found only five times, but always in this sense (Luke 16:4; Acts 13:22; 19:26; 1 Cor. 13:2). The corresponding passage in Ephesians ( 1 :6) sheds light on this Divine act whereby God freely bestows grace on us in Him Who is His beloved Son.

From all this work of the Father two great truths emerge.

1. These are Facts. The verb in each case indicates something actually accomplished, something already done, something that is absolute, and not merely contingent. It shows the value and importance of Divine grace in this emphasis on the Father’s act. Our inheritance, our deliverance, and our transference are not matters involving our own effort or merit, but blessings which we simply receive, because of what has been accomplished by the Father. Merit is ruled out of everything from first to last in connection with Christianity and all is of grace. This emphasis on actual facts provides an inspiring foundation for our life. God has already accomplished these things, and it is for us to receive and enjoy them.

2. These Facts are thus to be Factors in Our Life. Because of what God has done we are to respond and live to His glory. The true life is fourfold: (a) we are to trust; (b) we are to be thankful; (c) we are to obey; (d) we are to bear testimony. And thus the facts become forces in our experience which rejoice the heart of God, give blessed assurance to our own souls, and glorify Him before others.