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The Bible tells us that God is our Father—a good, perfect, loving Father.
Human fathers may fail us, but we have a Father in Heaven who loves us with a
perfect, unconditional love.
Jesus taught us to call Him “our father.” He exists in eternal and mysterious unity
with the Son and the Holy Spirit as one Godhead, and is the source of everything in
existence.
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Seventh-day Adventists embrace what the Bible teaches us about God, the all-
knowing, all-powerful, benevolent Father.
BELIEF 3: FATHER
God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation.
He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited in the Son and the Holy
Spirit are also those of the Father. (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 4:35; Ps. 110:1, 4; John 3:16; 14:9; 1
Cor. 15:28; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 John 4:8; Rev. 4:11.)
It’s incredible to think the God of the universe—the One who created all things—
would call us His children. And yet, that’s what the Bible tells us!
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1, ESV).
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“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation” (Psalm
68:5, ESV).
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with
punishment” (1 John 4:18, ESV).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
And we see that Jesus called God His Father, Abba, which means “father” in
Aramaic.
“And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me.
Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Matthew 14:36, ESV).
In the beginning God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He desired a
relationship with them, much like a parent feels toward their newborn baby.
God formed humans in His own image, setting us apart from any other living thing
on earth. It’s true we don’t know what God looks like. So His image is defined by who
He is. He bestows some of His key attributes upon us. This means we are intelligent,
conscious beings with the ability to choose our own actions and allegiances.
“For ‘in Him we live and move and have our being, … for we are indeed His offspring’”
(Acts 17:28).
Yes, we have used this freedom to often go our own ways instead of God’s, but the fact
remains that we’re not robots operating on a program. God gave us our own
individual minds, and we are able to know God and know His plans. No other
creature in this universe bears this image of God.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).
God spoke the world into existence. As the Creator, our Father God spoke and all that
it exists came to be. There is nothing in this world God did not create. He is the
creator of all things. Only God can speak something into existence from nothing.
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through
Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 ESV).
Creating man was an intimate act, different from all other acts of creation. God
created man in His own image, with a loving and relational intent. He knelt down
and breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils.
“The nature of God’s image is wholistic: “When Adam came from the Creator’s hand, he
bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker” (Ellen G.
White, Education, p. 15).
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1. GOD IS LOVE.
1 John 4:7-16; John 3:16; 1 John 3:1; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2: 4, 5
2. GOD IS JUST.
1 John 1:9; 1 peter 1:17; Romans 12:19; Acts 10:34; Hebrews 6:10; Psalm 89:14
3. GOD IS MERCIFUL.
Ephesians 2:4-5; Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 145:8, 9; Lamentations 3:22, 23;
Micah 7:18, 19; Luke 6:36
4. GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL.
2 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Matthew 19:26; Romans 1:20; Colossians
1:16; Job 26; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 19:6
5. GOD IS PATIENT.
2 Peter 3:9; Psalm 86:15; Romans 2:4;
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6. GOD IS GOOD.
Nahum 1:7, James 1:17; Mark 10:18; Psalm 107:1; Romans 8:28
7. GOD IS HOLY.
Revelation 4:8; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 57:15
9. GOD IS ALL-KNOWING.
Psalm 139:4; Matthew 10:30; 1 John 3:20; Acts 1:24, Romans 11:33-36
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God is God, our Father and Creator. We are subject to His authority because He made
us and gifted us an existence. When He speaks, we would do well to listen. God’s
Word is powerful, and He is all that is holy.
“Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship
him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Revelation 14:7,
ESV).
But what does it mean to fear God and give Him glory?
“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29
ESV
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which is from God…” (Romans 13:5, ESV).
“So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statues, to fear the Lord our God for
our good always and for our survival, as it is today” (Deuteronomy 6:24, NASB).
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by
harm (Proverbs 19:23, ESV).
And because He is God, it only makes sense to revere Him. We are told that the “fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight”
(Proverbs 9:10, ESV).
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let
us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming
fire” (Hebrews 12:28,29, ESV).
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God the Father desires to have a relationship with each one of us. He loves His
children with an everlasting love and He wants to spend time with you.
Just imagine, the God of the universe doesn’t just want you to know about Him—He
wants you to know Him!
Think about when you first meet someone. You ask each other questions, you observe
each other’s behaviors, and you do things together, whether it’s something you’re
working together on, something you both enjoy doing, or maybe you’re helping each
other. Through this, you can know each other deeply as you go through life together.
And yet, with God as our Father, we can know Him in powerful ways, and He knows
us better than we know ourselves. That’s why we can come to Him with absolutely
anything on our hearts.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you
will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the
body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value
than they?” (Matthew 6:25, 26 ESV).
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“…Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, ESV).
GOD DISCIPLINES US
Just like earthly parents need to lovingly discipline their children, God also
disciplines His children. It’s not something any of us enjoy. No one likes being
corrected! But being disciplined is in our best interest.
“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD
reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11,12
ESV).
“God is treating you as sons. … For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than
pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been
trained by it” (Hebrews 12:3-11).
But how does God discipline us? Does He zap us with a lightning bolt if He doesn’t like
something we did?
God might allow us to see the full consequences of our actions. Or we might face
trials we wish God would remove from our lives, but instead He goes through them
with us. James 1:2-4 says we should “count it all joy” when we face “trials of various
kinds,” because they test our faith and make us stronger.
But the best thing about God the Father’s discipline is that even in the toughest of
times, He is there with us (Psalm 46:1-3; Isaiah 41:10), and will provide us a way “to
endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
GOD PROTECTS US
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We live in a sinful world. When humanity made the choice in the Garden of Eden to
know both good and evil, the world became as it is today. Good and evil surround us,
and the consequences of our choices play out. But even so, God offers us His
protection. He is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1,
ESV).
One example is the story of Job (Job 1-42), who suffered far more than most, but God
was always working on his behalf, and His faith was rewarded.
Whatever obstacles you face in your lifetime, you can be assured that God will never
forsake you.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your
God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, ESV).
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah
41:10, ESV).
BEGIN NOW!
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Our Beliefs
Seventh-day Adventist beliefs are meant to permeate your whole life. Growing out of
scriptures that paint a compelling portrait of God, you are invited to explore,
experience and know the One who desires to make us whole.
2. Trinity
3. Father
4. Son
5. Holy Spirit
6. Creation
7. Nature of humanity
15. Baptism
17 S i it l Gift d Mi i t i
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21. Stewardship
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