The title of this message is: “The Father’s Role in the Birth of His Child.” If you read that and are hoping for a sensational or licentious message, you are going to be disappointed. I am thinking of a very special and holy Father, and the birth is special as well.
Peter introduces himself and addresses his readers, describing them as: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the FATHER, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Then he says, “Blessed be the God and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the context gives me the right to say in verse 5, that those elect saints are “kept by the power of God (Christ’s FATHER or simply God the Father) through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Over the years I have preached hundreds of messages emphasizing that God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is our one and only Saviour. There have been fewer, but I’ve also preached that the Holy Spirit is the administrator of that salvation. We are regenerated, quickened, given spiritual life, by the operation of the Spirit. We are saved from sin, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to (Christ’s) mercy (he) saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Adding the verses of our text and its references to God the Father, we see that each person of the Godhead have been a part of our salvation: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And there is a sense in which we should never try to separate them from one another in that great work. But clearly, each of them have had a different role.
After looking at our text, I skimmed through the titles of all the messages I’ve preached over the last fifty years, and I could not find any which I am absolutely positive highlighted the Father’s role in our spiritual birth. This evening, I’m going to try to rectify that oversight. Again, I say, the title of this message is: “The Father’s Role in the Birth of His Child.” I came up with a nice homiletical outline to follow, and I’ll come to it eventually, but this subject is probably better addressed by simply looking at a couple of major scriptures.
Before we get to John 6, let me make a few more introductory comments. The word “father” is as common in the Bible as you might imagine, about 1500 times in various forms. About 350 of those occurrences are in the gospels. And many times the Lord Jesus uses “father” to refer to His Father – the Heavenly Father – God the Father. As I was reading through them, just as we see here in Peter, when Christ speaks of the Father, the reference is often in regard to salvation. And in reading those verses, we learn some of the ways in which the Father is involved in our Spiritual birth
Before we get to my outline, let’s look at two lengthy scriptures.
Please turn to John 6:22 and let’s slowly travel down the road that it provides.
“The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the FATHER sealed.”
The Lord Jesus tells us that it is He who gives dead and dying souls eternal life. But He adds that God the Father identified Him – set His seal upon Him – in that work. In a few minutes I’ll give you other scriptures which repeat this theme. In the next few verses, each time Jesus says “God,” the context shows that He could have said “God the Father.”
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God (God my FATHER), that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father (God the FATHER) giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the FATHER giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Jesus tells us that there are people whom God the Father has chosen and set apart to give to Him. In other words, here we go back to Peter’s words: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the FATHER.” Christ will receive all those souls, and everyone of them will be kept safe by the Son of God. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me (God the FATHER). And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” It is the father’s will to save certain people, and it is the promise of the Saviour to do his Father’s will. “And this is the will of him that sent me (God the FATHER), that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” “The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the FATHER which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Jesus says that God the Father is involved in drawing sinners to salvation through the Saviour. But in this we must include the ministry of the Holy Spirit as well. All three Persons of the Godhead are united in the great work of your salvation. “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of (God) the FATHER, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.”
For the sake of time skip down to verse 61: “When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of (God) my FATHER. Again, Christ declares that only those whom the Father enables and draws have the ability to come to the Saviour. God the Father, is directly involved in the salvation of each and every one of His children.
Now, please turn to Ephesians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Very much like Peter’s introduction, Paul says that grace and peace are gifts from “God our Father.” There will never be – cannot be – peace as long we are in the world, if we don’t have the peace of God. Peace is a gift of grace from God the Father. “Blessed be the God and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he (God the FATHER) hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” Who is it that has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places? God the Father. And that is because he has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Furthermore, God the Father has predestinated us to the end; to the full adoption as children. “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to HIMSELF, according to the good pleasure of HIS (God the FATHER) will, To the praise of the glory of HIS (God the FATHER) grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.” After pointing to Christ, Paul again turns back to God the Father, speaking of His will, and His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself. “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he (God the FATHER) might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him (God the FATHER) who worketh all things after the counsel of HIS own will: That we should be to the praise of his (God the FATHER’s) glory, who first trusted in Christ.”
These two scriptures, one by Paul and other from the Lord Jesus, both highlight and magnify the Father’s participation in our spiritual birth. But there are dozens of other references to various other aspects of the Father’s work in our salvation. And toward this end let my share with you my simplistic outline.
God the Father is the SOURCE of our salvation.
Have you ever parsed the words of Paul’s famous statement to the Ephesians about salvation? Ephesians 2:4: “But God,” speaking of God the Father, “who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us… Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (the Son), by grace are ye saved… …and made us sit together in heavenly place in Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God (the Father)… For we are (the Father’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God (the Father) ordained that we should walk in them.” In eternity past, God the Father chose to be gracious towards us in delivering us from our sin and sin nature. Not only did He choose to save sinners, when He was under no obligation to do so, but he also chose those individuals He intended to save.
There is a bountiful number of scriptures which declare that God the Father is the source of this grace. I suppose we could differentiate between saving grace and common grace, but the source is the same. “Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:2).
God the Father is the source of our salvation, and He is the SENDER of that salvation through Christ.
The Lord Jesus Himself makes this declaration. “For God (the Father), so loved the world that HE gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. HE sent not his Son into the World to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.”
When the Jews, in argument with the Lord Jesus, declared themselves to be children of Abraham, saying, “We be not born of fornication (like you); we have one Father, even God,” Jesus replied, “if God were your Father, ye would love me; for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He (God the FATHER) sent me.”
Paul also teaches us that it was God the Father who sent the Son into the world to save sinners. Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (the Father): Being justified freely by HIS (the Father’s) grace through the redemption that is in (the Son) Christ Jesus; Whom God (the Father) hath sent forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God (the Father). To declare I say, at this time his (the Father’s) righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believe in Jesus.”
And by the way, Christ fully obeyed the will of the Father, coming just as He had been sent. He “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of GOD and our FATHER.” Christ said in John 5: “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the FATHER which hath sent me.” One way in which the Father played a part of our salvation was by sending His Son to die in our place. God the Father is the source of our salvation, and He is the sender of the Saviour.
He is also the STRATEGIZER of salvation. He planned its every detail.
Digressing for a moment, pride-filled men have been devising salvation plans from the beginning of time. But every one of them have been flawed and, therefore, useless. If the plan involves personal righteousness, it fails because the very best of men have hidden sins, and “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” If the plan of human salvation is sacerdotal, involving priests and sacrifices, there no worthy priests to carry them out, and no animal sacrifice is without its own infirmities. If salvation incorporates human intelligence, we know where that ends up. On and on we could go. But then there is the salvation designed by the infinitely perfect God, Jehovah. I can only touch on some of the highlights, because, for one reason, we may never fully know every detail, and we certainly don’t them all at this point.
Regeneration is a major part of salvation. Peter reminds us in our text: “Blessed be the God and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath BEGOTTEN us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” John 1 – “As many as received (the Word) to them gave he power to becomes the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; Which were BORN, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (apparently. God the Father).
And there is justification: Romans 5:1 – “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God (who is the Father), through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
And we aren’t like some of the animals which lay their eggs or bear their young and the leave them. No. Those to whom the Lord give life are kept safe by both the Father and the Son. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them, me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my FATHER’S hand.” Everyone whom the Lord saves, become a part of the family of whom God is the Father. The Lord says in II Corinthians 6:17 – “And I will receive you, and will be a FATHER unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty.”
The resurrection of the Lamb of God, the sacrifice we needed, was an essential part of the Father’s plan. Galatians begins with the words, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, either by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead).” Peter covers this and a number of other areas later in our chapter when he says in verse 18: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (apparently by God the Father), “but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God (the Father), that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
Some people think that salvation is just a matter of God’s forgiveness, leaving the forgiven soul to do whatever he pleases thereafter. No sir. “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ,” wrote his epistle to those who “are sanctified by God the FATHER and preserved in Jesus Christ and called.” In salvation, the Father sets apart those He calls and preserves in Christ; He sanctifies them. If there is not some degree of sanctification in a believer’s life, his faith is not genuine. And yet, the Lord, knowing we will continue to sin in this life, has provided us with an advocate and mediator. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the FATHER, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1).
There are other scriptures which declare that the Father does this and that for us and in regard to our salvation. For example, I’ve already referred to the blessing of peace before the world and in relationship to the Lord. Ephesians 6:23 – “Peace be to the brethren and love with faith, from God the FATHER and the Lord Jesus Christ.” And how much does II Corinthians 1:3 teach us about God the Father: “Blessed be God, even the FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation…” “Behold, what manner of LOVE the FATHER hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” (I John 3:1).
Finally one more point before I close: God the father is the SUMMATION of our salvation.
For example, it is to God the Father that we are returned in salvation. Romans 5:10 – “When we were enemies, we were RECONCILED to God (the FATHER) by the the death of His Son.” II Corinthians 5:18 – “All things are of God (the FATHER) who hath RECONCILED us to himself by Jesus Christ (His Son).”
At the end of it all, Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power (I Corinthians 15:24). And Philippians 2:11 reminds us that “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the GLORY of God (the Father).” “Now unto God and our Father be GLORY for ever and ever. Amen.” Paul says to the Thessalonians, “The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our FATHER, at the coming our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”
It is not exactly true, because the Son and the Spirit are also involved, but it might be argued that salvation from sin is all about God the Father from start to finish.