what does the bible say?
Throughout the Bible, God is referred to as a Father (Psalm 89:26; Matthew 6:9) who made people in His own image (Genesis 1:27). God’s attributes as a Father include being good, merciful, kind, loving and compassionate (Psalm 103:8, 116:5). God is a Father who protects and provides for His children. While God is slow to anger, in His love He disciplines His children, training them up to live in His righteousness and share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:5-11). God is a faithful and forgiving Father even when His children are unfaithful and rebel against Him (2 Timothy 2:13, Daniel 9:9). The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is a beautiful picture of our relationship with God as a Father to a son. God is the Father that runs to us, embraces us, and celebrates when we come to our senses and come back home to Him.
In the Old Testament, we see God as Father to the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 31:9), a people His chose to be His children, although they continually rebelled against Him. In the New Testament, we see Jesus, the only begotten Son of God the Father, who come to earth as the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Jesus told His disciples, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9). In Jesus, we see His love for His Father, His obedience to do His will, and His love for people. Jesus’ greatest demonstration of love was His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, even while we were sinners and children of the devil (Romans 5:8). His death and resurrection made salvation possible for all people and those who put their faith in Jesus become children of God the Father and join His family, the church (John 1:12). Jesus is the only way for people to get to God the Father (John 14:6, 1 Peter 3:18).