Philippians 2:11, “… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
God’s nature is composed of three separate co-eternal persons that share the same divine substance known as the Trinity. God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are not three individual parts of god each having 1/3 of divinity and together making one god (like a three sliced pie) nor one god having three different roles (like how a man can be a father, son and lawyer at the same time). There is only one being which is called God and He is triune in His nature. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each fully divine and one in nature, yet separate in personality and function.
Jesus taught the tri-unity of God’s nature in Matthew 28:19 when He gave His disciples the baptism formula. He said, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Therefore, there is only one God with one name (Yahweh) and this one name is shared by three unique persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4). Think of there being only one “what” and three “who’s.” For example, What is God? One divine, all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present being. Who is God? Three separate, yet equal persons sharing the divine nature; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Scriptures teach that God the Father is worthy of praise and worship in places like Matthew 6:9, 2 Corinthians 1:3 and Revelation 1:6. However, it wasn’t until God the Son came and revealed to us God the Father that we were able to truly understand who He is (John 1:18). Jesus taught that the Father is a Spirit (John 4:24). No one can come to Him without Jesus as their mediator because He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16).
The only way to truly honor and worship the Father as revealed in the New Covenant is through Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Jesus boldly declared in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” As a result, you can only rightly worship the Father by accepting His Son as your Lord and Savior. After you have accepted Jesus, the Father desires that all worship to Him should go through Jesus (John 17:1). Disciples can worship the Father in prayer in the following way, “Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus and worship you as the source of all things good and the sustainer of life. I honor and hallow your name by loving you, living for you and obeying all that you have commanded through your Son, Jesus.”
Paul taught in Galatians 4:6 that because of Jesus, Christians are adopted sons and daughters of the Father. That means we can worship the Father with such terms of endearment as, “Abba,” and no longer consider ourselves only His servants. We are His children that are co-heirs with Christ. Join with me in worshipping the Father by singing the following song by Pat Barrett, “You’re a good, good Father. It’s who you are, it’s who you are. And I’m loved by you. It’s who I am, it’s who I am.”
Reflection
Do you worship the Father from a place of intimacy?
Action
- Make time to memorize Matthew 28:19 and the points which define the Trinity. Knowing who God is in His triune nature is very important to all aspects of your Christian walk.
- Always remember that prayer and worship come to the Father through Jesus Christ.
- Pick three kinds of praise to worship the Father with right now!
