God the Father
Begin this lesson by first reading the Apostle’s Creed. See Resources section for text.
Who is God the Father?
God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, from whom the Son is eternally begotten and from whom the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds.
(Psalm 104; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; John 1:1-14; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16)
Why do you call the First Person of the Holy Trinity “Father”?
Our Lord Jesus Christ is only Son of God. He referred to God as Father and taught us to do the same in prayer and worship. God has adopted all believers into his family and now calls us sons and daughters.
(Psalm 2; Deuteronomy 32:4-9; Matthew 6:6-9; Galatians 4:1-7)
Why do you call God the Father “Almighty”?
God the Father, together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, has all the power over he everything he has made in order to accomplish his will. The Father is also all-knowing and all-present.
(Psalm 139:1-9; Isaiah 40:12-26; Luke 1:34-37; Revelation 4:8-11)
Why do you call God the Father “Creator”?
God the Father is the creator and sustainer of everything that lives and breathes and has its breath. Together with the Holy Spirit, the Father has created all that exists.
(Psalm 104; Genesis 1:1-2:7; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-18)
What does it mean that God created both heaven and earth?
It means that God has created everything, both spiritual and physical, visible and invisible out of nothing.
(Psalm 33:6-8; Genesis 1:1-8; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)
Was the world God created good?
Yes. God created the world and saw that it was very good. However, sin and evil corrupted God’s good world through the agency of created beings, and human beings have participated in the project of evil ever sin.
(Psalm 14:1-3; Genesis 3:1-8; Matthew 15:18-20; Romans 1:18-32)
If the world was created good, why do we sin?
Adam and Eve, with the help of a created creature, rebelled against God and his vision of right and wrong. This began a project of sin and evil which lead to death, chaos, and destruction. I have inhereted this nature and often participate in the project of evil.
(Psalm 51:3-5; Genesis 3:16-4:26; Romans 3:23)