Incomparable Father
Introduction
Why, with all the advantages of Eden, abiding in a “theatre of glory” (Calvin) dazzling and resplendent with evidences of the unsurpassable goodness of God, did Adam sin, whilst through the most severe tests Jesus remained faithful? This is part of “the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places” which God has promised to reveal to his covenant people (Isa 45:3). Since this text was a word spoken to me years ago by the Spirit it is accessible as a promise by faith. Not merely for me personally, but for all my dear readers! The ultimate answer as to why Adam and all his progeny fell into sin and death, whilst in Christ “all shall be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22), will never be discovered by probing the anthropology, psychology, or any other aspect of either these two men considered in themselves, the answer as to the perfect sinlessness of Jesus is found in the revelation of God as his Incomparable Father. This testimony of God kept Jesus protected from submitting to the very worst of temptations.
God is Love
The Christian faith is distinguished from other religions by adhering, in doctrine and practice, to the testimony “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). In the context of the writings of John (1 John 3:1; 2 John 3), this is not a reference to God as Trinity, but to the Father. Whilst it is true that Father, Son and Holy Spirit have eternally loved one another perfectly and totally (e.g. John 14:31; 17:26; Rom 5:5; 15:30), my pastoral experience teaches me that for most of us the real struggle is to believe in our hearts that the Father loves without limit. (If we really knew this, we would be fearless 1 John 4:17-19). For example, if I hear another Christian leader pray, what Jesus never prayed: “Dear God/Loving God” I will scream out in anguish, in unity with his Spirit od sonship (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6). The Church insists in praying in contradiction to the intercessions of the Son her Saviour because she is deeply deceived! The deeply disturbing factor blocking devout believers from orthodox Bible-believing churches freely knowing that the Father fully loves us just as he loves Jesus (1 John 4:17) is biblically accessible to us all.
Fallen Futility
The Bible consistently says that sinners operate with darkened futile minds (Rom 1:21; Eph 4:17); we were born with a disposition of utter stupidity when it comes to thinking about the nature of God. The origin of our spiritual idiocy can be traced back to the fact that Eve, with Adam in earshot (Gen 3:1-6) listened to the snake, at all. Since all Christians, amateur or learned, know for a truth that “only God can reveal God” (Jer 31:34), the snake/ animal/devil had no legitimate authority to testify at all about holy and divine things. Upon the approach of the devil, Adam, in the likeness of the Son of God (Luke 3:34), should have cast the accuser speechless out of the Garden. Satan had committed “the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 12:28). For when the devil compared the potential of human beings to God, “you will become like God…” he denied the truth of the Incomparable Father. This is how the evil one (John 17:15) became the “father of” all that opposes God: Cain, the Pharisees, or the antichrist (Matt 13:38; John 8:44; 1 John 2:22; 3:8, 12). His deception goes so deep, it is so penetrating into our character as sinners, that only the deepest of divine actions, the cross, can liberate us.
The Power of the Cross
As the Incomparable God, (in technical theological language, the “unbegotten God” of the Athanasian Creed; whereas the Son is eternally begotten of the Father), how do “the tender mercies of our God” and Father (Luke 1:17) reverse the radical descent of the Fall from the heights of glory to the depths of depravity? Paul exuberantly proclaims in one of the most popular passages of Scripture; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. in love.” (Eph 1:3-4). Probing this passage teaches us that the blessedness of Father, Son and believer are one in love (cf. John 17:22-26). Through Christ we share in the eternal blessedness of God in full measure! The riches of this reality for us comes in the revelation the incomparability of the one true Father (John 17:3). That’s the easy part, but it is achieved for us through the absolute humiliation of him who was always equal with God (John 1:14; Rom 9:5). The scope of the plan of God means the heights of Ephesians 1 must be matched by the depths of Philippians 2.
“[Christ Jesus] who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (2:5-8). The Gospels account of the darkness of the cry of dereliction, “My God…why have you forsaken me (i.e. as Son?)” (Mark 15:34) testify of the moment when the humanity of the eternal Word (John 1:14), in taking on the sin of the world (John 1:29; 2 Cor 5:21) became “less than nothing”. Jesus takes on the condition of a being a “worm and not a man” (Job 25:6; Ps 22:6; Isa 41:14). Calvin aptly described the horror of becoming fallen humanity as the lowly status of a “five-foot worm” (Institutes I:v.4). Such humility-in-love is incomprehensibility great in the eyes of holy angels (1 Pet 1:12) and their Holy father (John 17:11). It is however unbearably bright to all the powers of darkness. The final gift of the Incomparable Father is the incomparability of Jesus; “his Son…is the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb 1:3).
Application and Conclusion: A Humble Church
The Lord has long been storing up a special gift for his children, of which Paul testifies to us with supreme clarity; “Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the meekness and gentleness of Christ [in his exalted glory]—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away.” (2 Cor 10:1). The gift the Lord longs with the passion of his suffering to impart is the pricelessness of HUMILITY. Whoever denies or despises this gift is doomed to remain locked into the present state of the Church around us. God forbid that this should be our paltry destiny! (Rom 3:4 KJV). Rise up O people of God into the destiny of Jesus, arise to be part of the generation of nameless and faceless men and women from all ages, races, cultures, be lifted by the Spirit into a holy condition for which class and culture divisions have been abolished. Arise into the likeness of the Church born from above (Acts 2:42-47; Gal 4:26).
There are but two modes of wisdom, the one “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” breeds “where jealousy and selfish ambition”, the other “wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:15-18 cf. John 3:3, 7). Choose my friends heavenly wisdom, choose Christ Jesus as Lord.