God the Father: His Eternal Identity and His Heart for His Children

Who is God the Father — really? Far more than a comforting metaphor, His fatherhood is an eternal reality rooted in the very nature of the Trinity. This article explores the Father’s eternal relationship with the Son, His role in creation and salvation, and how His identity unfolds from the Old Testament to the teachings of Jesus. It also unpacks what it means for believers to be adopted as God’s children and to live in the security, intimacy, and love of a perfect Father. Whether you’re studying theology or seeking deeper assurance of God’s care, this look at the Father’s nature will strengthen both your understanding and your faith.

General Editor: William Neal Craig, Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Candidate in Theology and Apologetics, Liberty University, John W. Rawlings School of Divinity

2/7/20263 min read

The Eternal Nature and Identity of God the Father

When Christians call God “Father,” it’s not a metaphor we invented — it’s a revelation God gave. And it goes far deeper than many people realize.

God the Father is not simply like a father. Fatherhood belongs to His eternal identity.

Fatherhood Is Eternal, Not Adopted

God did not become a Father when He created humanity. He did not become a Father when believers were adopted into His family. Scripture reveals that God has eternally been the Father of the Son, Jesus Christ.

Within the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — there is one divine essence shared fully and equally by three distinct Persons. The early church used the word hypostases to describe these real, permanent distinctions within the one God. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, yet all are fully God.

What makes the Father the Father is His eternal fatherhood — His eternal relationship to the Son. This is not a moment in time or an act of creation. It is an eternal reality within God’s own being.

The Father’s Functional Headship

Though the three Persons of the Trinity are equal in nature, Scripture reveals a beautiful order in how they work. The Father functions as the author and source of divine action.

This does not mean He is greater in essence, but that He leads in role.

We see this pattern throughout Scripture:

  • In Creation — The Father creates through the Son and by the power of the Spirit.

  • In Salvation — The Father elects, sends the Son, and works through the Spirit to apply redemption.

  • In Divine Purpose — The Son and Spirit willingly carry out the Father’s will in perfect unity.

At Jesus’ baptism, we see all three Persons acting at once:
The Father speaks, the Son is baptized, and the Spirit descends. This moment makes it clear that God is not one Person wearing different masks. He is one God in three distinct Persons, working together in harmony.

Fatherhood Revealed Across Scripture

God’s identity as Father is not a New Testament invention — it runs like a thread through the whole Bible, though it becomes clearer over time.

In the Old Testament

God’s fatherhood is often connected to His relationship with Israel. He is their Creator, Redeemer, and covenant Lord. His fatherhood is relational, tied to His choosing and caring for His people.

In the New Testament

Jesus brings this truth into striking clarity. He speaks of God as “Father” constantly and calls believers into the same relationship, even using the intimate term “Abba.”

Through Christ, God’s fatherhood turns out to be not only national and covenantal, but intensely personal and intimate. What was suggested earlier is now fully revealed.

Adoption: The Father-Child Relationship for Believers

One of the most beautiful truths in the gospel is that believers are not simply forgiven — they are adopted.

Through faith in Christ, we are given the right to become children of God. This is not a future status we are waiting on; it is a current reality.

As God’s children, believers receive:

  • Inheritance — We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ

  • Provision — The Father knows our needs

  • Protection — Nothing can separate us from His love

  • Loving Discipline — He forms us for our good

This relationship is meant to be experienced. Christians are invited to live in daily trust, speaking to God not like a distant force, but as a loving Father who knows and cares.

Scripture additionally emphasizes that God is a Father to the fatherless. For those who have been abandoned, hurt, or disappointed by earthly fathers, God steps into that void with perfect faithfulness and compassion.

Masculine Language and God’s Tender Care

The Bible consistently refers to God using masculine language, but this does not mean God is biologically male. God is an infinite Spirit.

The use of fatherly imagery communicates key truths:

  1. Authority and Strength – God protects, provides, and leads

  2. Relational Intimacy – He is personally involved and lovingly present

Yet Scripture also uses motherly images at times, such as a mother comforting her child, to show God’s tenderness and compassion. Together, these images illustrate that God perfectly embodies the qualities we long for in a parent — strength, care, protection, and love.

Why This Matters

Knowing God as Father changes how we pray, how we trust, and how we see ourselves.

We are not spiritual orphans.
We are not simply servants in God’s house.
We are beloved children of an eternal Father whose love began before creation and will never end.

And that truth reshapes everything.