Our Father

Jesus came to declare the Father to us. He did not come to declare Himself. In fact, He told the disciples, to say “Our Father” when they prayed. Jesus was establishing a relationship between God

and man. Man would be able to call God “Father”. This was a monumental event because this was not something that was possible before. God was man’s creator, but there was never a

family relationship between Him and man. Let us look at the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well.

St. John 4:16-24

16 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

This was a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were Jews that had married outside of their race. Jesus told the woman that even though they worshipped at Jerusalem, God was about to do a

new thing. For a season, worship would no longer be offered from a physical location on planet Earth. Jesus was expressing to the woman that during the Church age, He was seeking

worshippers that would worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. The mentality that exists in the Body of Christ is that spirituality is measured by worldly gain. The mindset that we should spend our entire Christian walk seeking the things of this world must be destroyed. Our abode is in the Spirit and we know that the world is not our home. We are pilgrims passing through, gathering out of the world true worshippers that will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.

St. Mark 16:15

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Ephesians 2:14-16

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

It was God’s intent from the beginning to have one nation. When He placed Adam in the garden, His purpose was to have a sinless race of people. His purpose was the same for the second

Adam, Jesus Christ. Paul was showing that the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile had been torn down. Jesus abolished this separation in His own flesh. The thing that separated the

Jew from Gentile, brother from brother, sister from sister, was the spirit of iniquity. One new man, one race, one body of Christ, was created in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:30

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

In this scripture, Paul is showing the oneness of the Body of Christ. When we harbor iniquity in our hearts, it stops the flow of love and causes a separation in the Body that robs God of this oneness. This separation is manifested when we walk in selfishness, pride and arrogance. The Body of Christ is one body, with many members. There is not one part of the Body that is more important than the other. Every part has a need for the other parts. The Father never wanted a mixture of people but He wants one bloodline. The blood of Jesus is our bloodline. The scripture said He came and

preached peace to the Jew and the Gentiles.

Ephesians 2:17-18

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father

When we approach God in prayer, we must keep all of this in mind. We must approach God with the Body in mind. If we do not pray on this wise, we will pray amiss. Remember what the scripture says about the Body of the Lord Jesus when we are taking communion.

I Corinthians 11:28-29

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body

To eat or drink unworthily is, to take communion knowing that you have not discerned, nor have concern for the Body but you are motivated out of the iniquity that is in your heart. The scriptures say that this is why there is some that are sick among you.

Ephesians 2:19-21

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

The whole Body of Christ now becomes the temple of God. God’s Spirit lives in every member of the Body. There is no way that the Spirit of God in one is going to hate the Spirit of God in

another member of the Body. We are His holy temple. How then can there be any division in the Body? The body is fitly joined together in every part with the Spirit of God being the common

thread that makes us one. When we are not walking after the Spirit, we do dishonor to the Body and we sin against our own body.

II Timothy 2:13

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Jesus could not deny Himself. He has begotten us as lively stones to provide the Father with a holy habitation. Our dwelling place is in heavenly places and this world in not good enough for

us. We are not trapped here on earth trying to make it. On the contrary, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. It is our job to go out seeking true worshippers of the Father. In fact, our

only reason for dealing in the world is to procure more sons. We know that we are in this world but not of this world (St. John 17:14-16).

When we go before God in prayer, we must be mindful to go on behalf of the whole Body. We must be careful not to judge anyone as we don’t know who is preordained to be a part of the body.

We must not judge anything before the time (I Corinthians 4:5). If we do, we may be judging one that is either already a part of or is predestined to become a part of the Body.

St. Luke 10:25-37

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving

him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him;

and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

In this account, God continues to establish the mind we should have for the Body. The law was never meant to rob a man of love.

In fact, Paul said, “the law is spiritual but I am carnal”. The parable shows a fulfillment of the law. Jesus was showing how the Jews who had the law, walked away and did not help the man. They

were not a manifestation of the law. However, the one that was not a Jew had compassion on the man and helped him. He was a manifestation of the law. Here is another parable that God is using to show that He was destroying the middle wall of partition between the Jew and Gentile. God was going to visit those that were considered outcast and, in His Spirit they would experience the love of God.

St. Luke 15:25-32

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment:

and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Here is another example of God showing the manifestation of the mindset of the Body. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see the elder son, representing the Jewish race, staying at home, listening to the Father and the younger son, who went out and squandered His inheritance, representing the Gentile race. The Gentile race refused to retain God in their knowledge, but God

created circumstances that drove them back to a place of humility before Him. He knew they would willingly surrender to the Father for in every man there is God-given knowledge that He put in man

from the beginning that He is their Creator. When the younger son came back home the Father loved and welcomed him as a son, not a servant. This angered the elder son.

He represented the resentment that the Jews had for the Gentiles being engrafted into the family of God. This engrafting meant that the Gentiles have just as much access to the Father as the Jews. What was God doing? He was destroying the middle wall of partition between the two races. There, He removed the division between the two. The Gentiles now have as much right as the Jews to call God Father.

Ephesians 4:4-6

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The goal of God from the beginning was to be the Father of one nation, one blood, and one body. We cannot approach God in prayer without the mindset that we are a part of one body. It is not

lawful for us to approach God bombarding Him with our selfish desires. God left us here to seek out more sons and daughters to inhabit the Kingdom of Heaven (Ephesians 1:22-23). God does not tolerate any division in the Body. When He sees division, He sees the spirit of iniquity. This is the character of His

enemy, which is designed to bring division, separating us from our fellowman. The Body of Christ is God’s holy habitation! It is God’s temple and when we allow iniquity, we defile God’s place of

habitation.

Acts 11:1-18

1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,

3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,

5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:

6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and

creeping things, and fowls of the air.

7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.

9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

12 And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

In this passage of scripture, Peter is rehearsing to the Jews what happened when he went down to Joppa and the vision that God

showed him at Cornelius’ house in Caesarea. In preaching the gospel at Cornelius house, the Gentiles received the Holy Ghost and many souls were saved. God was saying to Peter that the Gentiles have been cleansed and they too are able to say Our Father. There is so much evidence in the scripture that shows us how the

Father wants us to be one. When the Father sent Jesus, He sent Him to die for the entire world. In Him there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, bond nor free (Galatians 3:28). He sees the Body of Christ as one with many members. We all are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.