God the Father Honor

Missionary Activities - Bible Studies

Requirements

1. Know why God can be considered our Father. (Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 64:8)

   Answer: God can be considered our Father because: 1) HE CREATED US in His image and likeness (Gen 1:27); 2) He is our POTTER/CREATOR and we are His work (Isa 64:8). As parents beget children, God formed us — we are His family. He sustains, loves, protects us, and offers an eternal inheritance. Divine fatherhood is real, not just a metaphor — the basis of the personal Christian relationship. — Genesis 1:27 establishes the divine image in mankind — we are direct descendants of the Creator. Isaiah 64:8 uses the metaphor of the potter: God shapes and cares for His work. Jesus expanded this relationship by calling God 'Abba' (dear Father, Mk 14:36). Romans 8:14-17 teaches that we are children by adoption in Christ, with an eternal inheritance. Divine fatherhood is the foundation of Christian identity.

2. Understand what was the greatest demonstration of love for us given by God the Father. (Romans 5:8)

   Answer: The GREATEST demonstration of the love of God the Father was GIVING HIS ONLY SON JESUS TO DIE FOR US — even though we were sinners and unworthy (Romans 5:8: 'while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us'). John 3:16 confirms it: God so loved the world that He gave His Son. The ultimate sacrifice, unconditional love, salvation offered without our deserving it. A model of sacrificial love without equal in history. — Romans 5:8 highlights the unconditional character of divine love — Christ died for us BEFORE any merit. It is not earned love, it is grace (unmerited favor). Ellen White calls this sacrifice the 'central theme of divine revelation' (Steps to Christ, p. 14). John 3:16 is the most well-known verse in the Bible. The cross is the supreme proof of the Father's love and the central point of the Christian plan of salvation.

3. Define the importance for us of the two virtues of God the Father found in the following verses: Luke 6:36; Matthew 5:48.

   Answer: 2 virtues of God the Father: 1) MERCY (Lk 6:36) — compassion, forgiveness, help for the needy; 2) PERFECTION (Mt 5:48) — a holy, just, sinless character. IMPORTANCE for us: we are called to IMITATE these virtues — to be merciful toward our neighbor (to forgive, to help) and to seek moral perfection in Christ (practical holiness). It is the Christian ideal of daily life. — Luke 6:36 teaches active mercy: helping the needy, forgiving offenses. Matthew 5:48 does not demand absolute perfection (humanly impossible), but the continual pursuit of holiness — being complete in character. Ellen White: 'let us imitate the Father' (Steps to Christ, ch. 7). Mercy + Perfection are complementary: love + righteousness. The mature Christian lives both in balance.

4. Identify, in the prayer taught by Jesus, to whom we should address ourselves when we speak with God. (Matthew 6:9-13)

   Answer: In the prayer Jesus taught (the Lord's Prayer, Mt 6:9-13), Jesus teaches us to address GOD THE FATHER: 'Our FATHER, who art in heaven...' The prayer begins by identifying God as a personal Father (a close relationship), in the plural 'our' (a spiritual family), in heaven (divine transcendence). Jesus models how we should pray — always to the Father, in His name (Christ is the mediator), with filial trust. — The Lord's Prayer (Mt 6:9-13) is the perfect model of prayer taught by Jesus. It begins with the Father (relationship, identity), moves through worship (hallowed be thy name), kingdom (thy kingdom come), will (thy will be done), bread (sustenance), forgiveness (forgiving), temptation (deliverance). Christ emphasizes intimacy with the Father. Adventists pray to the Father in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

5. Explain why we should consider Jesus as the best form of revelation of God the Father. (John 1:18; Matthew 11:27)

   Answer: Jesus is the BEST revelation of God the Father because: 1) HE IS GOD incarnate — whoever has seen Jesus has seen the Father (Jn 14:9); 2) NO ONE HAS SEEN GOD, but Jesus revealed Him (Jn 1:18); 3) ONLY THE SON knows the Father and to whom He reveals Him (Mt 11:27); 4) In Christ, the divine character becomes visible — love, mercy, justice, holiness. To know Jesus is to know the Father directly. — John 1:18 declares: 'No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son... he has made him known'. Matthew 11:27: 'no one knows the Father except the Son'. Hebrews 1:3: 'being the brightness of his glory... the express image of his person'. The incarnation made the invisible visible. Ellen White: 'In Christ is the glorious portrait of the Father' (Education, p. 76). Jesus = the full and perfect revelation of the Father.

6. Memorize and recite Ephesians 1:3.

   Answer: You must memorize and recite Ephesians 1:3: 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ.' Practice reciting it to a colleague or instructor of the Honor of the Brazilian Adventist Pathfinders in any country in the world where there are registered clubs. — Ephesians 1:3 opens one of the most beautiful doxological passages of the NT (Eph 1:3-14), known as the 'hymn of spiritual blessings'. The verse highlights: 1) God is the Father of Jesus (a trinitarian relationship); 2) He has BLESSED us (past, a completed act); 3) with ALL spiritual blessings (completeness); 4) in the heavenly places (the eternal dimension); 5) in Christ (mediation). A summary of the Adventist plan of salvation.

7. Share with a friend about the great love demonstrated by God, the Father. (1 John 3:1-2)

   Answer: You must share with a friend the great love of God the Father by quoting 1 John 3:1-2: 'Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.' Use simple language, tell how the Father's love changed your personal life, and invite your friend to experience it too. Write the name in the instructor's report. — 1 John 3:1-2 highlights the unimaginable greatness of divine love: we are CALLED children of God — a real spiritual adoption, not a metaphor. The text goes on to show that what we will be has not yet been fully manifested (the future glorification at the Second Coming). Sharing the faith is a commandment (Mt 28:19-20) and part of the Adventist missionary DNA. Personal testimony is the most powerful form of evangelism.

8. If you had to choose a symbol or object to represent God, what would it be? Show it and explain it to your unit.

   Answer: The Bible uses many symbols for God - each one highlights an aspect of His character. Father (relationship), Rock (stability), Shepherd (care), Light (revelation), Water (life), Eagle (protection under its wings). Matthew 23:37: Jesus compares Himself to a hen that protects her chicks. Choosing a personal symbol brings one closer to the experience of faith. Sharing it with the unit strengthens the collective witness of the Pathfinders.