The Father’s Will
The Apostle Paul in all of his letters (except Romans, where the Father is implied) declares in his greeting, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." In Ephesians, Paul follows that introduction with what I call, "the Father Chapter". in which he lays out the love, purpose and will of the Father. The Father and pronouns referring to Him occurs approximately 24 times in the first chapter. Verses 9-10 proclaims that the Father "having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him. in Whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His own Will." The rest of the book details how the Father's will has "gathered together in One all things in Christ." He covers every relationship and lays out the "gathering together work" of the Savior according to the Will and Purpose of the Father. From this we discern that the Father is the Bosom of the Love, Will, and Purpose of the Glorious Godhead. This is why Paul so consistently praises The Father at the beginning of his letters. It is because of the Father's Will that Paul has so much to be thankful for.
As John 1:12 states, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD." The context clearly agrees with Ephesians 1, the Will of the Father. The Father's Role is that of the Bosom of the Love, Will, and Purpose of the Godhead. This is the reason for the Sons' declaration in John 6:38-39, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the Will of the Father Who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." Jesus speaks of His Father over 130 times in John and speaks of doing the Father's Will or Works over 30 times. In other words, our salvation is by the Father's Will. He, in His Love, has Willed it and ordained all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose! And according to Ephesians 1:5, it was the Good Pleasure of His Will to do so, and in vs 6,12, & 14 it was to the praise of the glory of His grace. The Father's Love, Will, and Purpose is to magnify the riches of His Grace to the Praise of His Glory, and out of that will and purpose, the Glorious Godhead works in Concert to manifest His Glorious Goodness!! Remember, "No one has see God at any time. The only begotten Son/God, Who is in the Bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." (John 1:18) And then there is John 15:26, "But when the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."
What is the implication of all of this? Well, any attitude of an angry god who can't wait to get his hands on dirty rotten sinners, but who is somehow restrained by a loving jesus is false. You will note that the nouns and pronouns are not in caps in the last sentence. That is because such a viewpoint is a terrible fallacy and such a god is more in keeping with Greek mythology than the Bible! "For God so LOVED the world the He Gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall never perish but have Eternal Life." John 3:16 It all flows out of the Bosom of the Father. The marvel of the Gospel is that a Righteous God, Absolute in Perfection, Perfect in Holiness, made a way by which He could remain absolutely Righteous and Just, and still Righteously love and save sinners! And He did that through His Righteous Son, by the Power of His Righteous Spirit, and all because of the Pleasure of His Own Will. (Romans 3:23-26, II Corinthians 5:21)
The Apostle Paul in all of his letters (except Romans, where the Father is implied) declares in his greeting, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." In Ephesians, Paul follows that introduction with what I call, "the Father Chapter". in which he lays out the love, purpose and will of the Father. The Father and pronouns referring to Him occurs approximately 24 times in the first chapter. Verses 9-10 proclaims that the Father "having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him. in Whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His own Will." The rest of the book details how the Father's will has "gathered together in One all things in Christ." He covers every relationship and lays out the "gathering together work" of the Savior according to the Will and Purpose of the Father. From this we discern that the Father is the Bosom of the Love, Will, and Purpose of the Glorious Godhead. This is why Paul so consistently praises The Father at the beginning of his letters. It is because of the Father's Will that Paul has so much to be thankful for.
As John 1:12 states, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD." The context clearly agrees with Ephesians 1, the Will of the Father. The Father's Role is that of the Bosom of the Love, Will, and Purpose of the Godhead. This is the reason for the Sons' declaration in John 6:38-39, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the Will of the Father Who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." Jesus speaks of His Father over 130 times in John and speaks of doing the Father's Will or Works over 30 times. In other words, our salvation is by the Father's Will. He, in His Love, has Willed it and ordained all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose! And according to Ephesians 1:5, it was the Good Pleasure of His Will to do so, and in vs 6,12, & 14 it was to the praise of the glory of His grace. The Father's Love, Will, and Purpose is to magnify the riches of His Grace to the Praise of His Glory, and out of that will and purpose, the Glorious Godhead works in Concert to manifest His Glorious Goodness!! Remember, "No one has see God at any time. The only begotten Son/God, Who is in the Bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." (John 1:18) And then there is John 15:26, "But when the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."
What is the implication of all of this? Well, any attitude of an angry god who can't wait to get his hands on dirty rotten sinners, but who is somehow restrained by a loving jesus is false. You will note that the nouns and pronouns are not in caps in the last sentence. That is because such a viewpoint is a terrible fallacy and such a god is more in keeping with Greek mythology than the Bible! "For God so LOVED the world the He Gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall never perish but have Eternal Life." John 3:16 It all flows out of the Bosom of the Father. The marvel of the Gospel is that a Righteous God, Absolute in Perfection, Perfect in Holiness, made a way by which He could remain absolutely Righteous and Just, and still Righteously love and save sinners! And He did that through His Righteous Son, by the Power of His Righteous Spirit, and all because of the Pleasure of His Own Will. (Romans 3:23-26, II Corinthians 5:21)