GOD OUR FATHER (Not Mother)
Recently it has been said, although not for the first time, that we Christians should address God as a she instead of He; and this by those who should know better, women in the Church of England! Why? Because they think it is sexist, they think by using the term “He”, it suggests men are closer to God . Others say we are in some way failing God if we continue to address Him as our Father. They say they want a mixture of references in the Bible to male and female for the same God and one says, “How we talk affects how we think”. I would have thought it was the other way round myself how we think and what we believe affects the way we talk -however! They say a lot of other silly things too, but I’m only concerned with what the Word of God says.
More precisely WHAT DOES JESUS SAY?
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9) Good enough for me!
But that makes for a very short article so I will proceed . I find myself agreeing with Miss Widdecombe when she said it was “unbiblical and ridiculous” etc. But it is not enough for those of us who trust and believe in the whole of God’s Word to stop there, we need to give some kind of explanation as to why these people are wrong.
And again John said:
……….. He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (I John 2:22)
Having looked at all the instances of the word Father in Scripture as applied to God and trying to replace that with mother just does not make sense.
Since God made us separately male and female and instituted marriage for the purpose of procreation and mutual companionship (they two shall become one), which is the natural , healthy and God appointed way of things, I view this attempt to further corrupt the Word of God and His instructions for us, alongside female priests and bishops, homosexuality, and gay marriage. But regrettably this is to be expected at this time and our Lord warned us this abandonment of the True Faith would happen just before His return, and so if we can take any comfort today it is in the fact that this is yet another sign that His return is imminent.
………… Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
(“As Scofield points out “the above reference is not to personal faith but to belief in the whole body of revealed truth.”)
It is also a denial of Jesus Christ as God the Son; Jesus was obviously male and taught us to pray to God as the Father. What more do you want to show that God who is  actually  a  Spirit  reveals Himself  to us as male? Nowhere in Scripture does He indicate that He might be a she. Look at the angels, they are also only referred to as male (male names) and any appearance of them, beautiful as they are, is masculine.
Being a woman brought up in the Church of England and a lover of the Word of God, I find it hard to understand these women who obviously have a problem with their position in relation to men, both in the church and outside. They do not seem to understand that we live in this “fallen” world and neither men nor women are in the perfect state they were meant to be when God first created them. Adam was formed first; Eve was taken out of Adam as a companion for him. That does not mean she is any less a being in God’s eyes than him -just different , complimentar y, “an help mate” (support). Men and women were given different roles to play, different but no less important.
God talks of being a husband to Israel His wife – another indication that God has manifested Himself as male.
For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. (Isaiah 54:5)
All the while women are viewing men with jealousy, wanting to be in their positions of apparent power and prestige ; they are not looking to the Lord Jesus as their God and Saviour.Mary, Lazarus’s sister for instance was happy to sit and listen to the Lord , and to serve Him by anointing Him in preparation for His death, and Mary Magdalene going to His grave early in the morning to weep for Him – so she thought. Consider the joy she must have felt when He revealed Himself to her by gently saying her name “Mary” before any of the other disciples knew of His resurrection. What an honour! There is no need for women to feel “less holy” or unable to proclaim the Risen Christ because they are women, God loves women just as much as men.
But, of course, all this is another “feminist” exercise from women who cannot deal with being women. As I said we live in a fallen world and men do not behave as they should and so it makes certain women feel  bad about themselves and their perceived position in life. They think by usurping a man’s position they will gain something they think they do not have. But all they will succeed in doing is making matters worse, causing greater confusion between the sexes, much of which we are seeing now.
The focus for both men and women should be on the Lord Jesus Christ and His WORD (the Scriptures both Old and New Testaments) Never mind what the men are getting up to or even other  women Walk.in the light of God’s Word and live in peace and harmony as far as ye are able with your fellows and if not. …walk away (as I have done) from an apostate church and be at one with Christ.
(Romans 12:18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (And do you really think the Bible is only talking to men and not to women just because it doesn’t say men and women? “All men” = mankind which includes women. (Interesting though that it is “mankind” and not “womankind”)
(1 Corinthians 11:3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
 As God is the Father of us all He is the ultimate authority. Men are supposed to be the authority figure in a family, the teacher, the provider, the protector and women their companions, the home makers, teaching the children etc, (I speak generally, I know this is a hard concept in this day and age) but if both men and women attended more to their allotted tasks instead of trying to be all things to everyone, neither sex would be so confused and exhausted at the end of the day. But because of the “fall” everything is corrupted and distorted and until the Lord Jesus returns we must do the best we can and hold on to and proclaim the Faith that was once and for all delivered unto the saints.
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men (and women today) crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, (and women today) turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3, 4)
But this business of male and female I believe has a much deeper meaning than most realise. We are made in the image and likeness of God; that is mentally and spiritually. But could it be that physically, making us male and female is another aspect of who God is. For some great purpose beyond us God made two kinds of human. At first He made the one declaring it was not good for the male to be alone – that is for man not to have a compatible friend/partner, someone on his level and yet different enough to harmonise rather than compete or usurp his position, thus taking the female out of him. Who could be more compatible than being able to communicate with someone who was actually a part of you. That after all is why men and women come together, or should be, to harmonise helping each other throughout their lives and to procreate (fill the earth). As Jesus pointed out to the Sadducees, in the spiritual world there is no marriage, so marriage is something restricted to this material world.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:29,30)
Men and women are different for a reason, they have different jobs to do and parts to play in this physical world and women should not feel hindered, especially in proclaiming their faith just because they are not men.
It does not matter what any particular “church” or group says, stick to the Word of God and remember what St. Paul said:
(Galatians 1:3-9) Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man (or woman) preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him (them) be accursed.
 The Amtract Dictionary says the following:
FATHER is often synonymous with ancestor, founder, or originator, as in Genesis 4:20-21, John 8:56, Romans 4:16. Joseph was a father to Pharaoh, Genesis 45:8, as his counsellor and provider. God is the FATHER of men, as their Creator, Deuteronomy 32:6, Isaiah 63:16, 64:8, Luke 3:38. But as we have forfeited the rights of children by our sins, it is only through Christ that we can call God by that endearing name, “our Father,” John 20:17 Romans 8:15-17
This subject is vast actually and as I sit here trying to end this particular article all sorts of things attached to this subject are coming into my mind -perhaps another article!!! However the bottom line is the Bible shows us that God revealed Himself to us as male – our Father Creator and I for one as a Christian woman have no problem with that.
