Is He Really Who He Says He Is?

A Further Discussion on the Three Formative Beliefs of Sonship

In a world where reputation can make or break us, it's essential to understand that our Heavenly Father's reputation is far more profound than we realize. His identity as the self-existent One has been etched in history since the dawn of creation, and its impact reverberates across all of existence.

When the Father revealed His name to Abraham, He introduced Himself as "I am, I am" or more accurately translated as "I am the self-existent one." This declaration signifies that He is the only Uncreated Being in existence. The Greek concept of holiness emphasizes this idea of otherness – being separate and unlike every created thing. In essence, God's reputation asserts His transcendence above all creation—a reputation beyond measure.

As we explore this aspect of the Father's character, it becomes clear that His reputation is not like ours, which can fluctuate based on our actions or circumstances. His quality and character are immutable. But more important, they confer life itself to all creation. This is why the final test of Yeshua's wilderness challenge hinged on the adversary attempting to disqualify Him from fulfilling His mission by convincing Him to deny His Father's true nature they by discrediting the Father's reputation.

During the third temptation, Satan attempted to persuade Yeshua to worship him and gain ultimate dominion over the world. However, this was not a straightforward temptation; it was an attempt to get Jesus to declare that the Father, the Uncreated One, was not who He claimed to be. The adversary sought to undermine the truth of Psalms 24, which boldly declares:

"The earth is the Yahweh's, and the fullness thereof; the world and all who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Yahweh? Who may stand in His holy place?"

However, by quoting Moses' words from Deuteronomy 6:13, Yeshua responded to the adversary's attempt by reaffirming the truth of who the Father is:

"For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"

Now Yeshua does not quote verse 14, but we can certainly assume it would have been an implied inclusion of His declaration. This passage further elaborates upon the previous verse, expands our understanding from Exodus 34:14, and reveals a more profound aspect of the Father's character:

"Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you. For Yahweh your God, who is among you, is a jealous God."

As a side note, the Hebrew word for 'jealous' is qana (קנא) and can be translated as to be jealous, to be zealous, to envy. But the real mystery is hidden within the ancient pictorial letters of the Quph, Nun, and Aleph. Their combined mystical meaning would be something like this: the encircling of the heir by the strong leader. A great way to illustrate this the picture of a strong lead buffalo circling around his herd to protect them from the predators just outside. The bull stands like formidable wall against those who would seek to kill and destroy the younger and weaker members of his family. This is a great way to understand the Father jealous nature for us.

By quoting these verses, Yeshua reasserts His Father's reputation as the the only one worthy of worship and reverence. This declaration reinforces that He, the Uncreated One, stands above all creation, separate from every made thing.

His Reputation & Our Positional Relationship

This understanding of the Father's reputation has a profound impact on our lives, particularly in how we relate to Him as His children. By acknowledging who He says He is, we gain insight into our own identity and positional relationship with Him. When we recognize God's character as separate from every other created thing, it influences our understanding of ourselves.

In Christ, we are not merely people trying to prove ourselves worthy; we are sons and daughters of God, inheriting His nature through our union with Yeshua. When we acknowledge and believe the Father's reputation according to His own words, we begin to grasp the profound truth that our identity is rooted in His. We can also then better grasp the essence of the father-son relationship.

Yeshua, as the Firstborn of many sons, embodies this dynamic perfectly. He is both fully human and divine, with an unshakeable understanding of His Father's character. When He responded to the adversary in the wilderness by affirming His Father's reputation, He demonstrated the depths of their unique relationship.

This bond transcends a mere earthly father-son relationship; it represents an ontological connection between two beings, one of whom is the Uncreated One and the other the Son, inheriting His nature. As such, this bond represents our own connection with the Father and our Brother.

In this context, our own identity as sons and daughters of the Self-Existent One begins to take shape, and we start to understand that we are not merely created beings trying to earn His love; we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ, sharing in His divine nature through faith.

His Reputation is Our Resource

As we recognize the implications of the Father's reputation over our lives, we gain access to His goodness and supply. This is not a transactional relationship where we try to earn God's favor or blessings; it is a familial bond rooted in love, built upon our acknowledgment of who He says He is.

As children of God, we have access to His goodness and supply, which is beyond what we can comprehend or even ask for. However, this access requires us first to acknowledge with our words and actions who He says He is – as the soul provider for everything we need in life. By doing so, we began to realize that our resources are inextricably linked with His character.

Once this truth becomes rooted within our hearts and minds, we begin to experience life as He intended – abundant and overflowing with His goodness. Our faith becomes less about trying to prove ourselves worthy and more about embracing our true nature as His children.

Of course, the opposite is true. Doubt of His nature—of His character, sows seeds of unbelief that strangle our ability to trust Him. It gives way to the possibility to look elsewhere for safety and supply—to 'other gods' for our hope and salvation.

Yeshua's success with the final test on the mountain top was a critical victory for all of mankind. He established a precedent in creation. He realigned Man's relational attitude with the Father, and gave us an example for us to follow.

In a world where reputation can make or break us, understanding the Father's reputation has far-reaching implications for our lives. It influences our identity, positional relationship with Him, and access to the resources that flow out of His character. By believing who He says He is, we will begin to discover our own identity as His son or daughter, and co-heirs with our Elder Brother, Yeshua HaMashiach.

We have been invited through Christ to be partakers of the Father's divine nature, which stands above all creation – separate from every made thing, and empowers us to find our true selves in Him, rooted in His character.

Until next time, may the revelation of the Father's reputation bring you blessing and shalom, and empower to continue to pursue the You He designed you to be