In Ephesians 4:6 Paul speaks of the “God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The word “all” refers to all believers. The thought of the Trinity is implied here. “Over all” refers mainly to the Father; “through all,” to the Son; and “in all,” to the Spirit. God the Father can be in three positions, above all, through all, and in all, because God is triune. Even God the Father is triune. The Father’s position is above all, the Son’s position is through all, and the Spirit’s position is in all. Therefore, God the Father possesses all the positions of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. He is above all as the Father, He is through all in the Son, and He is in all as the Spirit. From this we see that God the Father is related to the believers in a triune way. His way to be with us is triune.
From experience we know that the Father’s triune way to be with the believers is the triune dispensing. As we fellowship with the Lord, we may sense that the very God with whom we are fellowshipping is above us and overshadowing us. At the same time we have the sense that this loving One is not only overshadowing us but is also passing through us. As we continue our fellowship with Him, we also have the sense that this very One is dwelling in us. His overshadowing, passing through us, and dwelling in us are all for the divine dispensing. This means that God dispenses Himself into us in a triune way by overshadowing us, by passing through us, and by dwelling in us. As we experience and enjoy this dispensing, we sense God the Father in three directions-over us, through us, and in us.
Whenever the Father comes to us, He does not come alone but with the Son. Furthermore, when the Son comes to us with the Father, the Son comes as the Spirit. The Father comes in the Son, and the Son comes as the Spirit with the Father. Hence, when the Father comes, the Son and the Spirit also come. God the Father visits us, but He always visits us in the Son, who visits us as the Spirit. This means that the Three of the Trinity-the Father, the Son, and the Spirit-visit us in a triune way, in a threefold way, for the divine dispensing.
The One who is over us, through us, and in us can be seen by us. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). To be pure in heart is to be single in purpose, to have the single goal of accomplishing God’s will for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31). If we are pure in heart in seeking God, we shall see God. Seeing God is a reward to the pure in heart.
It is impossible, of course, to see God with our physical eyes. However, we can see Him with our spirit and with a heart that is pure and single. If we have an open spirit and a pure heart, we shall see God. To see God is an experience and an enjoyment. When we see Him, He dispenses Himself into us, infusing Himself into our being.
God the Father is not only seen by those who are pure in heart but is also near to those who draw near to Him. James 4:8a says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” God is visible, yet we need to be pure in heart. Likewise, God is near to us, yet we need to draw near to Him. If we do not draw near to Him, He will not draw near to us in our experience. His drawing near to us depends on our drawing near to Him.
From experience we know that whenever we draw near to God under the redeeming blood of Christ, we have the sense that God is near to us. He draws near to us that we may experience Him and enjoy Him. By drawing near to us God shows His love to us or His sympathy for us. In drawing near to us He also comforts us, encourages us, and strengthens us. Sometimes we may have the sense that God is near to us in order to wipe away our tears. To those who draw near to God the Father He is near in order to love, sympathize, comfort, encourage, strengthen, and sustain. In this way the believers experience and enjoy God as the Father in His love.
God the Father is worshipped by the believers by His Spirit (Phil. 3:3). If we worship God the Father in a religious way by rituals, we shall not be able to touch Him. But whenever we worship Him by the Spirit, we have the sense that we are touching Him and that we are brought out of ourselves and into the heavens. As we worship God the Father by His Spirit, something of the living God, the One we worship by the Spirit, is wrought into our being. This is an experience and an enjoyment of God the Father that is unforgettable. We, the believers in Christ, experience and enjoy the very God whom we worship by His Spirit.
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