Father of All: What Does It Mean?

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity

Is God Everyone’s Father?

It’s common today to hear the phrase “we’re all God’s children.” It sounds warm, inclusive, and spiritual. But is it biblical?

The answer is both yes and no—depending on what we mean.

God is indeed the Creator of all and therefore the origin and sustainer of all life. In this sense, He is “Father of all.” But Scripture draws a clear line between God as Creator-Father and God as Redemptive-Father—the One who adopts sinners into His family through faith in Christ.

Getting this distinction right is not theological nitpicking—it is essential to understanding the Gospel.

God as Father in Creation

The apostle Paul, preaching to the Athenian philosophers, says:

“We are indeed His offspring.” (Acts 17:28)

Paul is quoting from a pagan poet to affirm a biblical truth: all people derive their existence from God. He is the Father of all in terms of creation, life, and common grace.

This idea is echoed in Malachi 2:10:

“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?”

God is the originator of humanity. All are made in His image (Gen. 1:27), all are upheld by His providence (Matt. 5:45), and all are accountable to Him (Rom. 1:20).

In this broad, creational sense, God is “Father of all.” But this is not the same as redemptive sonship.

God as Father in Redemption

John 1:12–13 clarifies:

“But to all who did receive Him… He gave the right to become children of God, who were born… of God.”

Not everyone is a child of God in the saving sense. Only those who are born again by the Spirit (John 3:3), through faith in Christ, are adopted into the family of God (Gal. 4:4–7).

Jesus Himself told the Pharisees:

“If God were your Father, you would love Me.” (John 8:42)

And even more strongly:

“You are of your father the devil.” (John 8:44)

These are sobering words. They show that not all fatherhood is equal—and not all belong to God’s household.

Adoption: From Orphans to Sons

The New Testament celebrates the miracle of adoption—not as an automatic human right, but as a sovereign act of grace.

Romans 8:15 says:

“You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”

Galatians 4:6 adds:

“Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”

This is not sentimental language. It's legal and relational. We were outside the household, without God and without hope (Eph. 2:12). But through Christ, the eternal Son, we are brought in—not as guests, but as children.

Why the Distinction Matters

1. It Preserves the Uniqueness of the Gospel

If everyone is already a child of God, then there’s no need for adoption. No need for redemption. No need for the cross.

But Scripture is clear: we are by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) and only become children of God by grace.

2. It Honors the Work of Christ

Only through Jesus can anyone call God “Father” in a saving way. He is the eternal Son, and we become sons in Him.

“No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

3. It Clarifies the Mission of the Church

Evangelism is not simply helping people “discover” their Father—it is proclaiming the good news that sinners can be reconciled to the Father through faith in Christ.

Common Grace and Kindness to All

While not all are redeemed, God still shows fatherly care to all:

• He provides rain and sunshine (Matt. 5:45).

• He restrains evil (2 Thess. 2:7).

• He gives every good gift (James 1:17).

These acts of common grace reflect His character as the Father of all creation. But they should not be confused with the intimate relationship He has with His redeemed sons and daughters.

A Father to the Fatherless

Psalm 68:5 declares:

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation.”

God’s heart for the vulnerable shows His delight in restoring broken relationships. Through the Gospel, He adopts the spiritually fatherless and gives them a name, a place, and an eternal inheritance.

Conclusion: From General to Glorious

Yes, God is Father of all—in the sense that He made all, sustains all, and shows kindness to all.

But far greater is the truth that He becomes Father to the redeemed—those brought near by the blood of His Son, sealed by the Spirit, and loved as sons and daughters forever.

Let us not flatten the doctrine of God’s fatherhood to mere sentiment. Let us proclaim the full glory of the Father who adopts the unworthy, transforms the rebellious, and rejoices over His children with eternal love.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)