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AGAPE LESSON 17
FATHERING GRACE
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
[Ephesians1v3—9] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (4) just as He chose us in
Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy without blame before Him
in love, (5) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us
acceptable in the Beloved. (7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound
toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (10) 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 Him also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things
according to the counsel of His will, (12) that we also who first trusted in Christ should be to
the praise of His glory. (13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, (14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Let us walk together through a few verses:
• V3 – we are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
• V4 — we were predestined and elected.
• V5 – adoption as children – the nature of God the Father was imputed into us –has
placed us in the family of God as sons.
• V6 – we are accepted in the Beloved.
• V7 – the finished work of the cross.
• V11 – our inheritance.
• V13 – we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
You will notice that all the above speak about family – not denomination/institution – none
of the religious good ideas which are not God ideas. These are fabrications to increase
numbers and wealth – which are not in the word of God. The above has to do with
relationship – has to do with inheritance and family headed by a father. What am laying
down here has always been in the Bible; we, the church did not see it. God is able to
restrain your eyes not to see, as He restrained the eyes of the two disciples who did not
recognize Jesus who was walking and talking with them on their way to Emmaus
(Luke24v15—31).
[Matthew23v9] Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is you Father; He who is in
heaven.
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Father God in heaven is Father of us all. Jesus prayed, and said, “Our Father in Heaven;
hallowed be Your name. – – – – -.” (Matthew6v9—13)
[Genesis2v1—3] Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (2)
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the
seventh day from all His work which He had done. (3) Then God blessed the seventh day and
sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
To this day God is resting because He had created Adam (humanity) as His deputy.
[Genesis2v15] Then God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep
it.
[Hebrews2v8] You have put all things in subjection under his (Adam/humanity) feet. For in
that He put all things in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him.
Tend = (aw-bad in Hebrew) meaning:
• To serve as subject.
• To work for another – serve another by labor.
• To serve God (to serve with Levitical service).
• To worship.
Keep = (shaw-mar in Hebrew) meaning:
• To have charge of.
• To keep, to guard, to keep watch and ward, to protect.
• To watch for.
• To be circumspect.
• To preserve, protect.
• To hedge about as with thorns.
This now, means God vested dominion in the hands of Adam (humanity) to deputize on His
behalf. Today, the church is God’s deputy to administrate the resources of the kingdom.
Fathering:
God has chosen vessels (men/women) and has endowed them with His fathering grace to
act on His behalf. So, it is the grace of Father that does the fathering. These men/women
provide covering that aligns us back to the family of Father in heaven. We become part of
the lineage of Jesus (Matthew chapter 1). We are entered into the same register. In the
kingdom of God there is no orphan and there is no widow. You are a widow/orphan when
you do not have a covering. Under a covering, you are a son in the house. When the widow
of Zerephath (1 kings 17v13—16) dished for Elijah first, she and her son received covering
from Elijah’s grace. She and her son were now sons under Elijah’s grace and God provided
for their household throughout the days of famine.
God will speak in natural terms in order to teach us a spiritual principle. Joseph, a just man
(Matthew1v19) and a carpenter was hand-picked by God to father Jesus. He provided
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covering for Him as He grew up. God Almighty in His infinite wisdom orchestrated that Jesus
be born at the time when everyone had to be registered with his family.
[Luke2v4—7] Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to
the city of David, (5) to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. (6)
So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. (7)
And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid
Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn.
So, Jesus was entered into the registry of His father’s house, the tribe of Judah. He is
referred to as the ‘Lion of the Tribe of Judah.’ Isaiah prophesied, and said, “There shall
come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His root.”
(Isaiah11v1)
You will remember that when Joshua apportioned land to the children of Israel, no one
would be given land unless they appeared in an authentic register. There can be no
inheritance outside a relationship. Denominations/institutions are not relational. Unless
you relate to someone who will align you into the Father’s Family register, you cannot
receive any inheritance.
Jesus grew up as an apprentice under His father, Joseph, and He learned by instruction and
demonstration. In the carpenter’s house He learned all types of wood and all sizes of nails.
He became acquainted with the sound of a hammer. He knew the pain of being hit by a
hammer when He hit a miss. Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things
He suffered (Hebrews5v8). God, in His infinite wisdom, chose that His Son grow up in a
carpenter’s house. This is why He did well at the cross.
How do you to identify a father?
[2Timothy3v16—17] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
A father will rebuke in love, will exhort, comfort and charge you as he would his own child to
walk worthy of God and the gospel.
[Exodus 12v3—4] Speak to the congregation of Israel, saying, “On tenth of this month, every
man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a
household. (4) And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next
to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need
you shall take your count for the lamb.
When the lord fed the children of Israel with manna in the wilderness, He commanded that
each man gather for his household.
[Exodus 16v16—17] This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, “Let every man gather
according to each one’s need, one ormer for each person, according to the number of
persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.” (17) Then, the children of Israel
did so and gathered some more, some less.
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According to God’s design, it is the fathers who collect manna(doctrine) for their
household.
[Psalm68v6] God sets the solitary in families; he brings out those who are bound into
prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
This we see when David adopts Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. Jonathan and his father
(Saul) had died in the battle, and Mephibosheth was lodging in Lo-Debar in the house of
Machir, the son of Ammiel. And David said to Ziba, (Saul’s servant), “Mephibosheth, your
master’s son, shall eat at my table always. As for Mephibosheth, he shall eat at my table like
one of the king’s sons (2Samue9v10—11).
What did David mean?
• Mephibosheth shall be an apprentice and learn from me by instruction and
demonstration.
• He shall always be present at my table when food (manna/doctrine) is served.
• He shall eat the same food that I eat.
• As a son, he will understand what I understand, and believe what I believe.
• He will adopt my ways – will imitate me. Paul says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate
Christ.” (1Corinthians 11v1)
• He will share my joys and my sorrows. He will love the Lord, His word, and will grow
to fear the Lord as I do.
• His lameness will be hidden under my table.
So, we realize that the father provides manna/doctrine/food for the soul. Your father is
your storehouse. Everything you need for your journey to your destiny is packaged in the
fathering grace that God has assigned for you. God says, “bring all the tithe to the
storehouse (Malachi 3v10).
[Hosea14v4—5] I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has
turned away from him. (5) I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and
lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread, his beauty shall be like an olive
tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon.
[1John 1v8—9] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from
all unrighteousness.
From the Scriptures above, we realize that Father God is compassionate and will readily
forgive us when we acknowledge and confess our sins. We see the same strength and
compassion in the father of the prodigal son. He accurately represented our Father in
heaven. He readily forgave and received his son with open hands and celebrated his return.
[Luke 15v20—24] And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way
off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And
the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no
longer worthy to be called your son.” (22) But the father said to his servants, “Bring the best
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robe and put it on him, and put a ring in his hand and sandals on his feet, (23) and bring a
fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; (24) for this my son was dead and he
is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to be merry.
We also see the same compassion, love and grace of Father in David: This account stretches
from 2 Samuel chapters 15—19. David said, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man
Absalom.” (2Samuel 18v5) He also cried, “O my so Absalom—my son Absalom—if only I had
died in your place! O my son, my son.” (2 Samuel 19v33) Joab thought the king was stooping
low by weeping, because he did not understand David’s heartbeat. David saw future in the
young man, while Joab saw an enemy: and he himself never fathered anyone. David was
looking forward to giving Absalom a second chance.
Our Father in heaven will not let anyone perish. He gave His only begotten Son to die on the
cross to redeem humanity (John3v16).
Paul writing to the Roman church:
[Romans 1v9—13] For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His
Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers, (10) making request if by
some means now at last, I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. (11) For I long
to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established–
(12) that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and
me. (13) Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to
you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as
among the other Gentiles.
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians:
[1 Thessalonians2v7—12] But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother
cherishes her own children. (8) So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to
impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become
dear to us. (9) For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day,
that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. (10)
You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved
ourselves among you who believe; (11) as you know how we exhorted and comforted,
and charged everyone of you, as a father does his own children, (12) that you would walk
worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
What does a son look like?
We will look at a few examples:
A poor widow:
[Mark 12v41—44] Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how people put the money
in the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. (42) Then one poor widow came and
threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. (43) So, He called His disciples and said to
them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than those who have
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given to the treasury; (44) for they all put in out of their abundance, but she, out of her
poverty, put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.
• This poor widow became a sacrifice. She put herself on the altar.
• We see in her the love and total surrender.
• She voluntarily submitted/connected herself to the grace in the house. She now
has covering that aligns her to the family of Father in heaven. (She is no more a
widow but a son in the house.
• She was obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
• She demonstrates great faith.
(B) Timothy:
[Philippians2v19—23] But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also
may be encouraged when I know your state. (20) For I have no one like-minded, who will
sincerely care for your state. (21) for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ
Jesus. (22) But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father, he served with
me in the gospel. (23) Therefore, I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes
with me.
Paul says to Timothy, “But you have carefully followed my
• Doctrine
• Manner of life
• Purpose
• Faith
• Longsuffering
• Love
• Perseverance
• Persecutions
• Afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what
persecutions I endured. And out of them all. The Lord delivered me.
(2Timothy3v10—11)
(C) Ruth:
But Ruth said, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following you: for where
you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your
God, my God. (17) Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. The Lord do so to me,
and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1v16—17)
Here, you realize that according to Ruth, this was a lifetime connection. She would not let go
of her Mother-in-law (Naomi). She pursued vigilantly. Some supernatural force compelled
her to glue herself to Naomi. It is like she saw something great in the distant future that she
was not prepared to let go. Whatever it was going to take; she would not let go. Perception
will always determine your altitude. She ends up as part of the genealogy of Christ Jesus
(Matthew 1v5). You realize that everything Ruth needed, that would take her to her
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destiny, was locked in this Naomi, her mother-in-law. The fathering grace in Naomi
orchestrated the marriage between Ruth and Boaz. Ruth submitted to all her instructions.
May I encourage you to read that Book of Ruth – it is only four chapters.