The Father's Heart: Discovering the Goodness of God that religion often overlooked

For thousands of years, many have carried a distorted picture of God, a distant ruler who blesses when pleased but destroys when angered. While religion has spoken much about love, it has often still taught people to obey out of fear, to perform in order to be accepted, and to assume that God turns against sinners the moment they fall. Because of this, many have learned to worship God while hiding from Him, afraid of His judgment rather than resting in His love.

Yet Jesus came to reveal something radically different, the true heart of the Father.

“No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son… He has declared Him.” John 1:18

If we want to know what the Father is truly like, we look to Jesus, not to the misunderstandings humans projected onto God through history. The life of Jesus shows a Father who forgives before we ask (Luke 15:20), who loves His enemies (Matthew 5:44-45), who does not condemn but restores (John 8:10-11), who heals rather than harms (Acts 10:38), and who gives life instead of taking it (John 10:10).

A Misunderstood God

The Old Testament contains beautiful revelations of God’s love, but it also reflects the fear, assumptions, and limited understanding of humans who lived in a world of violence and pagan thinking. Many believed that gods must be appeased, and when Israel misunderstood God, they projected that mindset onto Him.

But God did not want fear, He wanted trust and relationship.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.” Psalm 145:8

Even so, Israel often saw God as wrathful, because they did not truly know Him.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6

“You thought that I was altogether like you…” Psalm 50:21

Their fear of God shaped their interpretation of His actions. But Jesus corrected the record.

Jesus Shows the True Character of the Father

Jesus did not come to change God’s attitude toward us, He came to reveal what God has always been like.

“Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

“The Son is the exact representation of His nature.” Hebrews 1:3

Jesus did not destroy sinners.

He did not call down fire on the unbelieving.

He did not reject those who failed Him.

Instead:

When faced with sinners, humans expected punishment, but Jesus revealed forgiveness (Luke 7:47).

When faced with enemies, humans expected retaliation, but Jesus revealed love (Luke 23:34).

 When faced with the unworthy, humans expected rejection, but Jesus revealed welcome and acceptance (Luke 15:20–24).

When faced with the broken and failing, humans expected condemnation, but Jesus revealed healing and restoration (Matthew 12:20).

This is not simply Jesus acting kindly, this is the Father’s heart expressed in human form.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” — John 3:16

“…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them.”  2 Corinthians 5:19

Life Comes From the Father, Death Comes From the Enemy

Religion has often framed God as the source of death and judgment. But Jesus teaches something very different:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life.” John 10:10

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26

Death is not the Father’s tool, it is His enemy.

God’s role is always toward life:

“For with You is the fountain of life.” Psalm 36:9

“Every good and perfect gift is from above… from the Father.” James 1:17

The Father’s Love Transforms, Not Fear

People can obey religion without loving God, but when a person sees the true heart of the Father, everything changes. Transformation begins not with fear of judgment but with receiving love.

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

“Perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” 1 John 4:18

Fear produces compliance.

Love produces transformation.

As Jesus said:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

Not keep My commandments so I will love you.

But because I love you, your heart will respond.

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The Invitation

The Father is not who religion made Him out to be.

He is not waiting to destroy those who fail.

He is not withholding His love until we get it right.

He is the One who runs to us while we are still far off (Luke 15:20), who does not count our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19), and who longs for us to know Him as a real Father.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”  1 John 3:1

To know the Father is not to fear Him,

but to rest in a love that has always been ours.