"He Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father," Christ Jesus

For years I struggled under a lie that Satan whispered relentlessly: “God is not pleased with you.” That lie drained my joy, fed my anxiety, and kept me running in circles. I felt like I had to fight God for anything good in my life — as if He were reluctant to bless me, reluctant to love me, reluctant to be near me.

I remember telling a men’s group that I felt like I had to earn God’s approval every single day. I said, “It’s like He’s not pleased with me.” Three men stared silently, and one laughed. I walked away more discouraged than when I arrived.

I had no idea how to overcome this lie. It was poisoning my relationship with God. Instead of resting in Him, I lived on a treadmill of performance: “God, do You see what I’m doing? I’m praying, reading my Bible, witnessing, trying to be a good husband, dad, Christian… are You pleased with me yet?” And all I felt was silence.

Eventually I realized something important: this was not a problem I could fix. It was God’s problem. If He wanted an intimate relationship with me, He would have to heal what was broken. And in truth, He was probably waiting for me to exhaust myself and finally surrender.

God knows that for me to lay down my survival mode and trust Him, I must feel safe and loved. When I finally came to Him in weakness — not performance — He began to show me the truth: I am accepted in Christ Jesus. Only then could He unfold His plan of salvation in a way my heart could receive.

The Lie Beneath the Lie

Before He showed me the beauty of Christ’s work, He exposed the strategy of the enemy. Satan was trying to divide me from God the Father and from Christ Jesus. A house divided cannot stand.

Somewhere deep inside, I had believed a twisted picture: Jesus was trying to convince the Father to forgive me… to be on my side… to tolerate me… instead of siding with Satan.

Seeing that in print makes it obvious how distorted it was — but I lived under that distortion for years.

How Satan Weaponized Scripture Against Me

To understand how terrible Satan truly is, I had to see how he used God’s Word against me. Nothing condemned my heart more than reading the Bible — not because Scripture is condemning, but because Satan blinded me to the truth that Jesus had already taken care of my imperfection on the cross.

Every verse about holiness became a hammer. Every command became a reminder of failure. Every standard became a verdict.

But God, in His goodness, kept leading me back to the book of Hebrews.

If I could be an expert in any book, it would be Hebrews first and Romans second. As I studied Hebrews, I also read Martin Lloyd-Jones’ A Merciful and Faithful High Priest. Through it, God began to show me the glory of Jesus as my High Priest.

Then 2 Corinthians 13:4 opened my eyes: “For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him…” It is okay to approach Him in weakness.

And 1 John reminded me: Jesus is my Advocate.

As these truths settled into my heart, the hard questions began to rise — and God answered every one of them.

Who Initiated My Salvation?

Who sent Jesus to be our Savior?

God the Father did. John 3:16–17 makes it unmistakable: the Father gave His Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it.

Who declared Jesus “My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” — before He did any ministry?

God the Father did. Before Jesus preached, healed, delivered, or performed a miracle, the Father delighted in Him simply for who He is.

Who appointed Jesus to be our High Priest?

God the Father did. Hebrews shows that Jesus was appointed as High Priest by the Father Himself — not with the blood of animals, but with His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption.

Who appointed Jesus to be our Advocate?

God the Father did. 1 John declares that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father — because the Father wanted Him to be.

What Has the Father Done for Us?

The Father has:

• Qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (Col. 1:12)

• Presented us holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight (Col. 1:22)

• Made us complete in Christ (Col. 2:10)

• Placed Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27)

If that doesn’t prove the Father is pleased with me, Romans 8 seals it forever.

God’s Everlasting Love

Romans 8:31–39 declares that:

• God is for us

• God justifies us

• Christ intercedes for us

• Nothing can separate us from His love

Not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, danger, death, life, angels, demons, the present, the future, height, depth — nothing.

The Final Word: Jesus Reveals the Father’s Heart

Jesus Himself said: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Jesus is not trying to convince the Father to be pleased with me. The Father was already pleased when I gave Him my heart.

What the Father and the Son want is for me to learn how Christ has already destroyed the works of the devil in my life — and to walk in a victorious relationship with Them through the Holy Spirit.

Because of the blood of Jesus, I have a clear conscience to serve God and enjoy Him. Because of Christ, the Father is deeply pleased with me.

And Now I Ask You…

Do you know that God the Father is pleased with you?