God’s Family

I once had someone explain the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice with the analogy of being the child of a king.  As Christians, we are adopted sons and daughters of The King.  Nobody really gets access to a king without a long process and an absolute need.  However, the King’s children get audience whenever they want.  He could be in a big meeting and if his 7-year-old son knocks at the door, He will let him enter and listen to what he wants and put the meeting on hold.  This is the opportunity in relationship we gain with God.

Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

We are the adopted sons and daughters of God.  While He may have created us, we came out of the womb kicking and screaming against the ways of God until our eyes were opened and we decided that yes, we want to have a relationship with our creator.  Just as we read in Romans 11 we have been grafted into God’s family. In Ephesians, the apostle Paul explains that God’s grace has given us opportunity to live in His family:

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us.

As a result, we get to come boldly before the throne because we no longer have anything to fear in the presence of God.  In the Old Testament, people died without first being ritualistically cleansed before entering the holy of holies.  One person died just for touching the Ark of the Covenant.  Furthermore, we are encouraged to draw near to God in purity and sureness of faith.  We are to continually express and explain the hope we have in Christ and live together in community.  How many people stop going to church because they don’t get along with someone or are offended by something the pastor said but then avoid finding another one?  How often do people stop showing up to activities and nobody asks where they’ve been or how they are?

As the body of Christ, we need to continually encourage each other and work together not as a team, but a family.  The world pulls at us and the enemy works hard to put a divide between each and every one of us because he knows that when a family works well together, they are very powerful.  As we read through the scriptures we have learned that we can fall away from the faith.  Living in community prevents this. We all have our bad days.  We all have our periods of discord in relationships (with God or anyone else).  But we must become perfected in love and surround ourselves with those in our family.

Hold fast to the confession of our hope.
Stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
Encourage one another.

Be an active member in God’s family.


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