The Family of God

Our God created this vast universe and everything because He wanted a family to love, a family who would love Him back. So the Son would have many brothers and sisters. And the Spirit would guide and hold God’s family together in wisdom and truth.

*We love because he first loved us. 1Jn 4:19 KJV

*For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Ro 8:29 NIV+

*Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 1Co 2:12 NASB+

The Lord God Almighty is our Heavenly Father, the only spiritual Father we will ever have. He loves and cares about us.

*How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. . 1Jn 3:1 NIV+

*"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matt 7:11 NASB+

The Son of God became a man, became Jesus, who though still God, became our brother. Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sins, now sits on the right hand of God, interceding for His brothers and sisters.

*Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." Heb 2:11-12 NIV+

*But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." Mk 3:33-35 NKJV+

*who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised , who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Ro 8:34 NASB+

The Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of all who will give up their human will and accept Him into their lives. He teaches us about our God, gives us spiritual peace and joy. The Spirit continually sanctifies us, immediately forgives believers’ sins by faith, before we can ask for forgiveness. So we are always spiritually holy children of God.

*But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Gal 5:22-23 NASB+

*But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2Thess 2:13 NIV+

The Heavenly Father adopts into His family, all who will love our God above everything else, and our neighbors as ourselves. We were redeemed through Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, and came into the family of God when we receive the Spirit into our hearts.

*”I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty." 2Co 6:18 NKJV+

*But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Gal 4:4-5 NKJV+

*For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Ro 8:14 NKJV+

The most important decision we will make in our lives, we must make on our own. No church on earth, nor any pastor, priest, or any other Christian leader, past or present, can bring us into the family of our God. Those who follow the Word of God can merely guide us to a point in our lives where our Father can reach out to us, call us to be His own children. The choice is ours and ours alone. Whether we will give up our human will, accept the Spirit into our hearts, so we can be saved by the atoning grace of Jesus, and become children of God. Or whether we will follow our own human will, reject the Holy Spirit, and become children of Satan.

*Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 1Co 12:3 NKJV+

*"You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Ac 7:51 NASB+

*But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Jn 1:12-13 NKJV+

The children of God have but one spiritual Father, our Lord God Almighty. We are to honor and obey Him. And not call anyone else on this earth our spiritual father, including any of our church leaders.

*Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Matt 23:9 NKJV+

*"'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?' Mal 1:6 NASB+

The blood Jesus shed for our sins on the cross allows us to approach our Father with freedom and confidence. The Spirit living in our hearts gives us constant access to Him. Our Heavenly Father would have us continually pray to Him, and we should continual thank Him for all He has done for us.

*In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Eph 3:12 NIV+

*For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Eph 2:18 NIV+

*Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thess 5:16-18 NKJV+

We can humbly call out to our Heavenly Father without fear, in the same manner Jesus (Mk 14:36), and the Holy Spirit (Gal 4:6) do. For we have a close loving relationship with our Father. We can call our Father, and know that He hears us. The word Abba is Aramaic for the term Father. Abba! Father! is used to emphasize the especially close relation we have with our Father, something we always have even when we just approach God with our Father.

*In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Matt 6:9 NKJV+

*For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" Ro 8:15 NASB+

*Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Jn 9:31 NKJV+

We spiritually (spirit and soul) come into the Kingdom of God, are made one with Christ, become children of God, while physically living on this earth. This happens when we accept the Holy Spirit into our heart. See Baptisms Spirit

*For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1Co 12:13 NASB+

*nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Lk 17:21 NIV+

While on earth we are physically individual members with all in the family of God. Working together, using the different gifts the Spirit has given us to do the Lord’s work.

*so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Ro 12:5 NKJV+

*We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; Ro 12:6-7 NIV+

Suffering when one member suffers, rejoicing when one member is honored. As we strive to become blameless and innocent in a perverse generation, a light for the entire world to see.

*And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 1Co 12:26 NKJV+

*Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, Phil 2:14-15 NASB+

We are also spiritually (soul and spirit) united into the body of Christ, His one holy spiritual church. The body of Christ is comprised of all who are children of God, whether physically still on this earth, or spiritually (soul and spirit) in Heaven. Only through Christ are we spiritually united with them, only through our Father, Jesus, or the Spirit can we come in contact with them in any way.

*So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Eph 2:19-22 NASB+

*that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Eph 5:27 NASB+

Saints (in Eph 2:19-22 above) is another name for all of the children of God. Saints are the children of God who live on earth, like those in Ephesus. And children of God who spiritually (soul and spirit) live in Heaven, like those who will come down with Jesus when He returns for us.

*Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Eph 1:1 NKJV+

*so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. 1Thess 3:13 NASB+

Christ’s one holy church is an invisible church. We will not know exactly who is in the family of God here on earth, or in Heaven above. Only our God can look into our hearts, alone knows who are His children. And many who taught, even did miracles in our Lord’s name, will not be in the family of God.

*Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb 4:13 NIV+

*Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Matt 7:22-23 NKJV+

In the spiritual Kingdom of God we lose all earthly recognition. There is no difference between any of us for we are all sinners. Only the love and faith we have for our God counts, it alone makes us spiritually one in Christ.

*This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Ro 3:22-23 NIV+

*There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28 NKJV+

Even Jesus’ earthly family, His mother, Mary, and His stepbrothers, stepsisters, lose their earthly recognition. We are all children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ. All that matters is what is in our hearts, our love for our God, and through this love doing what He would have us do.

*While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." Lk 11:27-28 NASB+

*Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." Matt 12:47-50 NKJV+

The family of God is more important than any other family we will ever be part of. It is more important than our earthly family, far more important than any ethnic family, or any other family we will ever be part of. We should tell all who are around us about Jesus, so they can become our brother or sister in Christ. So we can have a more loving and caring relationship with them, a relationship which will never end.

*Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 2Co 5:1-2 NIV+

*For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. Ro 8:18-19 NASB+

We are more than followers of God, we are more than disciples of Jesus, and we are even more than Christians. We are children of God, heirs of Heaven. There is no greater status one can ever attain, there is no greater name one can ever be called. We will joyfully live in the family of God for more than a thousand years, more than a billion years, more than a trillion years. For there is no time in Heaven, we will live with our Heavenly Father, our brother Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, forever.

*and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Ro 8:17 NASB+

*The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1Jn 2:17 NIV+

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