The Family of Believers
“You don’t choose ‘em, you can’t lose ‘em
We all have a song to sing
Some are crazy, some are amazing
All got a little bit of everything”
Family -- Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors
We all have a family of some sort. Whether it’s the one we were born into, or the one we’ve collected along the way. Whatever kind of family you have, if you’re like most people, you probably have some baggage about one or more of the familial relationships that has shaped you into the person you are today. Maybe an absent or harsh parent embittered your formative years, or a difference in lifestyle, opinions, or choices has separated you from a loved one you were once close to. If that is you, I want to offer some encouragement. And if that’s you and you haven’t yet joined the family of God by believing in Jesus Christ, I’ll also offer an invitation. Let’s look at something Jesus said about families.
As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”
Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
Jesus called everyone who does the will of God a part of his family. What is the will of God? 2 Peter 3 says it is God’s will that none should perish, and 1 Timothy 2 says that God desires all men to be saved and understand the truth. Jesus tells us in John 6 that the “...work God wants from you [is to] believe in the one he has sent.” So if you are a believer in Jesus, you are part of his family. Simple as that. But what is the benefit of being in Jesus’ family? There are many, in fact.
It is a royal family. Jesus is called the King of Kings in scripture. We are told that “everything has been placed under his feet.” In America, we don’t really have royalty, but to put it in perspective, imagine being in the President’s family. There would probably be some privilege associated with such a position, right? Scripture tells us we will be co-heirs and joint rulers with Christ when he returns. Talk about a privileged situation! But it’s not only a royal family. It is also a loving family.
Romans 8 says that all who are led by the Holy Spirit are now children of God, and we get to call him “Abba, Father.” Abba is an Aramaic word very similar to “daddy” in English. It refers to a father, but in the way that a small child would refer to their father. God doesn’t want us to look at him only as our powerful King, but also as our loving Father. And he instructs us as the members of his family to love one another as well. Do we always get it right? Absolutely not. We’re the imperfect element -- the wild card -- in God’s plan for the church. But he has given us instruction on how to be a loving family in his word. Even our pastors are to treat other church members as their brothers, sisters, and mothers, as Paul told Timothy in 1 Tim 5.
Finally, it is an eternal family. God has said to his servants, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and Jesus said to his disciples, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” When our earthly families are separated by time and space, or drift apart because of our sinful natures and unresolved differences, we can remember that one day, the family of believers will one day live in perfect unity with each other, and that day will last forever. This was one of Jesus’ dearest wishes for us when he prayed, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
If you struggle with the idea of family because of the hurts caused by the imperfect people around you, I hope that this portrait of the family of God is an encouragement to you of what family can be, and indeed will be for the believer. And if you are not yet a believer, I hope that you will consider becoming a part of God’s royal, loving, eternal family. God’s heart is that “all men be saved,” and all it takes to be a part of it is to put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
If you would like to know more about what it means to be a believer, please reach out to us. We’d love to talk to you! In the meantime, check out one of our services in person or online to get a glimpse into what family life is like at The Table.
Blessings,
-Cyrus Fontaine
