I want to talk to you about my family.
Now I could spent paragraph after paragraph talking about growing up on a farm just north of Morrilton.
I could tell you about cows, chickens, building fences in the sweltering July heat (only to tear them down and rebuild them six inches to the left the next summer).
I could talk about going with my dad to a little country store a few miles up the road from my house to get a Coke that you had to open with a bottle opener. I have a lot of good memories I could share (and some not so good…) but that is not the family I’m talking about right now.
I want to talk about another family of which I am a part, and you are too – if you’re a child of God. There is a song that we sing that illustrates what it is that makes this family so special:
We’re part of a family that’s been born again
part of a family whose love knows no end
for Jesus has saved us and made us His own
now we’re part of a family that’s on its way home.
If you’re not a Christian why not let Jesus add you to that family?
When a brother meets sorrow we all feel his grief
When he’s passed through the valley we all feel relief
Together in sunshine, together in rain
Together in victory through his precious name
If you’re not in that family you’re missing out on the wonderful support it offers to its members.
And though some go before us, we’ll all meet again
Just inside the city as we enter in
There’ll be no parting, with Jesus we’ll be
Together forever, God’s family
By God’s design: There is no more closely connected, no group more willing to sacrifice for each other, no relationship more important on this earth to its members, than the family relationship.
How blest by God are we to have not just one family, but two. We belong to a physical family and a spiritual one. And while we love our earthly families, it is the family of God that consumes our thoughts and motivates our actions.
To illustrate that, let’s consider four words:
God
Christ
Christian
Baptism
These are words that to a Christian are very common, but we’re going to consider how the relate to the topic of God’s Family. Let’s talk about the greatest family of which man can be apart, and it starts with…
GOD:
THE FATHER WHO GUIDES, AND CHASTENS
What role does God have in this family? Well the very title should give it away: The phrase “family of God” implies what role God plays in this family. He is Father, the head of this family. Like any good Father He guides His children, and chastens them when they mess up.
Think about God as a guide:
When Isaiah was calling out God’s people and pleading with them to return to God, he told them that God wants to be their guide (Isaiah 58:11). When it comes to traveling the road, the guide knows the best path to take; he tells you “don’t take that road” or “don’t go here, go here” or “that way will lead you into trouble” or “this way is much better for you.” He is a guide; he knows what way is best.
David described God as a shepherd Who led him beside still waters. As a shepherd, David knows a lamb will not drink from a stream that is running and restless. God, the perfect guide, knew to lead David to the still waters (Psalm 23:2). If we let Him, our Father will guide us through this world, out of this world, and on to the next.
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death
(Psalm 48:14)
Of course God does more than guide us like good fathers do. There are a lot of great fathers out there who teach their kids to reach for the stars, never give up, don’t settle…but they do not give those children the discipline they need to succeed.
Thankfully, God does not just guide. He also chastens.
Why does a father chasten? it is not because he does not love. (despite what teenagers think). He does it…and this has been said, no doubt, by every father in America…What’s the famous phrase?
“I’m doing this…for your own good”
Listen, when I was growing up I thought that was my name for about 3 years., because that is all I heard. But no matter how many times it was said I did not believe it. Growing up, I really did not get why I had to be punished all the time (well the “all the time part” we’ll save for another article…).
Now I understand why I had to be punished.
Its because I was a hyper little monster
At the time I did not understand it, but looking back I see the good it did. Every dad always says as his belt *snap snaps* out of his pants loops: “I do not like having to do this.”
And I never got that; because he never looked like it bothered him that much.
But now that I’m older I understand it: It’s not that he hates having to discipline me so much as its: he loves getting to reward me, and would rather do that. So when he had to discipline he did not like it, because he did not get to reward me.
Now does the Bible describe God in that way? Absolutely!
How many times did He have to disciple His people?
They complained when they were leaving Egypt. He punished them.
They complained on the way to Canaan. He punished them.
They complained when they got to Canaan. He punished them.
They complained when they were in Canaan. He punished them.
They complained when they were in captivity. He punished them.
They complained when they got out of captivity…
And so on, And so on, And so on
Do you think God liked having to discipline His people? No – He said as much. But did he have to, in order to help them? Yes!
What about us? Will our spiritual Father punish us? What kind of a Father would He be if He didn’t?
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye [illegitimate], and not sons.Hebrews 12:6-8
The writer of Hebrews makes it clear: If you are a child of God, you have to endure chastening. Why?
Because he loves you and wants to guide you. He is God, and in this wonderful spiritual family He is our Father.
CHRIST:
THE OLDER BROTHER WHO PROTECTS AND COMFORTS
To help understand Christ in our spiritual family, consider what Paul said to the Roman Christians:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.Romans 8:16-17
Paul says we are children of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. Doesn’t that make Christ…my brother? And like any good older brother, He protects and He comforts. Essentially He gives us a sense of safety and a sense that no harm can totally overcome us.
An illustration is often given about a young boy getting picked on during recess by bullies and the young boy’s older brother shows up and chases the bullies away. That is what Christ did for us: He chased the bully away.
The time when the bully (Satan) picked on us was the time before Christ. We felt terrible, abused, mistreated, without strength or means to help ourselves. So we cried for help, and our older brother appeared and chased the bully away.
Now take that thought and apply it to another text from Romans:
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Romans 5:6-8
He came when we needed Him most. And as sometimes happens when an older brother sticks his neck out for his younger sibling, Jesus did not come out of the battle unscathed. He was wounded (Isaiah 53:5), but He endured it because He loved us like an older brother (and still does).
CHRISTIAN:
THE NAME OF OUR FAMILY
My name is Matthew Martin.
When it came to my first name, that was something my parents had to sit and think about. Actually they didn’t: My mother was due to have a child before me and miscarried. THAT child was named Matthew, which of course means I have a brother waiting to meet me someday, named Matthew too. But for most people, when it comes to their last name, there is no decision to be made.
We wear the name of our family, and we should wear it proudly.
But what about this spiritual family that we am in, what name do we wear in God’s family. There are a lot of God-believing people out there but they all wear different names. I do not know about you, but my father would be upset if I changed my name from Martin to Smith. What name has God, our Father, given us to wear?
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
Isaiah 62:2
Isaiah says There is going to be a new name given; the people of the world will not be seen by God as “Jew” and “Gentile” anymore. There will be one body, and thus one name, given by God. But what name is it?
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Acts 11:26
Notice that phrase: “called Christians.” Those two words are actually one word in the Greek, and means “divinely called” or “God-called.” In other words the text could read: “The disciples were called by God, Christians.”
Who chose the name Christian? The head of this spiritual family, God, just like it was said in Isaiah’s day. The mouth of the Lord named the family of God, and that name was “Christian.”
My name is Martin, but you can call me different things: human, male, American, etc. But my name is “Martin.”
Spiritually, you can call me different things: saint (Philipians 4:21), called (Romans 1:6), elect (I Peter 1:2), brother, or a child of God, or a sheep, etc. But my name is “Christian.”
And that is the only religious name I wear because that is the name of my family. To reject that name or to water it down or splinter it into pieces (this KIND of a Christian over here, that KIND of a Christian over there…) insults the Father Who named you and your older Brother Whose name you wear.
BAPTISM:
HOW WE ARE BORN INTO THE FAMILY
Think for a moment about your family (your physical family). How did you enter into it? Obviously you were born into it. You had no say in it and after you were born, and you grew and were taught the things you needed to know about your family (history, genealogy, etc). So in terms of your physical family it can be said: you are born, then you are taught.
Now think about it spiritually, but before we consider Christianity think about Judaism. For a Jew, he was born physically into Judaism and then after he was born, then he was taught the Jewish faith. So in terms of the Jews of the Mosaic Age (the period essentially from Sinai to Calvary): you are born, then taught.
But what about with Christianity? Consider what Jesus said:
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.John 6:44-45
Jesus says: If you want to come to me, to be a Christian, and to be born into this spiritual family– You have to be drawn to it. How are you drawn? Not miraculously; not with a still, small voice in the night. No, Jesus says you have to be taught: You have to hear and learn what you have been taught and obey His commands. Then when you go to Him you can be born into His family.
That’s a bit different, is not it?
To a Jew, you were born into Judaism then you were taught. Jesus says, if you want to be a part of the Christian family, you are taught, then you are born
Now what are you taught to believe the one who died for you (faith and trust), to change your thinking to match His (submission and repentance), and to tell others about him (confession). All of those are important but none of those put you in the family. If you have only done those things, you haven’t been born again – and you have to be born if you want to be in the family.
You may say, “how can I be born again?” and that’s a good question to ask. That is what Nicodemus asked after Jesus told him that unless you are born again you cannot enter into the kingdom (John 3:3). Such a statement naturally confused Nicodemus, who said “how can I re-enter my mothers womb and be born” (John 3:4)?
Jesus said, “you’re not thinking right. You’re thinking physically; you need to think spiritually. You have to be born of water and spirit” (John 3:5).
Now someone may say, “well the water here is a reference to person being born the first time (from the womb).” But the one who would say that clearly did not hear a word Jesus said. Because that is exactly what Nicodemus thought. Jesus said “I’m not talking about a person being born from the womb, into a physical family. I am talking about a person being born again (a new birth, separate from his physical birth), spiritually.”
Jesus is talking about a person entering into His spiritual family, and that involves “water” and “spirit.” The second birth involves “water” and the second birth involves “spirit.” It involves something I do and something God does.
And to that someone may say, “well I was baptized when I was young, so I am in the family…”
But water doesn’t save a person. God saves a person. Just getting dunked in water doesn’t matter a hill of beans if you’re not obeying God’s commands in God’s way for God’s reason. Just getting dunked in water based on false teaching or to be added to a man-made Church doesn’t matter one bit:
Salvation requires Obedience.
Obedience requires Knowledge.
Knowledge requires Truth.
If your truth is wrong, so too will be your knowledge. Thus your obedience will be false and your salvation non-existent.
Like Jesus said, you have to hear and be taught and learn, before you can be born by baptism into the family
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13
It is the greatest family of which man can be apart. Entry into it is not dependent on family ties or wealth or status or any other man-made thing. It is a family that transcends the earth and belongs to Heaven.
God is its Father.
Christ is its older brother.
Christian is its name.
Baptism is its point of entry.
Are you a part? If not, why not?
Think about it,
have a great day!
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