A New Family
Ephesians 1:4-5a (NLT) - Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:15-16 (NLT) - So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
The desire to belong is hard-wired inside the human heart, and God has never wanted you to be alone. It has been his plan that you would be connected to Him and to others. God views you as more than his follower; He views you as his child. Christians are considered a family. You now have brothers and sisters in Christ.
Many people have good feelings about having a family, but if your family life has been less than loving, then the idea of a new family might not sound so good. It is important to remember that although God is the perfect father, no family is perfect – not even his. But brothers and sisters in Christ are bonded together by the Almighty and All-Loving God and that unique identity supersedes our imperfections as people. What God has in mind for His Family is something everyone needs.
God has made his children a family to provide a “place” where you can be known and loved: a place of support and comfort and encouragement, a place where joy and heartaches can be shared. A place where even a “hard to hear” truth about ourselves can be spoken to us in our best interest: a place where forgiveness is a way of life. God’s plan is that brothers and sisters in Christ will help each other grow. You are part of a family that believes in each other because of what Jesus has done in them. You are not casual friends. There is a spiritual power in your connection with each other; you have a vision of who each other is and could become as your new lives in Christ are realized. You need each other.
You are a team. You, as a family, have the privilege of taking the message of Jesus to the world. You have the honor of being the hands and feet of Jesus. Together, you serve others and join your voices with God’s to invite more people into His family. As your lives have been changed, you invite others to experience this, too. Together, you live out God’s heart for the world to see.
More: Galatians 6:9-10, Ephesians 2:19, 1 John 3:9