One of the more difficult truths of the Christian faith is Jesus’ reorientation of how and who we consider family. Once when Mary and the brothers Jesus were searching for him, he publicly questioned the reality of the physical family commitment as contrasted with the spiritual family by rhetorically asking, “Who is my mother and my brothers” (Mt 12:48; Mk 3:33; Lk 8:21).
For Jesus, his true family were those who did “the will” of the Father. We as Christians need to learn to reorient our understanding of family. Not by abandoning the needs of our physical family, but rather by elevating our commitments by the truth of our adoption into God’s family.
The consequences of living out the faith towards a new spiritual family are seen in Jesus’ warning from Matthew’s gospel: “Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and will have them killed. Everyone will hate you because you follow me. But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:21-22).
Ephesians 2:19-22
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
1. If you belong to Christ, you don’t belong in this world.
- Hebrews 11:16 – “Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one.”
2. If you belong to Christ, you are a citizen of heaven.
- Philippians 3:20 – “But our citizenship is in heaven…”
3. If you belong to Christ, you are in God’s family.
- Romans 8:15c-16 – “You received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
4. If you belong to Christ, your foundation is His Word.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 – “So the, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
5. If you belong to Christ, Jesus is your example and model.
- 1 John 2:6 – “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”
6. If you belong to Christ, you are called to cooperation.
- Ephesians 4:16 – “From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
7. If you belong to Christ, your family is where God’s Spirit lives.
- Mark 3 – “‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked…”
Application:
Live in God’s family as God’s children should live.