Everyone has a biological family, and you will always have your family! However, for those who come to faith in Christ, we also enter into a new family we well, a spiritual family. And this happens at the moment of our conversion:
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” -John 1:12-13 (NIV)
It’s clear we’re not in God’s family by natural birth. And also, your mother and father can’t decide you’re in the family of God. But at the moment you are born of God (born spiritually) you are born into God’s family:
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” – Galatians 3:26 (NIV)
When we put our faith in Christ, we are in His family. The early believers even referred to each other by family member names. The Apostle Paul told Timothy (a younger leader):
“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” -1 Timothy 5:1-2
They were calling each other brothers and sisters in the church! The older men and women in the church as fathers and mothers.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” -Ephesians 2:19
We are now to consider each other members of God’s household. And just like your physical family, a church family is to have long-term committed relationships. Paul wrote:
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
The relationships in the church were to be prioritized. This is how a family is to relationally operate, and that includes your church family!
Families are not perfect, but as one old famous preacher said about the church:
“Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.” – Charles Spurgeon
If you don’t currently have a local church family, we invite you to join Glen Arbor Community Church on Sundays @ 10 am at 204 Church Street in West Chicago, IL. As imperfect as we are, we strive to be a spiritual family, committed to one another because of our common faith in Jesus Christ!
