Letters of Paul: 30-Day Reading PlanSample

What It Means to Be a Member of God’s Family

When we ask Jesus into our lives, we become a part of His family forever. The same way that an adopted child takes on all the rights and responsibilities of a child who came through childbirth, when we join Jesus’ family, we join forever, and we take on all the same rights and responsibilities Jesus has as God’s firstborn (Ephesians 4:1-5).

Each of us brings different gifts and abilities to the family, so it’s not surprising that we each have vital responsibilities in the family, and when everyone is working in harmony under God’s guidance, the family is powerful and unstoppable, accomplishing His will.

Paul describes the family of God as a body in perfect health. When we’re moving in harmony with Jesus and each other, “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesian 4:16).

Psalms 10 gives us a picture of who we used to be, the wicked person who uses his abilities to advance himself at any cost, and who we still would be had we not been adopted into God’s family.

In Jesus’ family, we receive a new identity. As we learn who we are in Christ, we develop new desires and new family values. “… we put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesian 4:24).

As we embrace this new identity, we begin to talk and think as our heavenly Father does. We begin to see that we are all one body; so when one person wins, we all win. It begins to feel natural to put others first, to be truthful, and to love and forgive one another as Christ loves and forgives us.

We find that rather than pursuing our own gain we want to build others up and see every member of the family grow into maturity, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesian 4:13).

Reflect:

• What is your role in the family?
  
• How does it affect the family if everyone isn’t doing their part? What does the church miss out on? What do you miss out on?