WE R FAMILY!

WE ARE FAMILY!

If you are a Christian as I am, did you know we are family? That's right! According to Scripture, we are related through the glorious Gospel, family by adoption because we see a mutual duty to do the will of the Father. I have many children in Christ, and these call me "Father" or "Dad", and call my wife "Mom" or "Mommy". I have a daughter in Trinidad, and one in Qatar, and I've lost track how many in the Philippines. I have a son in Mindanao, and another in Ghana. These readily call me Dad, and I call them son or daughter. I also have brothers and sisters in Christ. In India, and South Africa, and even Pakistan. Now you're probably thinking I must be crazy adopting people I haven't met, but according to Scripture, I'm doing exactly what Jesus wants me to do. Shall we go for a spin through the Bible and see what I mean?
"I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." (1 Cor. 4:14 - 15) Here Paul makes plain to the Corinthians that through the Gospel he has adopted them as their spiritual father, to which you might say, "Whaaaaat?"
"Then one said unto Him, 'Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee.' But He answered and said unto him that told Him, 'Who is My mother? And who are My brethren?' And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, 'Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.'" (Matt. 12:47 - 50) This is that wonderful place in the Gospel that unites all Christians in the spirit of adoption as family! Verily I tell you that I have family of my blood who are not family in the Spirit, nor are some of my in-laws related in Spirit; no, not even to my wife! If they heard this, they would be aghast, but it is true! "Why would you say this?" they might ask. Why?
"Not every one that saith unto Me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21) Jesus said it this simply. We who do the will of the Father are family, and He will recognize us, and remember our actions demonstrating we are His sheep and not the devil's goats, and we will be one big happy family in heaven. Now there will be some who think they are a sheep, but in fact, they are goats, and many will remain so to their last breath, and Jesus has something to say about them, but it is not that they have been adopted! "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.'" (Matt. 7:22 - 23) The reason the Master never knew these people is because they had no relationship with Him.  Now one might say to themselves, "How do we identify these goats? If they are doing works in His name, how are they not one of His sheep?" I have an answer for that written by Paul... "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (1 Cor. 13:1 - 3) It's who in the world are they doing these things for that matters to God! Is that person doing it for themselves and out of selfishness, or are they doing it for God? If they're doing things on TV that seem for God, if they're writing books with Christian topics, their picture on the covers, that could be a clue. I'm not the judge of their hearts, but they can't hide their intentions from God. You don't hear me saying if I don't get some multimillion dollar donation amount by such a time, God is going to take me home, but I've heard tell of it said by one I might suspect a goat. Another has a best seller out, and she had a "nip and tuck" done, and woe unto her if Jesus tell her He never knew her! Relatives say they're saved, and have a ministry, yet there is no transformation to prove they've been converted; they still live in an ungodly manner, unmarried, four children, and condemning others. You smell goat?
Should a Christian call an unbeliever family? Paul gives us the answer to this; "And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (2 Cor. 6:15) So how can we call a nonChristian "brother" while he has not accepted Christ as Savior? Or how can we call a young woman "daughter" if she knows only a false god, such as Dagon of the Old Testament false gods? "Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)" (2 Chron. 6:30) I would like cveryone reading this to note what is written in the parentheses of this verse of Scripture. God knows the hearts of us all! If you are doing something for yourself instead of God, you can fool every person who thinks you are soooooo religious, but in His eyes, you are so busted! So why am I talking about the placement of love discerning whether or not a person is a sheep or a goat? Look again above at what Paul said about not having charity. Charity is unselfish love. It is love for anyone but yourself. If he didn't have charity for the others or for God, it didn't profit him anything! If I buy a bunch of poor people bags of rice, but I did it to look religious instead of because I pitied the people and was moved with compassion for them, then I profited nothing by doing so! God knows what is on my heart for motivation, and if it's not candid love for other than myself, it's so much hay and wood!
Now I present you how a father in the Spirit of the gospel spoke to his spiritual son in those days..."Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine," (1 Tim. 1:2 - 3) Let's give this a little study. Paul is greeting Timothy as though he were his own son, and he speaks a blessing on him at the first. Additionally, he is giving him directions, instructions on what he wants him to do. Now Timothy is a good son in Christ, and will do what Paul is instructing him to do, as all children in Christ would be expected to obey the instructions of their parents. After all, if a child cannot obey their parents, how more so will they rebel against Christ?
"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Eph. 4:11 - 15) So while we are all family, we also have different functions toward each other. Some are listed here in this letter to the Ephesians, but also, we are servants to one another. Yes, servants to our family in Christ. I have a God-given brother who serves Christ (and me) by proofreading what I write before I post it, that whatever you whom we serve read might be most correct, because we revere His word, and God forbid that we should agree on any issue that could be regarded as false doctrine! We serve well to bring the truth, but anything less would be dreadful!
"He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. Then cometh He to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto Him, 'Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?' Jesus answered and said unto him, 'What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.' Peter saith unto Him, 'Thou shalt never wash my feet.' Jesus answered him, 'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me.' Simon Peter saith unto Him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.' Jesus saith to him, 'He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.'" (John 13:4 - 10) Jesus was always setting the example, and here is no different. Of course, most Christians realize Jesus was serving His apostles by symbolically washing them clean of their sins, forgiving them, and is setting the example that we need forgive one another, because, after all, we are family! Let me speak more of family and of goats...
"Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, Saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.'" (Matt. 23:1 - 12) Ah, the Pharisees; religious? No. They know religion, but they don't practice it, for then they would be religious! These are the goats that would say to Jesus, 'Lord, Lord'. Okay, I know it's coming. Someone is going to notice that Jesus said not to call anyone your father on the earth. What's going on with Paul having Timothy acknowledge him as his spirituaL father?
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:" (2 Cor. 1:1) "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Tim. 1:2) Now I've really confused you, perhaps, by writing two pieces of Scripture wherein one has Paul addressing Timothy as "brother", and another as "son". The fact of the matter is, Paul has used these two terms as addresses of endearment, not that he should lord his apostleship over Timothy so much as being in place of the heavenly Father, but rather as considering Timothy as family in Christ, perfect endearment according to what Christ meant concerning His adopted family, those who do the will of the Father!
We also have a selection of Scripture where Paul denotes one to be considered a sister; "I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also." (Rom. 16:1 - 2) And we have yet another where he calls all the men of Corinth brothers (brethren)! "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Cor. 1:10) How different we are now, that we have divisions called denominations, and how sad that many in some denominations consider everyone in the other denominations heretics instead of family, whether they speak it or keep it only as thought.
"And John answered Him, saying, 'Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.' But Jesus said, 'Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me. For he that is not against us is on our part.'" (Mark 9:38 - 40) So what reason do I have for writing this piece of Scripture? Let me add this: "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. 12:3) Let the other denominations be considered family in Christ, so long as they agree He is Lord, Savior, and God, and let Him handle the differences that separate us into denominations. Whoever does not confess that Jesus is God, that He died on the cross to save us from all our sins, and rose from the dead, and He is Lord and Savior, these R not family, but collateral damage and antiChrists. These we pray for, that God would save them, open their eyes, and redeem them!