Family

It just happened today that I was thinking of our family and the many different nationalities that are represented in it. That got me thinking of how many different scriptures can be found in the bible about what family really is according to our Savior Jesus Christ.

In Luke 8:19-21 It says the following,

"Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.: But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

It is startling to see that response from our Savior, Jesus Christ. I think of how many denominations are out there representing the Christian Church and how confusing it must be to those who don't know Jesus Christ. Denominations have their own set of traditions, laws, sessions, beliefs but in God's Word and through out His Word He says:

John 17:20-21 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one as You, Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me."

How is the world going to know that Christians are united in Spirit and in truth if they observe separation of those who say they belong to Christ? How is it that we so freely put other believers under the law when in Galatians God speaks against that?

Listen to what Titus 2:11- 15 says,

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purity for Himself His own special people zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

My sisters and brothers in Christ I hope that each one of us will search our own hearts and trust His Word alone. The Holy Spirit lives inside each one of us as believers. He, the Holy Spirit is our guide and teacher and He does go to our Father for us.

In 1 Corinthians 2: 12 it says,

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. vs.16 says For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?”

But we have the mind of Christ. Each one of us who know Him!

All of this leads to this conclusion. Since we have the Holy Spirit and if you are in God's Word He will convict us as His children to live righteously before Him. Listen to Him and obey Him for He loves you more than family or those who set themselves in authority over you as a Christian.

There is so much more my heart wants to say but I will trust Him above everything else and I will trust that those who are "stuck" in traditions for pleasing men rather than God; that you will search His beautiful Word and begin living in freedom instead of bondage which doesn't come from our beautiful Savior Jesus Christ!

Close and Personal:

1. Have you given the thought of who your real family is?

2. Has the Holy Spirit convicted you of how we can be so entrenched in tradition that we don't reach out to other believers that are not in our own Sunday service?

3. Have you ever thought of after leaving your building on Sunday morning going to another church down the street and just saying hello to another fellow believer?

"Dear Heavenly Father we love you! You love us and we thank you for that! You are so long suffering and I often wonder what you must think of us sometimes when we don't pay attention to those who are not in our own buildings on Sunday mornings. Help us to be loving and kind to all who are your children and are believers in Jesus Christ so the outsiders may not have any malign thing to say to us! Thank you again my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for who you are and for dying for us! In Your precious Son's name, Amen!"

In Him,

Join Elaine daily at her personal site.

Technorati Tags: division,denomination,bible,savior,jesus christ,elaine bateman,family,women,proverbs,teaching,doctrine,reproof,God,Lord