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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Pastoral Ponderings ~ The Brotherhood of Love


          In the midst of the world’s present turmoil and danger, there is a brotherhood of love that gives me profound hope. My hope is not in this world, or making this world a better place. My hope is not in surviving the economic and physical attacks on my family of faith. My hope is in my heavenly Father who has chosen to adopt people like me to be in his family, in my big Brother who has given his life so that my adoption could take place, and in the Holy Spirit who lives in and among the family of God while we wait for Jesus to come and take us home.
          The verse that has stirred up such wonderful feelings about the brotherhood of love is what Paul wrote to the churches, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”[1]
          When I consider the term “my brothers,” I see Paul putting everyone in the church on level ground. He is not above these brothers in some impossible kind of works-based living that no one else could attain. In his old life, under the law, that is what was true, and it is what he wanted. But in the church, even his apostolic calling did not give him special status. He was alive in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and had nothing in which to boast. [2]
          Our relationship to Paul as his brothers is based on the wonderful work of redemption that makes believers into the sons of God. Paul described it like this:
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.[3]
          Paul’s point here is that, because God’s people are no longer under the guardianship of the law, the distinctions created by the law are no longer in effect. The rules about slaves and masters are gone. The distinctions between the religious elite of Israel, and the idolatrous pagans, is gone. The distinctions between men and women, although still there as far as creation is concerned, are no longer defined by the law.
          The writer of Hebrews continues these thoughts:
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”[4]
          Notice first that the work of God is described as, “bringing many sons to glory.”[5] Now, if God the Father has adopted us as his sons, what is our relationship to Jesus, the Son of God? Paul gave us this glorious explanation: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”[6]
          It is no wonder that Paul would speak of us as “my brothers” since even Jesus speaks of us as his brothers. When Paul speaks of “my brothers,” he is speaking to the family of God in the ONLY relationship that exists. Even Jesus Christ, the highest possible “position” in the family of God, is the firstborn brother. His exalted status as King of kings and Lord of lords[7] is as our firstborn brother. To those who do not know him, even to Satan his arch enemy, Jesus is the terrible judge. But to the brothers, he is our firstborn brother.
          This is so encouraging when I think of it in relation to where we left off in the book of Revelation.[8]
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”[9]
          In heaven there will be a “great multitude that no one could number,” who are the “many brothers,” of the Lord Jesus Christ. What this Scripture brings out so clearly is that this “great multitude” has no distinction from each other because of “nation… tribes… peoples… languages.” This is the same as what Paul wrote that there is “neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”[10]
          It does not matter how we describe our earthly features, or placement, or identity, or relationships. In God’s household we are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we are all brothers to Jesus and each other. While it may often look like there are only a few who have found that narrow road to paradise,[11] the few who travel there from every nation, and tribe, and people group, and language, and any other distinction that human beings create, add up to a great multitude that no one can number.
          This also ties in with God’s promise to Abraham. God said to him, “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.”[12]When we read in the book of Revelation that there will be “a great multitude that no one could number,” we are seeing a picture of God fulfilling what he began.
          We have already seen that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith,”[13]and that “you are all one in Christ Jesus.”[14] But then Paul continues with, “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”[15]
          Why is it so important that all of us who have faith in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, see ourselves as Abraham’s offspring? At least in part, it is because we must understand that the church is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that he would have such a great multitude of offspring that we would be like “the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.”[16]
          Or, that we who have faith in Jesus Christ, who are the promised offspring of Abraham, are the “great multitude that no one could number.”[17]
          Or, that it was God’s plan and purpose to conform us to the image of his Son so that Jesus could be the firstborn over “many brothers.”
          What Jesus loves to do in his family is “tell of your name to my brothers.”[18]Jesus, our firstborn brother, loves to tell of the Father’s name, and glory, and goodness, to his brothers. We are “the congregation,” the brotherhood of believers. It is to us, the congregation, the many sons, the many brothers, that Jesus will sing to us the praises of God.
          Which reminds me of this gloriously wonderful prophecy: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”[19]
          Jesus’ very name, Immanuel, means, “God with us.”[20] Jesus said he would be with us to the end of the age.[21]He will be with us in the home he is presently preparing for us in heaven.[22]When the great multitude of brothers is together, we will hear what it is like for Jesus to sing over us, singing the praises of our Father, exulting over us who, even now, he is not ashamed to identify as his brothers.
          I am thankful to be part of the only brotherhood in the world that makes people like me into sons of God, and brothers to our Lord Jesus Christ. I would not have known such a thing was possible, except it is so clearly revealed in my Father’s book. It builds my hope in the future fulfillment of God’s promises to his children, and my faith to live through these perilous times with eyes fixed on Jesus, just to know that my place in this brotherhood is sealed and secure forever.

© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)





[1] Philippians 4:1
[2] Ephesians 2:8-9
[3] Galatians 3:25-28 (This does not deny the distinctions of Jew or Greek, or the instructions Paul gave to slaves and masters as distinct relationships in the church, or the Scriptural revelations about God’s design for men and women, or the instructions to husbands and wives. Paul is talking about our identity in Jesus Christ under the gospel as opposed to all the distinctions that existed under the law. Now that the law has gone and the gospel has come, everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ experiences the same adoption as sons of God.)
[4] Hebrews 2:10-12
[5] This does not say “many sons and daughters to glory.” Neither does this exclude girls and women because “daughters” is not mentioned. Instead, this reiterates the glorious picture that God has saved sinners to be saints. He has adopted orphans to be sons. He has no different levels of relationship with him. He created us in the image of his Son, and so he makes us all into sons.
[6] Romans 8:29
[7] Revelation 17:14, 19:16
[8] Our home church began a long journey through the book of Revelation that was first interrupted with some wonderful assurances from the book of I John, and then with the present study of how to live in the light of Philippians 2:12-13. When we return to Revelation, it will be to continue assuring ourselves in the security and hope of the “great multitude” that will worship the Triune God for our wonderful gift of adoption.
[9] Revelation 7: 9-10
[10] Galatians 3:28
[11] Matthew 7:14
[12] Genesis 22:17
[13] Galatians 3:26
[14] Galatians 3:28
[15] Galatians 3:29
[16] Genesis 22:17
[17] Revelation 7:9
[18] Hebrews 10:12
[19] Zephaniah 3:17
[20] Matthew 1:23
[21] Matthew 28:20
[22] John 14:1-3

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