On This Day: When We Become Family to Jesus

   And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35)

   I remember the day I was talking with our Father in heaven about some things that happened to me and suddenly the word “ORPHAN!” flashed into my mind like the title on a movie screen. I immediately felt a mixture of pain and comfort because that one word explained everything I thought about myself.

   God has not allowed me what I call “the luxury” of being a church-goer who gets away with saying that Christians don’t have family-issues, or the wounds of childhood trauma, or fear-based identities that are contributed to by church people who deny the kinds of things Christians bring with them to church!

   God’s word declares that the same God who “determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names,” also “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3-4). 

   “Brokenhearted” is synonymous with “blessed are the poor in spirit”, and “blessed are those who mourn”. It is anyone who knows that we are sinners in need of a Savior. These are the ones God comforts, forgives, heals, and restores, which includes becoming part of his family.

   The Scriptures are full of the truth that whoever believes in Jesus Christ becomes a member of his family. Paul wrote, 

“In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:4-6). 

   I know some people think it is nit-picking to point this out, but the new translations are wrong to replace “sons” with “sons and daughters”. God deliberately presents one group of people with no distinctions between them. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ discovers that they were already predestined to be adopted as a son of God.

   This is why Paul clarified, “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” (Galatians 3:28). He did not mean that everything he said to differentiate between men and women, husbands and wives, or even slaves and masters, was invalid. He meant that in our spiritual standing as God’s family, we are all “one in Christ”, all the same, all sons.

   So many Christians are familiar with the promise of God, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” However, many miss what Paul said in the next verse to show what this means, “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” (Romans 8:28-29). 

   Again, if your translation says “brothers and sisters” it is destroying the very words of God. Jewish and Gentile believers are all brothers to Jesus Christ.  Slave and free believers are all brothers to Jesus Christ. Male and female believers are all brothers to Jesus Christ. There is only ONE people of God, and although there are instructions regarding our earthly distinctions, they have nothing to do with the way God sees us as his family. 

   Jesus Christ died to secure the salvation of all God planned to adopt as his sons. Jesus never denied his earthly family, but he showed that even they (Mary included) had to become his spiritual family by grace through faith and share in the glorious gift of God called “adoption as sons”. 

   No matter whether family has given us the most trauma we have ever experienced, or the best relationships we have ever known, seeking first the kingdom and righteousness of God means becoming Jesus’ family above everything and everyone else. But always in the hope that our earthly family will join our spiritual family as well. 

© 2024 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com 

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)