Family talk

Hi Ladies,

In light of the brunch this morning, I wanted to take this week to remind us of what God says about our church. 

If you read through the New Testament, you will find multiple metaphors or pictures used to describe His people. Just to highlight a few of the primary ones, we are a temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17), a priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9), strangers and exiles (Heb. 11:13), a body (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15), and a bride (Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 21:2, 9; 22:17). 

But the most pervasive description of those who are in Christ is that of a family. The Greek word adelphos, translated "brother," or "brothers/brothers and sisters" in the plural, is found at least 340 times in the New Testament! While some of the occurrences refer to biological family, the majority refer to the spiritual family. God sent Christ into the world to bring us back to Himself and fulfill His unbreakable, relational covenant. "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (1 Jn. 3:1) 

It's amazing! 

Notice, though, that salvation did not only bring us into a personal relationship with God. John didn't say "that we should be called a child of God," though that is true. He said, "children." Salvation has brought us into relationship with every other son and daughter of His! We have been saved into a family. 

This universal family stretches both back in time and forward. And that certainly is glorious. But we find the New Testament writers focusing primarily on the local, located family - the brothers and sisters gathered in the local church at a particular time and place.

As a family, we have responsibilities toward one another. Just as fathers and mothers are called to train their children, so spiritual fathers and mothers are instructed to do the same (Tit. 2:1-4; 2 Tim. 2:2). Just as children are to respect their parents and love their siblings, Paul challenges young believers to do the same with their elders and their peers (1 Tim. 5:1-2). Even as blood families provide for one another, support one another, rejoice with, cry with, admonish, encourage, spend time with, etc., we find all these "one anothers" given to the spiritual family. (If you don't know the passages I'm talking about, I encourage you to study this for yourself!) 

It's clear from Scripture that we have a great responsibility towards our spiritual family. This in no way minimizes responsibilities toward our biological family, but rather expands our calling. Our spiritual family is one that will last for eternity. (Lord willing, your biological family is also your spiritual family - your husband as "brother," your son or daughter as "brother" or "sister," your mom as "sister," etc. God, may You accomplish Your powerful work where this is not yet the case. 🙏🏼) 

In a day and culture where individualism, sexism, abuse, objectification, the breakdown of the family and the deification of self bombard us from all sides, we cannot lose sight of God's true, good and beautiful design for the family of Christ, and more specifically for the local family here at Abingdon Bible Church. This doesn't mean we live naively or ignore sin. We know that messiness exists within the church family too. Despite our unity in the Spirit, we don't always live like we are Spirit-filled. This family at ABC, if it hasn't already, will get under your skin, or misunderstand, or disappoint, or maybe even hurt or sin against you. 

This is not as it "ought" to be. And yet, we have something stronger than human blood to bind us. We have the precious blood of Christ. And we have His Spirit in us, convicting us, changing us, and reminding us of our unity, and our future. And so, we groan together, waiting for the day when all sin will be fully and finally eradicated. And we continually seek to live toward who we are becoming, and will one day be perfectly, forever… a glorious family. 

Let's pray for our family this week, that we would each grow in our understanding of and ability to live out our God-given responsibilities within this family - for His glory, our good, and also for the watching world who desperately needs to see this good and beautiful truth lived well! ❤️🙏🏼

Anna