Entering Into Relationship With God And His Family (Explanation)
1. To understand that the Christian life is not believing in a set of guidelines for living but a relationship with a living God.
2. A Christian can be sure of his salvation based on this relationship with God.
3. To realize that this relationship involves becoming a part of the family of God - that this is a whole package - one cannot enter into one without entering into the other.
1. The Bible describes salvation as being born again and thus becoming a child of God. The meaning of the Greek of John 3:3 is "born from above." In other words, it is a new birth that is wrought from God – born of God. John 3:6 says that what is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Salvation opens up a father-son relationship with God. It is important for the new Christian to realize that Christianity is not a set of rules to follow, but a relationship with God. As with any relationship, it needs to be developed and maintained. This new relationship is a love relationship.
2. God's love and acceptance of us is not based on performance, but rather on the fact that we are His child. It is unconditional. It is based on relationship. This is so contrary to the way many human families function. Often human parents love their children only when they are being good, or when they do well in school, etc. Human love is often conditional. That is why it is so important for us to understand God's love.
In the parable of the Prodigal Son , we see a most beautiful picture of God's love for His child. In fact, God's love for us is the best picture of what a parent's love is supposed to be for the child. God's love for the Christian is unconditional. It is not based upon our performance. The Father loves His child just as much when the child has ran away as when the child was with Him. Although the child has wandered away into all sorts of sins, the Father is still eagerly waiting for the child to come back. The only reason why the Father loves the child is because he is the son.
The Father has given His children a free will to choose their own way. When the child wants to go into sin, even though the Father tried to prevent him, He still allows him to do so. Sometimes, allowing us to wander into sin can become a way for God to discipline us - for us to learn the hard way that the way of sin is destructive and harms us. The Devil comes "to kill and steal and destroy". It is the desire of the Father to give us life to the full. Following the way of the world will only lead to harm.
When we are in sin, we are still the child of the Father, even though we do not feel that way and want to say to the Father, "I am no longer worthy to be called your son." When we are in sin, the Father is waiting for us to turn back to Him and confess our sins (1 John 1:9). According to this parable, how does God respond to our confession of sin and turning back to Him? Was He reluctant to accept us?
3. When we sin, we do not cease to become the child of God. However, a barrier in our relationship exists. This barrier needs to be removed in order to normalise our relationship. This is done by confession of our sins. When we do so, God WILL ALWAYS forgive our sins. In fact He is eager to do so. (e.g. My daughter does not cease to become my daughter when she does wrong. But, there will be some hindrance to our relationship until she admits her fault and is forgiven.)
4. In the family of God there are rules for operation. These rules are for the benefit of those who are members of this family. It is important for us to know these rules. They are recorded for us in the Word of God. That is why it is so important for the Christian to know the Word of God. Some of these rules are as follows:
A. 1 Peter 2:2 Milk for the baby = Word of God
B. 1 John 5:1-3; John 14:21 Love God = obey God
C. 1 John 2:15,16 Love God = not love the world
5. Becoming a child of God means to become a member of the household of God. In God's house, one functions differently to the households of the world. In fact, God's dealings in His household give us the model for the Christian family.
1. We have no choice as to whether we want to be a part of the family of God or not. The moment we become a child of God, we become a member of God's family. (The moment I was born into my father and mother’s family, I immediately become a brother to my other siblings.) As a family member, we must relate to other family members and learn to love and care for them. This is not an option. Anyone who loves God will love His family – His church. Those who do not love the church do not love God.
The person who does not love the brothers and sisters but say that he/she loves God is deceiving himself/herself. (1 John 4:19-20) The bible calls him/her a LIAR.
2. God has never intended for the Christian to live the Christian life on his own. Some Christians say, "My faith is a very individual thing. It is OK as long as I love God." The Bible says that this is wrong. It is impossible for a person to say that he/she loves God and yet not love the church - the family of God.
Of course, our love may not be perfect. We do not suddenly love our brothers and sisters totally. However, the desire to love will be a natural part of being born into the family of God. You will naturally and gradually change. At first our love may stay at the desire stage, but gradually it will progress to the emotional stage.
3. Love is not something we just talk about or a concept in our mind. Love is action. It is lived out in our lives. 1 John 3:16; 4:10 tells us that love means laying down our lives for others. This means sacrifice. If I love someone, I am willing to give up a part of myself - my time, my money, my thinking time, my prayer time, my heart, my home, etc. to that person.
4. A person who has this love for the church can also be sure that he/she has this love for God who is the head of the family of God. 1 John 4:16 says, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
To love our brothers and sisters means to love that which God loves. Moreover, we are to follow the way of Jesus in loving, i.e. by laying down our lives for them. How can "laying down our lives" for our brothers and sisters be practically lived out in our lives? How can we learn to sacrifice for others?
