Day 15: Formed for God's Family

..::*+ Small Talk +*::..
Now then I realize how important my spectacle is. And it's just the same: How important God is to me. I could not imagine a day without God.

My purpose, my purpose. Yes, that is my purpose. I enjoy doing it.

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Day 15: Formed for God's Family

The fact is that our God wants to create a family, and we are all included in His this great plan. Second purpose of life: You are created to be a part of His family.

He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His please and will.
Ephesians 1:5

God is love, and thus He treasures relationships. The Trinity - Father, Son, and Spirit - is a form of family, a perfect pattern for relational harmony, which its implications worth of us to study. But as mentioned in previous entries, God has never been lonely. He did not need a family, He desired one. That is why He created plans to bring us to His family. Or rather should I say, He wants to bring us back to the family, after all, we are all His creation. He wants to share with us all that He has.

It was a happy day for Him when He gave us our new lives, through the truth of His Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in His new family.
James 1:18 Living Bible

God is our Father, and we are His children, other Christians are our brothers and sisters, and church is our spiritual family. The family of God includes all believers from the past, present, and the future.

Everyone is created by God, but not everyone is a child of God.

The way to get into God's family is by being born again into it.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life

Actually, the invitation card has been sent to everyone. We are all invited to join God's family. But there is a condition: faith in Jesus.

You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:26

I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

We can see here that we need to have faith in Jesus Christ to be in this family. This spiritual family will last forever throughout eternity.

It is a much stronger union, a more permanent bond, than blood relationship.
Rick Warren- The Purpose Driven Life

Benefits of Being in God's Family-

We receive various birthday gifts when we are spiritually born into God's family: family name, family likeliness, family privileges, family intimate access, and the family inheritance.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:7

But what exactly this inheritance includes?
1. We will get to be with God forever.
2. We will be completely changed to be like Christ.
3. We will be freed from all pain, death, and suffering.
4. We will be rewarded and reassigned positions of service.
5. We get to share Christ's glory.

All these were stated in the Bible. What a lot of inheritance that we will get!

God has given us new birth into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you.
1. Peter 1:4

This inheritance is eternal inheritance, not retirement, is what we should be looking forward to and working for.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for me, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24

Baptism: Identifying with God's Family-

Your family have family pride. And all of the members are not ashamed to be recognized as part of the family. Same goes with your spiritual family. Baptism signifies your inclusion in God's family.

"I am not ashamed to be part of God's family." Say this out loud. Remember Jesus' Great Commission? In Matthew 28:18, Jesus asked His disciples to evangelize and spread the Good News, baptizing disciples in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism symbolizes your second purpose for your life: Participating in the fellowship of God's eternal family.

I still remembered last time when I was taught by Aunty Lily about baptism. What does Baptism mean?
Baptism comes from a Greek word, βαπτίζω (baptízô) which means "immerse" or "submerge". It means immerse those who repent and follow Jesus. It is not about the amount of water, but about the faith of the person being baptized. It demonstrates 3 things:
1. A ceremony of washing. By blood of Jesus, we are cleansed of our sins. The water symbolizes this cleansing from sin.
2. A ceremony of crossing over from kingdom of darkness into kingdom of God, kingdom of light.
3. A funeral ceremony - followed by a resurrection.

Baptism is an act of initiation. It does not make you a member of God's family - only faith in Christ does that. Baptism shows that we are part of God's family.

Life Greatest Privilege-

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.
Hebrews 2:11

God is proud of you. And you are part of His family. Let this truth fill yourself.

Being included in God's family is the highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life

One day, if you feel unimportant, unloved, insecure, being left out, or lonely, remember to whom you belong. Remember you are not lonely as you think you are. He is always there for you.



Vincent