The Family of God

God gave his family different men, who complete different functions. The result of these men completing their function is:

• God's people are able to do God's work -- which should also include the function these men do.
• God's people move toward completeness.

This work -- the performance of these functions -- will continue until there is a oneness of faith, and a oneness of understanding Father, Son, and Spirit. God's family will reach spiritual maturity, and become complete. Our picture of what completeness is, is Jesus.

We won't chase around after new things. We won't be deceived by clever lies. We will understand the truth; and we will speak it with a new motivation. That is, we will be filled with love, and speak to truly benefit those around us.

We are becoming more, and more, like Jesus. But we are not clones. God designed each person, before the foundation of the world, to fill a particular place. Because of sin, we fail to do what we designed for. This process brings us back to our original design.

The current situation is lack God's people are a vast orchestra. Some people are playing clarinets, when they should be playing oboes. Some are using their flutes like drum sticks. Some are using their bows to pokes their neighbors. The tubas, trumpets, and trombones are gathering dust. And we are all supposed to be playing "Beethoven's Fifth". But some are playing "Roll Over Beethoven." And others "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." But God is working to bring us together into one focused harmony.

Some people focus on behavior modification. I choose to follow Jesus, so I need to change the stuff I do. T need to stop lying, stop getting hammered on the weekend. And I need to start reading the Bible, going to church, praying, and sharing the gospel. And all of these to-do's and to-don't's are important. But following, and growing, is more than crossing off stuff on a list.  

Jesus

The gospels are written by four different authors, with four different perspectives, and, maybe, four different intents.

Matthew seems to have written his gospel with the intent of demonstrating that Jesus was indeed the Jewish Messiah.

He begin with -- to most people -- a very boring genealogical list. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be Jewish, from the line of Abraham. They also believed the Messiah would be from the line of David. This genealogy was specifically intended to demonstrate Jesus fulfilled those requirements.

As I understand it, and I may be misinformed, the Jews kept genealogical records. If so, Matthew is giving a place of confirmation, or a place to disprove, his claim. Someone could go through the records and refute the claim that Jesus is the Messiah.

Moreover, he quotes Jesus fulfilling Messianic prophecy. In the section, concerning Jesus' birth, he cites several. Prophecies that Jesus could not manipulate, because he was in his mother's womb at the time.

• Birth city of Bethlehem.
• Born of a virgin.
• Living as a child in Egypt.
• Slaughter of the innocents.
• Living in Nazareth.

Someone searched the Scriptures, and counted fulfilled prophecies, concerning Christ's first coming at over 100. And calculated the odd of fulfilling 8, as one out of 10^17. (That's a one followed by 18 zeros.) 

To the Saints

"Identity" is a picture people have of themselves, based on values, experiences, and interactions with other people. It is how people answer questions like: Who am I? Do I have value? What is my role in the world?

All too often, the answers we give ourselves, to these questions, are lies. We give ourselves the answer that we think is true. However, what we believe is a lie.

The Holy Spirit makes his home with his children. One reason, he does this is: he transforms our spiritual DNA. He works in our lives from the inside out. Because, if he changes the inside, the outside follows along, and behaves in accordance with the inside. And part of that change is our self-picture.

Most of the New Testament letters are addressed to the "saints" or "the holy ones." For a lot of people, a saint, or holy one, is someone, who is especially pious, and does something really awesome. Or we think of someone who is especially moral. Someone, who is holy, and practically perfect in every way. (Mary Poppins?)

In the original language, "holy" means "other" or "different." So, holy does not necessarily mean morally perfect.

God is holy, because he is morally perfect, unlike anyone else. He is also all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, totally just,  and totally loving. There is no other. 

And God has designed a way to live. It is based on his character. It is perfect. And he follows it with perfection. God is the only one to live in perfect integrity, and to have never been a hypocrite.

There is also, in holiness, a sense of being different, because something is set apart for something special. Like the special china, that a family only uses at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

If God's people are also holy, how does that happen?

All people are born into a state of rebellion against the character, and word of God. But people can choose a different way. They can turn back to God, and follow his design of creation.

And, even though we are rebels, he receives us into his family. We are received, because Jesus paid the penalty for sin -- past, present and future -- for every person -- past, present, and future.

So, God's people are holy, because they have returned to God, redeemed by Jesus, and they have agreed with God about how life should be lived. They not only agree, they seek to practice the lifestyle they agree with.

So, what does this say about the self-picture we should have?

Eternal LIfe

Right before the crucifixion, Jesus was praying. He was yearning for the Father to be glorified. And Father would be glorified as Jesus gave eternal life to those in his family, to those who gave him allegiance. 

When people think of eternal life, there are certain things that come to mind. Many think in terms of time. That is, it's eternal. Some think of heaven. There is perfection -- no sorrow, no pain, no disease.

And Jesus says: "This is eternal life: knowing Father, and knowing Jesus."

Eternal life is forever. It is a joyous, blissful state of being. But most of all, it is a relationship.

I have suggested -- at least as a metaphor -- the concept of "spiritual fuels." 

To function optimally, a car engines needs gas, oil, coolant, grease, and, maybe, window washer fluid. 

To function optimally, what does a human body need? So, we do not get bogged down in minutia: sufficient quantities of protein, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbs, etc. (Obviously, we could get a lot more detailed.)

To function optimally, what does the human inner core need? A representative, but probably not exhaustive list is: love, purpose, community, beauty, peace, joy, and creativity. A couple of these can be seen to involve relationship. Because we are designed by Father, a mandatory part of optimal living is a relationship with Father.

One reason why people seem to have it together, and, therefore, have no desire to seek a relationship with Father, is because a lot of this other stuff is in place.

Father wants us to have all that stuff, and a relationship with him too. Moreover, a relationship with Father enhances, empowers, and accentuates all that other stuff too. It becomes more, and better. Love is more and better. Beauty is more and better. Community is more and better.

For those in God's family, eternal life is, in some ways, in the future, but, in some ways, it is now. We know Father now. We have a relationship with Father now. We have eternal life now.