The Family of God

1
The Family of God

• For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of
  our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole
  family in heaven and earth is named
• (Ephesians 314-15)

2
The Family of God

• God is the Father(John 842-44)

3
John 842-44

• Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you
  would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came
  from God nor have I come of Myself, but He sent
  Me. 43Why do you not understand My speech?
  Because you are not able to listen to My word.
  44You are of your father the devil, and the
  desires of your father you want to do. He was a
  murderer from the beginning, and does not stand
  in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
  resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

4
The Family of God

• God is the Father(John 842-44)
• Christ is the Elder Brother(Romans 816-17
  Galatians 44-5)

5
Romans 816-17

• The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit
  that we are children of God, 17and if children,
  then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with
  Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may
  also be glorified together.

6
Galatians 44-5

• But when the fullness of the time had come, God
  sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under
  the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law,
  that we might receive the adoption as sons.
• Christ begotten
• Us - adopted

7
The Family of God

• God is the Father(John 842-44)
• Christ is the Elder Brother(Romans 816-17
  Galatians 44-5)
• Children of God (John 33-5 1 Jn. 31-2)

8
John 33-5

• Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly,
  I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot
  see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus said to Him,
  How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
  enter a second time into his mother's womb and be
  born? 5Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to
  you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

9
1 John 31-2

• Behold what manner of love the Father has
  bestowed on us, that we should be called children
  of God! Therefore the world does not know us,
  because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are
  children of God and it has not yet been revealed
  what we shall be, but we know that when He is
  revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see
  Him as He is.

10
The Family of God

• God is the Father(John 842-44)
• Christ is the Elder Brother(Romans 816-17
  Galatians 44-5)
• Children of God (John 33-5 1 Jn. 31-2)
• In His Image (cf. John 842-44)

11
John 842-44

• Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you
  would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came
  from God nor have I come of Myself, but He sent
  Me. 43Why do you not understand My speech?
  Because you are not able to listen to My word.
  44You are of your father the devil, and the
  desires of your father you want to do. He was a
  murderer from the beginning, and does not stand
  in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
  resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

12
The Family of God

• God is the Father(John 842-44)
• Christ is the Elder Brother(Romans 816-17
  Galatians 44-5)
• Children of God (John 33-5 1 Jn. 31-2)
• In His Image (cf. John 842-44)
• Recipients of Divine Chastening (Hebrews 128-11)

13
Hebrews 128-11

• But if you are without chastening, of which all
  have become partakers, then you are illegitimate
  and not sons. 9Furthermore, we have had human
  fathers who corrected us, and we paid them
  respect. Shall we not much more readily be in
  subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
  10For they indeed for a few days chastened us as
  seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that
  we may be partakers of His holiness. 11Now no
  chastening seems to be joyful for the present,
  but painful nevertheless, afterward it yields
  the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who
  have been trained by it.

14
The Family of God

• God is the Father(John 842-44)
• Christ is the Elder Brother(Romans 816-17
  Galatians 44-5)
• Children of God (John 33-5 1 Jn. 31-2)
• In His Image (cf. John 842-44)
• Recipients of Divine Chastening (Hebrews 128-11)
• Heirs of God (Romans 816-17)

15
Romans 816-17

• The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit
  that we are children of God, 17and if children,
  then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with
  Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may
  also be glorified together.

16
Conclusion

• One Caveat It is wrong
  to emphasize one meta-
  phor to the exclusion of
  others. (Which almost all
  denominations now do
  with the term family)
• Others Kingdom of God, Army of God, Vineyard of
  the Lord, Temple of God, Body of Christ