FAMILY OF GOD

     A very pleasant good morning to each one. Your many remarks
continue to be an encouragement to me in this effort. As I have said
upon so many occasions, it is my desire to present only what God has
said. I have no other purpose for being on this station from Sunday
to Sunday. I surely am not here to embellish my pocketbook, because
we do not ask for nor solicit anything from you, our listening
audience, except your time and interest in God's Word.  The
congregation of God's people who bring you this broadcast on a weekly
basis is providing the funds needed to keep us on the air. As I said
long ago, any work that is worthy should be supported by those who
are responsible for that effort. Yet, how often today we see and hear
those who come on the air or over the television airwaves, and they
can hardly wait to request that you send them your money.  Sometimes
it is under the false guise of telling you that the more you send
them the more the Lord will send to you. My friends, that is an
erroneous application of God's Word. That doctrine was invented to
dupe you out of your money, under the guise of religion. The apostle
Peter warned that there would be false teachers that would attempt to
make merchandise out of those who would follow them. Listen to him in
2 Peter 2:1-3: "But there arose false prophets also among the people,
as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily
bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought
them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall
follow their lascivious doing; by reason of whom the way of the truth
shall be evil spoken of. And in covetousness shall they with feigned
words make merchandise of you...." Did you hear the inspired
writer? Do you mean that there are those who would use "feigned
words," words of deception, to make merchandise of others. Isn't that
exactly what the apostle said. To make merchandise of you means that
these false teachers would profit from you; like a merchant buying
and selling merchandise for his profit. Now there is nothing wrong
with a businessman buying from a wholesaler and then selling those
goods for a profit. But, when men and women come along and use their
fellow men for their own personal gain, it should make us shutter.
     Turning our attention to another thought just here, we direct
your attention to our subject for the morning.  "The Family of God."
     The family represents one of the most important aspects of life.
It is, in fact, the foundation of civilization. If the family unit is
destroyed, then civilization will quickly follow in destruction. Our
whole society depends upon a stable and continuing ability to
maintain the family unit. When the family goes, our nation goes. And
yet, there is a movement rapidly at work which would undermine the
family unit as we now know it: A Father and a Mother, with children,
loving each other and caring for each other. Forces are at work to
bring about same-sex marriages; unnatural relationships; which when
followed to their conclusions will destroy civilization as we now see
it. More needs to be said on this; and perhaps in the near future we
will delve into it in more detail. But, for the present, back to the
"Family of God."
     There are many terms which are used to express the magnificence
of Deity, the character of God. And so it is with His Son, Jesus
Christ. The same is true of the church. The character of the church
is so great and noble that great terms are used to describe it. Each
term reflects some particular characteristic or aspect of the church.
     The church is God's kingdom. Matthew 16:18-20. The church is
referred to as the army of the Lord. Hebrews 2:10. The church is the
body of Christ. Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18. The church is called
the bride of Christ. Romans 7:4. It is referred to as the temple of
God. 1 Corinthians 3:16, Acts 15:16. It is called the husbandry of
God. 1 Corinthians 3:9. The church is the family of God or the
household of God.
     Paul states that the saints make up the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19. He tells Timothy how men should conduct themselves
"in the house of God, which is the church of the living God." 1
Timothy 3:14. Let us look at some of the characteristics of a family
as it applies to the people of God.
     God is the Father. As His children, we pray, "Our Father who art
in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name." Matthew 6:9. Our Lord himself
forbade man from having a spiritual father on earth. Did He not say,
"And call no man your father on the earth." Matthew 23:9. Obviously,
Jesus was not discusing our fleshly fathers, but rather those who
assume to be spiritual fathers. There are many faithful teachers, but
only one is the Father. Hear the apostle Paul, "For though ye have
ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers. 1 Cor.
4:15.
    The church is composed of those who have surrendered their will
unto the heavenly Father.  Thus, one becomes the child of God; a
member in the Family of God; submissive unto the Father. In the
Divine arrangement, man becomes a child of God in a very active way.
In John 1:12, we read, "But to as many as received him, to them gave
he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on
his name." You will note from this passage that one who believes on
Christ as the Son of God has the right to become the child of God.
Faith does not make them the child of God. Faith gives one the right
or privilege to become the child of God. Let us look at an
illustration just here. What does a marriage license do? A marriage
license is a permit for a man and woman to become husband and wife.
The marriage license does not make them husband and wife, but gives
them the right to become husband and wife.  A fishing license is a
permit to catch fish. But, I might carry that fishing license around
for the whole year and never catch a fish, perhaps may not even go
fishing.  You see, unless we exercise the right or permit to catch
fish, we will never catch them. So it is with Faith. Faith gives one
the right to become the child of God. But unless you exercise that
right, and obey the Lord, you will never become the child of God.
Faith by itself, or alone, will never save anyone.
     To become the child of God one must undergo a spiritual birth.
One must be born again or anew. Jesus Himself said, "Ye must be born
anew." John 3:7. The spiritual birth closely parallels the physical
birth in many ways. There is the planting of the seed; that seed
being the word of God. Note Luke 8:11: "The seed is the word of God."
That seed is sown in the heart of man. In that parable of the Sower
that we just read from in Luke 8, verse 15 states, "And that in the
good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having
heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience."
Without the teaching (or sowing) of the word of God into good and
honest hearts, there will be no new child of God brought forth. The
seed must impregnate the human heart to bring forth a new child. If
the seed is destroyed or not used, no reproduction can take place.
The heart, as it receives the seed, or the word of God, is lead to
believe or to have faith. Paul states, "So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God." That is found in Romans
10:17. "Without faith it is impossible to please God," so Hebrews
11:6, states. Faith or belief leads one to desire to become the child
of God. Faith cries out, "What shall we do?" as did those in Acts
2:37, inquire. Faith leads to godly sorrow, which in turn leads to
repentance. You can read of this in 2 Corinthians 7:10. What was the
answer given to those in Acts 2:37, who cried out, "What shall we
do?" Peter told them, "Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you for
the remission of your sins." That is Acts 2:38. This is clearly in
harmony with the words of our Master in Mark 16:16, when He said, "He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." The remission of sins
is the result of faith obeying the commands of Christ. Saul of Tarsus
was told, "Why tarriest thou, arise and be baptized and wash away
your sins." Acts 22:16. Baptism changes a person's state. It is an
act of obedience wherein one is translated out of the domain of Satan
and into the marvelous light of the Son of God. Note the order given
by Paul in Galatians 3:26 and 27, "For ye are all sons of God,
through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized
into Christ did put on Christ." Who put on Christ? Those who
believed? No!! Those who were lead by their faith to be baptized into
Christ. How many put on Christ? Just as many as were baptized into
Christ.
     Note just here. God does not require one thing to become a child
of God and something else to make that child a member of his family.
The very act of becoming a child of God makes one a member of the
family of God.  The notion that one becomes a child of God by one
process and then becomes a member of the family of God by another
process is not found within the pages of God's Word. This is made
very clear by the reading of Acts 2:47, where the inspired writer
says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those that were being
saved." And why not, when one is saved, or born anew, he or she
is cleansed by the blood of Christ and by that very process becomes a
member of the family of God.
     The family of God is to be one unit. It should be a united
family. I spoke upon that subject briefly last Sunday morning,
showing the desire of our Lord that all of His people be united in
faith and practice. He prayed for unity among believers. Paul taught
the same in 1 Corinthians l:10, when he said, "Now I beseech you,
brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all
speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but
that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same
judgment." That doesn't sound much like what we see today, does it?
People just shrug their shoulders and reject Christ's prayer and Paul
command. Surely, righteous people should sit up and take notice.
     As a child of the heavenly Father, one enters into a spiritual
fellowship with God and by that very act becomes the recipient of
great privileges and blessings. They have entered into the family of
the sovereign ruler of this universe. They have become the child of
God, the friend of God once again. They have been freed from their
past sins, washed clean and made whole again. Now, as the child of
God, that one has blessings beyond one's fondest dreams.  In becoming
the child of God, one becomes a joint-heir with Christ Jesus. Romans
8:17, states, "and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-
heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be
also glorified with him." If one is an heir, he or she shares in the
inheritance. But, those who are not God's children can never hope to
partake in the heavenly inheritance. Christ promised in John 14:2-3,
"In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Hebrews 2:11, reads,
"For both he that sanctifieth and they are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren."  Thus, our
elder brother has a prepared place for the Sons of God.
     I close with the reading of 1 John 3:1, "Behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
children of God." I leave you with the question, "Are you in the
Family of God?" You can be, you know, if you are willing to submit to
the commandments of Jesus Christ.

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