“We are God’s children now.” 1 John 3:2
When a child is adopted by a family, many times he or she becomes part of a family with brothers and sisters. In the same way, when God the Father adopts us spiritually, we’re adopted into a family with other brothers and sisters. As Christians, we are part of an extended family.
This may not seem like a big deal, but when you consider the biblical language of family used in the New Testament, it takes on a whole new meaning. During the time when Paul wrote Ephesians, it may have been illegal to call someone a close relative, such as brother or sister, if that individual was not legally related to you. To simply call someone “brother” or “sister” would run the risk of confusing the inheritance rights that were only to be distributed to close family members upon someone’s death.
For the Christian, however, sometimes our relationships in the family of God are even closer than those of blood relatives. Many early Christians saw their brothers and sisters in Christ as the primary designation for their identity and risked losing the inheritance from their biological families.
This goes to show that our “family in Christ” is not just a feel-good label we use, or something we take for granted. In a very real and tangible way, in Christ we are adopted into the family of God and have new brothers and sisters.
Read
- What has God called you to today?
- How does this affect (or not) the way you relate with others in Christ?
Prayer
Thank God for adopting you into his family. Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask for his help in being the brother or sister in Christ he has called you to be.
This devotion is adapted from the Who Do You Think You Are? Study Guides with Daily Devotions resource.
